I don’t use chemicals on my lawn and never have. But until recently I’ve thoughtlessly used standard operation procedure: gasoline-powered rotary mowers, a riding mower, a couple of push mowers, and a gas-powered weed whacker. My increasing awareness of climate change and peak oil compelled me to ask myself if cutting the lawn that way is OK. It became increasingly difficult to avoid the conclusion that I really should find a better way. I decided to switch from fossil solar energy to here-and-now solar energy: me, combined with electricity from the sun.
Q. What is your lawn like now? What kind of maintenance does it require?
A. It’s not one of those Better Homes & Gardens creations. It’s just whatever comes up: a mix of grasses and some “weeds” like dandelions. It requires fairly regular mowing of whatever nature has seen fit to plant around the house, the vegetable and flower gardens, and the fruit trees and berry bushes. There are a lot of rougher, hilly areas. Yeah, you can play croquet on my lawn, but it is a much more interesting and challenging form of the game than you might be used to!
Q. Are you starting cold turkey, or easing into the system one phase at a time? Will you allow any exceptions?
A. The first to go was the riding mower. That tool uses a lot more fuel than a push mower, because it’s not just cutting grass, but also carrying its quarter-ton self plus me around. It was in the picture in the first place because the lawn was too big for a push mower alone. So there’s the first element in the plan: Make the lawn small enough that I can tend it with appropriate tools. I’ll be putting more of the lawn into white clover, which doesn’t have to be mowed as much, and low-growing ground covers.
My next step is to replace the remaining gas-eaters with human-powered and/or electric-powered alternatives. My home is completely solar-powered, so all electric implements will be fueled by the sun. The only exception might be the gas-powered weed whacker that I use to trim the tall pasture around my gardens.
Related:
- Exmark Mower
- Riding Lawn Mowers - The Quick and Easy Way to Mow the Lawn
- Lawn Mower Safety
- Tips for Choosing a Lawn Mower
