Our Midwest Grows Green providers offer their favorite spring lawn care tips As the temperature gradually creeps up, it’s time to emerge from winter hibernation and get back outside. With the thought of cookouts and block parties on the horizon, many of us want both attractive and healthy lawns for our children and pets. Whether a
From “no way” to “why not?”
MPAC’s Ryan Anderson explores how to connect with those initially resistant to Natural Lawn Care Our natural lawn care (NLC) session at the 2018 Illinois Parks Conference last month had it all. I covered the environmental and health risks of pesticides and how to engage the community in these issues. Two NLC companies, Logic Lawn
Don’t Put These Three Things Down Your Drain
Guest contributor Jenny Holt cautions against the environmental hazards of improperly disposing certain common household products. Lots of people think that they have an environmentally friendly lifestyle, but they don’t realize that they regularly release toxic chemicals into the environment. The Midwest continues to grow more environmentally concerned, exemplified by the city of Urbana recently
The MGG 2 year review
MPAC’s Ryan Anderson recaps MGG’s progress the past two years and the work we still need to do in 2018. On October 21st, MPAC completed its last Midwest Grows Green Kickoff Event of 2018 with the help of Elmhurst Cool Cities Coalition. I’m happy that our last stop for 2018 was in Elmhurst, because in many
Bringing in Reinforcements: The Overseed
Baseball teams are similar to our lawns. Need proof? MGG’s Ryan Anderson elaborates in his look at the crucial step of overseeding. Disclaimer, I’m a Cubs fan and I an avid watcher during the playoffs. Recently in the playoffs, the stats have pointed towards the importance of pitching for success, specifically the pitching reinforcements (i.e.
Scrub out the Grubs
MGG’s Ryan Anderson describes the grub life cycle and how to monitor and disrupt it to protect your turf’s roots. For many lawn owners, brown grass works us into a frenzy. Did I kill the grass? Did I not provide enough nutrients and/or water? Or too much? Worse yet… does my lawn have grubs? Many times,
The City of Urbana and Urbana Park District to pilot a chemical free lawn program!
No pesticides, no “Keep off the Grass” signs, and no environmental and health risks. That’s what the future will look like with the new Midwest Grows Green natural lawn care initiative adopted by both the City of Urbana and Urbana Park District this fall. “The City of Urbana strives to keep our community a healthy place
National Honey Bee Day: Save Our Pollinators
MPAC’s Intern Sibyl Pan covers the global decline of bees and how to help our fuzzy friends. With National Honey Bee Day on August 19th fast approaching, we want to celebrate the essential role bees play for the ecosystem and food production. Bees pollinate a third of the food produced by plants, 90 percent of all
Creeping Charlie: How natural lawn care providers control them
MPAC’s Ryan Anderson takes you straight to the experts for managing pesky Creeping Charlie naturally I’ve hosted plenty of MGG Kickoff Events, presented at many community meetings, and attended numerous fairs to know that Creeping Charlie (or Ground Ivy) is a problem. Perhaps the most pervasive weed and the toughest to eradicate. I could refer
Spoil Your Soil: The Benefits of Composting
When did you last treat your grass with “brown gold” to keep it happy and resilient? MGG’s 2018 Spring Intern Ellicia Sanchez discusses the importance of compost. Just like any house that requires a sturdy foundation to withstand rain, wind and other external pressures, your lawn needs healthy, organic matter to breathe, hold nutrients and
