City, retailers team for "grasscycling"

The Home Depot, Lowe’s and GardenSphere in Tacoma, along with more than 80 other retail locations throughout the Puget Sound area, are discounting environmentally friendly yard care products as part of Northwest Natural Yard Days, a regional program supporting natural yard care practices. Residents can eliminate grass clipping waste and save time, money and the environment by “grasscycling” with a mulch mower, discounted up to 25 percent April 15-May15 at local home improvement stores.

Grasscycling is a natural approach to lawn care that leaves grass clippings on the lawn after mowing to decompose quickly, releasing valuable nutrients back into the soil. Mulch mowers chop grass clippings into tiny bits and blow them down into the lawn leaving no visible clippings. Push reel or regular mowers leave clippings on the surface to break down quickly. By grasscycling, you can save time: No grass clippings to manage in a bag, at the curb or haul to the landfill; save money: Reduce water and fertilizer use; save the environment: Eliminate or reduce air and noise pollution.

Discounted products (varying by store) include: electric mulching mowers and push-reel mowers; organic lawn fertilizer; weed pullers; compost and bark mulch; watering wands and soaker hoses; insecticidal soap; and less-toxic moss control and slug bait. Find Tacoma store locations and a list of specific products on sale at http://cityoftacoma.org/naturalyards .

Sponsored by City of Tacoma Solid Waste Management, Washington State Department of Ecology and more than 24 other government agencies, Northwest Natural Yard Days aims to reduce yard waste, pesticide use and water use by encouraging Puget Sound area residents to practice natural yard care through discounts each spring at participating retailers from Bellingham to Olympia.