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Why Change Your Little Piece of Heaven on Earth? 

Honeoye Lake is one of those rare places in the world where woods, lake, hills and sky form a particular vision of Eden: beauty and tranquility abound.  As with the original Eden, however, there may be a bit of trouble lurking in the background. 

The water’s edge that lures children to the swimming raft and Granddad to the fishing rod is too often altered by well-intentioned projects meant to “improve” the property.  Trees and shrubs are cleared away to open that priceless view of the lake. Lawns are established, fertilized, watered, mowed and fertilized again and again. 

 When the rains come, soil that is no longer anchored by tree and shrub roots washes into the lake. Nutrients washed from the lawn or attached to soil particles feed aquatic plants in the lake. plants, (both macrophytes and  algae) grow lushly, reproduce and die.  Aerobic bacteria feed on the dead plants, depleting the water of oxygen.  Fish and aquatic insects suffer oxygen deprivation.  The lake water “smells funny,” and swimming and fishing become less attractive.

 Geese are attracted to mowed lawns where they can see predators coming at a distance. Even without the neighbor who feeds waterfowl when she thinks no one is looking, a closely mowed lawn is goose bait. A flock of geese produces goose poop – lots of it.  This is also fertilizer that will wash into the lake, as are the droppings of the family dog that tries to chase the geese away.

 For many different reasons – from lawn fertilizers and goose poop to faulty septic systems – the lake suffers from the impacts of the good intentions but less than ideal choices of the people who surround it. 

 The municipalities and residents of Honeoye Lake watershed have committed themselves to improving the water quality of the lake.  The alum application during the past year represents a valiant effort to sequester excess phosphorus already in the lake, preventing it from recycling into more and more plant growth. The community’s commitment to preventing more phosphorus from entering the lake is equally important. 

 Phosphorus is the nutrient in least supply in Honeoye Lake and all of the other Finger Lakes.  Adding any amount of phosphorus supports immediate plant growth. 1 lb of phosphorus spurs the growth of 500 pounds of plant material in the lake.  Keeping phosphorus out of the lake is vital to continued water quality improvement. 

Why Use Low or No Phosphorus Lawn Fertilizers?

 Lawn fertilizer carried in runoff is a source of phosphorus in Honeoye Lake.  Fertilizer that grass can’t use washes away in runoff or enters the groundwater – which is also moving toward the lake

 Most established lawns do not need additional phosphorus.  Cornell University surveys indicate that most established lawns don’t need fertilizer.  Only one of every ten lawns examined needed any fertilization at all.  What most lawns needed in order to stay lush and healthy was less care! 

 Mow grass high – about 3 – 3 1/2 inches. This enables grass to root deeply and grow thicker, crowding out weeds and keeping the roots cooler which reduces the need for irrigation.   Leaving grass clippings on the lawn instead of bagging them up recycles nitrogen into the root mass.  This does not cause thatch. 

 Thatch is a layer of decomposing plant tissue made up mostly of stems and roots, not grass clippings. A thin (up to ½ in.)  layer of thatch above the soil is beneficial.  A thick layer leads to increased disease and insect problems, drought stress and winter injury. Thick thatch usually occurs on lawns that have been heavily fertilized and watered for constant lush growth. Compacted, poorly drained and acidic soil contributes to thatch problems. The use of pesticides can reduce or eliminate microorganisms that break down thatch. Mechanical removal works temporarily. Core aeration is effective in managing thatch. 

Low or no phosphorus fertilizers are a good solution to a the goal of maintaining a healthy lawn beside a healthy lake Keeping a lawn in a state of forced, constant, lush growth by excess fertilization and watering leaves it more vulnerable to pests and weather damage. 

Local businesses that stock low and no phosphorus fertilizer include: The Greenery/Ward’s Landscaping in Honeoye, Country Corners Nursery in Bloomfield, CountryMax in Victor and Lowe’s in Canandaigua.  Other nurseries and businesses may also have such fertilizers available.   Read the label carefully.  

Another means of preserving an attractive property while safeguarding water quality in the lake is to plant native species of trees, shrubs and groundcovers instead of investing much more time, energy and chemicals into growing exotic ornamentals.  

Why Plant Native Species? 

The natural landscaping movement is the newest – and oldest - word in home landscaping.  All across North America, more and more people are landscaping their homes, schools, businesses and churches with native species.  Why all the interest? 

Native species are plants that grow naturally in particular areas; they were established originally without human introduction or intervention.  These plants have several appealing factors. 

Native plants are low-maintenance. As they have adapted to local climate and soils over millennia, native plants are vigorous and hardy, surviving winter cold and summer heat.  They are usually resistant to local pests and diseases. Once established, they require no fertilization or irrigation.  Reducing fertilizer runoff to the lake reduces aquatic plant growth. 

Native plants stay put. Natives rarely become invasive (spread rapidly). Other plants, animals and micro-organisms in a native plant community keep populations in check. Introduced species lack these natural checks and balances. 

Native plants give back to their community. Birds, butterflies, amphibians and other desirable wildlife receive food and shelter from native plants.  Introduced ornamentals do not have similar habitat value  Native plants have deep roots. Root systems hold soil in place and help water infiltrate, reducing soil erosion and runoff.  Roots of mature trees reach down to the upper levels of the water table.  Smaller trees such as dogwood form a dense web of roots that extend downward for several feet.  Turf grass roots commonly reach down about 3 inches and offer far less erosion protection. 

Native plants are interesting. Native plants reveal a diversity of form, foliage, flowers, textures, heights and shapes.  Many have interesting bark or seedpods that are visible in the winter.  Many were used in Native American culture for food, medicines or dyes.  Others were used by European settlers similar domestic purposes.  Native plants can provide a growing link to the past. 

Native plants give you more of what you came here for. Leave the landscaping to Mother Nature rather than spending time, effort and money to turn your Honeoye Lake home into an urban landscape.  Why clear out the natural plants to install others that need pampering, mowing, watering, weeding, spraying, pruning, staking and defending from the native wildlife?  Relax.  Restore your shore to what the “original designer” intended.  Leave that mower in the storage shed, unfold that lawn chair and listen to the birds sing in the (native) trees. 

Assistance with soil erosion control, lawn care, landscaping and other related issues is available from: 

Ontario County Soil and Water Conservation District
 480 North Main Street
 Canandaigua NY 14424
585-396-1450

            Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ontario County
            480 north Main Street
            Canandaigua NY 14424  585-394-3977

U.S. EPA. Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. 1992. Healthy lawn. Healthy environment. Revised version (2004) available at: http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/Publications/lawncare.pdf. 

CCE - Suffolk County: Lawn Care Without Pesticides

National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy. 1997. National pesticide use database. http://www.ncfap.org/database/default.php 

Gough, R.E., T. Dougher, and G.E. Evans. 2003. Successful lawns. Montana State Univ. Extension Service. http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/pubs/mt9310.pdf. 

The Shoreline Stabilization Handbook for Lake Champlain and Other Inland Lakes
http://nsgd.gso.uri.edu/lcsg/lcsgh04001.pdf 

How to Preserve Your Shore’s True Nature
The Shore Primer Ontario Edition
Canada Fisheries and Oceans