Natural Lawn Care for a Child-friendly Environment

Exposure to chemical pesticides can be harmful. Your lawn may look great when it is green and weed free but you don't want a green lawn at any cost. If your children and pets are going to play on the lawn, you don't want to expose them to anything harmful.

How to Achieve a Green Lawn That is Safe for Your Children and Pets

The best way to maintain a green lawn and minimize the need for chemical treatment is to keep the grass healthy. Strong grass plants are better able to tolerate disease, insects, and drought, reducing the need for lawn spraying with pesticides and fertilizers.

• Water the lawn well and only water when really necessary to encourage grass to grow longer, stronger roots. This also saves water.
• Avoid mowing the lawn too short. Setting the lawn mower to between 2.5 and 3.5 inches allows more leaf surface to soak up the sun and nourish the grass plant and its roots.
• Leave the grass clippings on the lawn after mowing.  Many lawn services bag the grass after cutting it but it is best to leave it
• Allow earthworms to aerate the lawn and keep the soil healthy. Pesticides can kill off earthworms. Use non-chemical lawn-care treatments such as alfalfa meal, bone meal, and corn gluten meal to fertilize the lawn and suppress weeds. Vinegar can be an effective weed killer on areas like patios and paths.
• Create an environment that encourages birds and bugs in the garden to eat pest bugs. Use of chemical pesticides can discourage them.

Natural Lawn Care Creates a Healthy EnvironmentThe U.S. National Wildlife Federation reports that, on average, domestic lawns receive 10 times more chemical pesticide per acre than farmland. These chemicals are washed into nearby rivers and lakes. Adopting a greener approach to your lawn care can protect your children today and preserve their environment for the future.

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