The intoxicating scent of freshly mowed grass tickled my nostrils as I proudly looked at my lush green lawn. A flush of happiness soothed my body and mind because I knew the sight I was staring at was the result of organic fertilizers and absolutely no lawn pesticides. I felt confident that I had overcome challenges and was now performing a new, better way of lawn care. A method of lawn maintenance that was saving money on my water bill, keeping neighbor children and pets safe, and protecting the environment while still having a beautiful healthy lawn that made my jealous neighbors wonder why they haven’t made the switch to organic lawn care yet.
The debate continues whether lawn pesticides are harmful to young children, pets, and the environment. It isn’t much of a debate these days with numerous new studies coming out providing evidence that many of the materials that were and still are being used in “traditional” lawn care will cause cancer and other health problems while harming our environment. My goal of this article isn’t to scare homeowners into using safer products or to provide statistics and scientific research on if lawn pesticides are bad.
My goal is to educate, and let folks know that there is a better way of maintaining a lawn through the use of organic materials. And inform them why it is beneficial for them to make the switch. Hopefully with the help of this education, consumers will start demanding that companies such as Scott’s begin to put more of their large R&D budgets toward safer and more natural products that are as effective as the chemicals we have been blasting our lawns with for years.
The first thing I would suggest is to adjust your mentality to what a perfect lawn looks like. Residential lawns are never going to look like the fairway at your local country club. The sooner you realize this, the better. A couple of dandelions showing their yellow heads is not the end of the world. It is actually natural and common even on the most expensive lawn program out there. I’m not saying your lawn can’t look similar to that fairway, but weeds come and go. That’s nature. Work with it and not against it.