Why switch to organic lawn care methods?

Organic lawn care has grown rapidly in popularity. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, organic by definition is to be cultivated or raised without the use of synthetic chemicals. People are growing more enviornmentally conscious every day. They are looking for natural solutions for everything from their bodies to their homes. Even governments have stepped up to the plate on this issue. Canada one of the countries at the forefront of this issue. The majority of the Canadian Provinces have passed laws restricting the use of pesticides. The United States Enviornmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a list of pesticides that have been banned from use or their use has been severely restricted. In some parts of the United States, lawmakers have proposed legislation banning pesticides from being used in certain designated areas such as on school grounds.

Organic lawn care advocates perceive it to be:

Better for your lawn - You are not using man made chemicals on your lawn.  You are naturally caring for it.  For instance, when you use a pesticide you not only eliminate the bad insects, you also eliminate the good insects that help promote a healthy lawn.

Better for the enviornment - Motorized equipment can contribute to air pollution.  Also, the chemicals used on your lawn can get into the waterways near your property.  From there the chemicals can affect our food supply.</li>

Better for people - Chemicals can cause health issues such as cancer and skin irritations.  If it is killing insects and weeds, it has to also in some way impact humans and even our pets.

The most cost effective method - It is believed that over the course of time, this is the best option in terms of cost.

Natural lawn care can take on many forms

• Manual Lawn Equipment- For instance, if you have a smaller lawn use a reel mower.  There are many other pieces of equipment that can be used in place of gasoline or electric powered machines.  Not only are you helping the enviornment, you are also getting in your work-out.   To learn more about Reel Lawn Mowers click here.
• Organic Lawn Fertilizer - This type of fertilizer is more earth friendly than it's synthetic counterpart.  It also allows you to fertilize less often and water less often.
• Composting - Feeding your lawn the natural way is a great option. In fact, I truly believe that every homeowner should have their own compost bin in their backyard.
• Organic Lawncare Tips - Know your soil (organic weed control, disease control and insect control all in one).

Of course prevention (mowing, fertilizing and watering) is the most important step in your lawn care regiment.  However, having a natural prevention plan to keep weeds, disease and pests off of your lawn.  The most important step in organic lawncare is knowing your soil type.

Keep in mind, it isn't an all or nothing concept.  You do not have to change your entire program to an organic lawn care program.  In fact, going completely organic may not be practical for you.  There are elements of organic lawn care that I include in my program for my own home.  As we go through the different elements of natural lawn care in more detail, I will share my own practices with you. You can pick and choose which elements will work best for you and your lawn.