Opt Out of Using Dangerous Lawn Chemicals

Just a few days ago, it finally felt like spring! It was warm enough to open the windows and, when I did, in came the familiar spring smell of ... lawn chemicals. Some people might think that just because these products are marketed and sold to us that they're okay to use. 

But according to BeyondPesticides.org, many of the most common lawn chemicals are known carcinogens and can cause birth defects, as well as neurological, kidney and liver damage. Exposure to garden pesticides may also increase a child's likelihood of developing many conditions, including childhood behavioral problems and leukemia, according to this fact sheet on Beyond Pesticide's website.

If you’ve decided you want to truly have a “green” lawn, the Environmental Protection Agency has a document on their website called Healthy Lawn, Healthy Environment, which gives good information on ecologically responsible lawn care.

Here are some tips I got from the website for the Toxics Action Center:

• Mow with a sharp blade and don’t cut grass shorter than three inches. This helps choke out weeds by preventing them from getting sun and water. 
• Develop healthy soil using organic matter, such as compost, and leave the grass clippings on the lawn.
• Aerating the lawn helps water and nutrients get to the roots. 
• Water an inch per week during dry spells. Keep in mind that it is natural for grass to go dormant during dry weather and turn straw colored. When it rains again, the grass will revive.
• Know your weeds because most of them are not invasive, and many help your lawn maintain its green color during dry spells. White clover actually provides a natural source of nitrogen to the grass, and dandelions provide food for tiny wasps that in turn kill many garden pests. 

I think the most important point this website makes is that a healthy lawn is a combination of grass, “weeds,” pests and predators. Be tolerant and patient because it takes several seasons for a lawn to change from being dependent on chemicals to being a balanced ecosystem. Also, keep in mind that grass just doesn’t grow well in certain spots, like around the base of trees, and use wood chips or plant shade-tolerant perennials instead. 

Natural lawn care products are available at stores like Mustard Seed Market in Fairlawn and Whole Foods. If you want to hire an organic lawn care company, there are also some options. Good Nature Organic Lawn Care is a Cleveland-based company that provides a wide array of natural lawn care services. Sweet and Simple Lawn Care is located in Broadview Heights and provides organic lawn fertilization. Whatever company you hire, make sure you ask tough questions about their policy on the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and get it in writing.

A perfectly green, weed-free lawn is not necessary, nor healthy. I think the companies who make these chemicals have sold us the idea that our lawns should look impossibly green. But I also think that when we have the correct information, we're smarter than that.