Each year Americans spend $8.
4 million on 100 million pounds of synthetic pesticides to keep their lawns looking lush and free of the dreaded dandelion and other weeds-up to 10 times as much pesticides per acre as farmers use on their crops.
These pesticides not only end up in our lakes, streams, rivers, and groundwater, but also can come in contact with our skin and be absorbed into our blood stream.
These days I'm hearing from more and more from folks, particularly mothers, who don't relish the thought of having their kids playing in a lawn where pesticides have recently been applied.
In fact, in some states it's against the law to apply pesticides near school grounds.
And in some parts of Canada lawn pesticides have been banned entirely.
I like a thick, lush turf as much as the next guy and have found there is a better way to have a pretty nice lawn without the suggested season-long drenching of potentially harmful chemicals.
Organic lawn care, aka natural lawn care, as currently being practiced by some homeowners and lawn-care businesses, is a very achievable alternative to conventional lawn care.
An entire book could be devoted to natural lawn care.
Fortunately, one is.
Television personality Paul Tukey details what it takes to achieve a chemical-free lawn in his book The Organic Lawn Care Manual.
Tukey is a convert of sorts, having spent years taking care of other people's lawns the conventional way, that is until he started experiencing health problems his doctor attributed to the pesticides he was using.
"You can grow a beautiful lawn without synthetic chemicals," writes Tukey.
"I've done it and so have many, many others.
" The best way to achieve a lush carpet of green grass, free of weeds and diseases is to grow a healthy turf, according to Tukey.
There are several ways to do this without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
For instance, just raising the height of your mower deck, especially during hot, dry spells will contribute greatly to establishing a more healthy turf.
I was amazed at the transformation I witnessed in a sandy area over my drainfield after I raised the mower deck about an inch (to about three inches).
The 20 X 40 area was an embarrassment for years, choked as it was with every weed imaginable.
By mid-summer it was both weedy and brown.
Within weeks of raising the mower deck it started to green up and eventually most of the weeds disappeared.
The longer blades of grass photosynthesize better and will actually shade out fledgling weeds.
Another thing to do, if you're not doing it already, is to use a mulching mower that returns the nutrient-rich clippings to the soil.
Aerating and dethatching the turf will also go a long way to improving your turf.
Machines can be rented for this task.
A dethacher effectively removes the thatch that accumulates over time from a build up of organic material around the root zone of the turf.
A thick layer of thatch makes it difficult for water and nutrients to penetrate the root zone of the turf.
A dethacher is used prior to aerating a lawn only if thatch is a problem.
An aerator effectively opens up the turf so it can breath and helps loosen up compacted soils.
Dethatching and aerating is also a good prerequisite for the next step, which if necessary, is to overseed the lawn.
When you're done dethatching and aerating your lawn it will look like gophers had a family reunion in your front yard.
Don't panic.
Simply rake off the clumps of dead grass that have been plucked out by the dethatcher and aerator and get ready to overseed the lawn.
Overseeding is only necessary if you think your lawn is a little sparse.
Overseeding will assist in crowding out unwanted weeds without having to resort to a weed-n-feed product.
The best method to overseed a lawn is to use a rotating spreader and apply seed at about a quarter of the rate you would seed a new lawn.
Try to match up the seed with the existing grass in your lawn, which in this state is going to most likely be a combination of Kentucky bluegrass, fescue and perennial ryegrass.
Compost, compost tea and organic fertilizers are a good alternative to using synthetic fertilizers.
Sythetic fertilizers have been proven to kill beneficial organisms in the soil.
Spreading about an inch of compost over your lawn is the most time consuming chore.
Tukey and others provide the details of composting and "brewing" compost tea.
The third option sounds much easier though it can be a little more costly, even than synthetic fertilizers.
Use one of the various granular organic products on the market, such as fish byproducts that can be spread on a lawn with a spreader the same way synthetic fertilizers are spread.
Some of these don't have as high a nutrient analysis as do the synthetic fertilizers.
However, they make up for it in part because the nutrients are released more gradually into the soil.
And as for a few weeds? Well, you can ignore them as I often do, spot spray them with a horticultural vinegar, or get down on your hands and knees and remove them with a dandelion fork or similar tool.
As you've probably surmised, natural lawn care is a little more labor intensive, particularly the first couple of years.
However, it is a good investment in that it will save you money in the long run when you quit purchasing chemicals.
A natural lawn care program will also provide you with peace of mind, especially when you see your kids or grandkids playing in your lush, green, natural turf.
4 million on 100 million pounds of synthetic pesticides to keep their lawns looking lush and free of the dreaded dandelion and other weeds-up to 10 times as much pesticides per acre as farmers use on their crops.
These pesticides not only end up in our lakes, streams, rivers, and groundwater, but also can come in contact with our skin and be absorbed into our blood stream.
These days I'm hearing from more and more from folks, particularly mothers, who don't relish the thought of having their kids playing in a lawn where pesticides have recently been applied.
In fact, in some states it's against the law to apply pesticides near school grounds.
And in some parts of Canada lawn pesticides have been banned entirely.
I like a thick, lush turf as much as the next guy and have found there is a better way to have a pretty nice lawn without the suggested season-long drenching of potentially harmful chemicals.
Organic lawn care, aka natural lawn care, as currently being practiced by some homeowners and lawn-care businesses, is a very achievable alternative to conventional lawn care.
An entire book could be devoted to natural lawn care.
Fortunately, one is.
Television personality Paul Tukey details what it takes to achieve a chemical-free lawn in his book The Organic Lawn Care Manual.
Tukey is a convert of sorts, having spent years taking care of other people's lawns the conventional way, that is until he started experiencing health problems his doctor attributed to the pesticides he was using.
"You can grow a beautiful lawn without synthetic chemicals," writes Tukey.
"I've done it and so have many, many others.
" The best way to achieve a lush carpet of green grass, free of weeds and diseases is to grow a healthy turf, according to Tukey.
There are several ways to do this without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
For instance, just raising the height of your mower deck, especially during hot, dry spells will contribute greatly to establishing a more healthy turf.
I was amazed at the transformation I witnessed in a sandy area over my drainfield after I raised the mower deck about an inch (to about three inches).
The 20 X 40 area was an embarrassment for years, choked as it was with every weed imaginable.
By mid-summer it was both weedy and brown.
Within weeks of raising the mower deck it started to green up and eventually most of the weeds disappeared.
The longer blades of grass photosynthesize better and will actually shade out fledgling weeds.
Another thing to do, if you're not doing it already, is to use a mulching mower that returns the nutrient-rich clippings to the soil.
Aerating and dethatching the turf will also go a long way to improving your turf.
Machines can be rented for this task.
A dethacher effectively removes the thatch that accumulates over time from a build up of organic material around the root zone of the turf.
A thick layer of thatch makes it difficult for water and nutrients to penetrate the root zone of the turf.
A dethacher is used prior to aerating a lawn only if thatch is a problem.
An aerator effectively opens up the turf so it can breath and helps loosen up compacted soils.
Dethatching and aerating is also a good prerequisite for the next step, which if necessary, is to overseed the lawn.
When you're done dethatching and aerating your lawn it will look like gophers had a family reunion in your front yard.
Don't panic.
Simply rake off the clumps of dead grass that have been plucked out by the dethatcher and aerator and get ready to overseed the lawn.
Overseeding is only necessary if you think your lawn is a little sparse.
Overseeding will assist in crowding out unwanted weeds without having to resort to a weed-n-feed product.
The best method to overseed a lawn is to use a rotating spreader and apply seed at about a quarter of the rate you would seed a new lawn.
Try to match up the seed with the existing grass in your lawn, which in this state is going to most likely be a combination of Kentucky bluegrass, fescue and perennial ryegrass.
Compost, compost tea and organic fertilizers are a good alternative to using synthetic fertilizers.
Sythetic fertilizers have been proven to kill beneficial organisms in the soil.
Spreading about an inch of compost over your lawn is the most time consuming chore.
Tukey and others provide the details of composting and "brewing" compost tea.
The third option sounds much easier though it can be a little more costly, even than synthetic fertilizers.
Use one of the various granular organic products on the market, such as fish byproducts that can be spread on a lawn with a spreader the same way synthetic fertilizers are spread.
Some of these don't have as high a nutrient analysis as do the synthetic fertilizers.
However, they make up for it in part because the nutrients are released more gradually into the soil.
And as for a few weeds? Well, you can ignore them as I often do, spot spray them with a horticultural vinegar, or get down on your hands and knees and remove them with a dandelion fork or similar tool.
As you've probably surmised, natural lawn care is a little more labor intensive, particularly the first couple of years.
However, it is a good investment in that it will save you money in the long run when you quit purchasing chemicals.
A natural lawn care program will also provide you with peace of mind, especially when you see your kids or grandkids playing in your lush, green, natural turf.