Why Consider Natural Lawn Care?

You are concerned for your health and the health and safety of your family and pets.

Ultimately, pesticides are designed to kill living organisms.  Are you willing to risk your health and the health of your loved ones by exposure to these chemicals?  The truth is that the chemicals used in your lawn do not stay put, nor do they just go away.  Once tracked indoors by children and pets, lawn chemicals are not able to disintegrate quickly because of a lack of sunlight and heat.  These chemicals linger in your home, mostly in the carpets on which your children and pets play, where they are breathed in and absorbed by the skin. 

The Pesticides Literature Review warns that exposure to pesticides has been linked repeatedly to serious health issues.  "Results of this study found consistent evidence of serious health risks such as cancer, nervous system diseases and reproductive problems in people exposed to pesticides."  At highest risk are children, as they tend to have more contact with the lawn and their developing organs are more susceptible to damage from the chemicals.

The Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association published a study in their April 2004 edition that concluded that certain breeds of dogs are four to seven times more likely to contract bladder cancer if they have been exposed to chemically treated lawns.  Nell Newman of Newman's Own Organics cites that veterinarians have proof that lawn chemicals are "partly responsible for a 30 to 40 percent increase in the mortality of dogs and cats." (The Organic Lawn Care Manual)

Why take unnecessary risks when your loved ones are involved?

You care about our Earth and wish to lessen the impact you have on our eco-systems.

A healthy lawn is beneficial to all of us simply because of the vast amount of carbon dioxide that is captured and the oxygen that is released in return.  The 30 million acres of lawns in America also have an incredible cooling effect that reduces energy consumption, filter air pollutants, and prevent soil erosion. 

Lawns are an integral part of a healthy environment, but the toxic chemicals we have been taught to apply counteract the benefits.  The US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that homeowners apply ten times more chemicals to their lawns per acre than farmers apply to their crops.  Blanket recommendations have caused American homeowners to irresponsibly over-apply chemicals to their lawns.  The Organic Lawn Care Manual cites a USDA study that demonstrated that nearly 80 percent of synthetic fertilizer is wasted when it leaches through the soil, is washed away into our water systems, or vaporizes.

The effects of pesticides on wildlife are daunting and terribly disturbing to those of us who care to preserve MN birds, fish, and animals.  Check out toxicfreenc.org for their factsheet outlining the risks of using common chemicals, such as Sevin and 2,4-D, that we have been conditioned to believe are necessary for normal lawn and garden care.  For instance, their report states that the main ingredient in Sevin dust contaminates our groundwater and is toxic to animals, alone responsible for killing one to two million birds in the United States each year.  Overall, the American Bird Conservancy estimates that tens of millions of birds are killed in the US by pesticide poisoning each year.  Minnesota's precious lakes and rivers are being deposited with pesticide and fertilizer runoff, affecting the health and reproductive functioning of aquatic animals.   As contaminated animals are being consumed by predators, all members of the food web, including humans, are being poisoned.

In addition to those risks, the manufacturing of fertilizers and pesticides requires the use of a large amount of fossil fuels.  An added benefit of using organic lawn products is that they are derived from natural, sustainable resources; this lessens our dependence on the oil industry and reduces our carbon footprint.

You desire a lush, green, healthy turf: the envy of your neighborhood.

It's part of the American dream: a beautiful home framed by a lush, green lawn that welcomes all who pass, including friends and wildlife.  That dream becomes reality with an organic lawn!  Contrary to popular belief, organically treated lawns have some of the most beautiful grass around!  In fact, America's "front lawn:" the National Mall in Washington DC, has recently made the transition to organic maintenance.  In the past, with approximately 25 million visitors a year trampling the lawns of the National Mall, the groundskeepers were at a loss at how to improve the health of the grounds.  Since making the transition, the lawns are more beautiful than ever and much more capable of handling the heavy foot traffic and are more resistant to stressful weather conditions and disease.  We encourage you to see the transformation for yourself by watching the video on safelawns.org; you will be amazed!

Real estate experts agree that a well-maintained lawn and landscape increases the value of your home by as much as 10 to 15%.  Set the standard in your neighborhood with a beautiful, envied lawn that is safe for all to enjoy!

You wish to create a chemical-free lawn that is self-sustaining, saving you money!

Lawns treated year after year with a four- or five-step program become dependent upon those synthetic chemicals, much like a drug addiction.  With the vast amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium applied in these plans, your lawn is sure to be green; however, as Paul Tukey explains in The Organic Lawn Care Manual, these lawns are "often sicker on the inside and more vulnerable to attack from outside forces such as insects and diseases."  To counteract their vulnerability, homeowners must apply additional applications of fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides.

Our goal is to help you nurture your soil with a healthy "diet" so that it can support a lush, green turf with a strong root system.  Once your soil is returned to a natural balance of nutrients and beneficial organisms, your lawn will require few additives and save you money!  You will also spend less time and money to water your lawn, as a deep root system does not require water like the shallow root systems of a chemically-dependent lawn.  Paul Tukey is quick to remind you that "with a natural lawn care system, you're creating an annuity.  Effort you put in this year will pay you back for years to come.  Synthetic lawn care is like term insurance; once you've spent the money, it's gone forever, and you'll have to spend it again next year."

It is an absolute myth that organic lawn care is not an affordable option; contact us for your free estimate and you can see the comparison for yourself!