By Lawanda Jungwirth • for The Northwestern • May 21, 2008


Face it. You know that synthetic chemical fertilizers and herbicides are bad for the environment and for your own health. Those little white signs that lawn care companies place on the lawns warning people to stay off aren’t kidding.

But your lawn is addicted and you’re afraid that if you give up the chemicals dandelions will run rampant. Not so.

Synthetic treatments kill soil microbes and earthworms essential to a healthy organic lawn. Excess fertilizer runoff enters our waterways and kills fish and causes algae blooms. And exposure to these chemicals is linked to numerous human health problems including neurological damage, hormone disruptions, cancer and Parkinson’s.

Fortunately, there are ways to have a healthy lawn without synthetic chemicals. There’s no point in weaning your lawn off them; it’s got to be done cold turkey.

The first, and easiest step in maintaining a chemical-free healthy lawn is to adjust your mower’s cutting height to its highest setting, typically 3 to 4 inches. The taller grass blades do more photosynthesizing which produces more root growth. That makes for better access to water and nutrients, resulting in a healthier, more drought tolerant lawn. The taller grass blades also shade out germinating weed seeds.

Never cut more than 1/3 of the height of the grass blades to avoid stressing them. Keep your mower blade sharp and leave the cuttings on the lawn to provide free nitrogen and organic matter.

You may have heard that leaving the clippings on the lawn contributes to thatch, but that is not true. Fresh clippings on the lawn stimulate earthworm activity and that breaks down thatch.

If you still feel the need to treat your lawn with something, either for fertilizer or weed or insect control there are several companies that produce organic products for do-it-yourselfers. One of the best is Gardens Alive, which has been in business since 1984 and can be reached at (513) 354-1482 or www.gardens alive.com. While the organic offerings at stores like Stein’s aren’t as numerous as the synthetic ones, there is some shelf space devoted to them, and it will likely increase as more people become aware of and purchase them.

There are also a few commercial organic lawn care companies in our area and some of the “chemical” companies offer organic alternatives if you ask.




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By Dr. Helena Jaczek MMP for
Oak Ridges- Markham


We all want our children to grow up healthy and enjoy a safe environment. We wouldn't consider exposing them to other toxic chemicals, so why put them at risk just for a weed-free lawn, especially when there are green alternatives to pesticides?

That's why our government has introduced draft legislation to ban the use and sale of cosmetic pesticides. The cosmetic use of pesticides - chemicals applied merely to improve the appearance of lawns, gardens, parks and school yards - is an unnecessary health risk.

Children love to explore their environment. This means they are more likely to come into contact with pesticide residue. Because they are still growing, their immune systems haven't fully developed to the point that they can fight off the potentially toxic effects of these residues. This is why our government is proposing to take the strongest possible approach in North America by not only banning the use of cosmetic pesticides, but banning the sale as well. We have strong support from both environment and health groups, as well as the general public.

"Ontario children will be better off thanks to this legislation," stated the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario. "We're also delighted that the government is moving quickly to implement these laws."

Pesticide Free Ontario has said it is "delighted with the swift and decisive action Premier McGuinty's government is taking to protect public health and our environment."

The Ontario College of Family Physicians has stated, "On behalf of our most vulnerable patients, the children of this province, we are pleased to hear that government has moved so quickly to develop this important legislation."

More and more retailers are offering green alternatives to cosmetic pesticides such as Canadian Tire, Home Depot and Wal- Mart. There are simple lawn care techniques, like mowing the grass a little higher to promote vigorous growth, prevent weeds and discourage insect pests, and over-seeding to create a healthy, green lawn. Tips can be found at your local garden centre, or check out the Internet.

While many municipal governments across Ontario have taken steps to ban the use of cosmetic pesticides, this proposed legislation will build on that leadership and take it one step further. We wanted to ensure however, that this protection was extended to children and families no matter where they live. The ban would likely take effect next spring, and exceptions are being proposed for the agriculture and forestry sectors to protect and enhance food production and our forests. These sectors already face strict regulations on the use and storage of pesticides.

This proposed legislation builds on our government's commitment to a stronger, healthier and greener Ontario. It's in keeping with some of our past initiatives, such as our plan to replace dirty coal generation with cleaner, greener energy including wind and solar power. In fact, Ontario is now home to North America's largest solar farm.

We were also responsible for protecting 1.8 million acres of green space, including the Greenbelt. We implemented every recommendation of the Walkerton report for clean, safe water. And, we have helped you save money and energy with a provincial retail sales tax exemption for Energy Star® products.

To find out more about Bill 64, the proposed Cosmetic Pesticides Ban Act, and to get tips on how to keep your lawn and garden healthy and chemical free, visit www.ontario.ca/pesticides.


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If lawns were classified as a crop, they would constitute the fifth largest crop in this country, following corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. Per year, Americans apply more than 80 million pounds of chemical products to lawns and gardens. Pesticides are poisonous and are not necessary for a beautiful lawn.

Pesticides and weed killers have been associated with birth defects, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, male infertility and immune disorders. Children are particularly vulnerable to the toxicity of pesticides. Even when these chemicals are applied outdoors, they come inside via shoes, paws and air currents. Once indoors, they linger for months. Pesticides contaminate water supplies and harm birds, butterflies and other creatures. They interfere with natural pest control.

Here are five easy tips to a beautiful, chemical-free lawn:

Tip One: Allow your grass to grow taller. The longer the blade, the deeper the roots, the stronger the grass! Strong grass is more resilient against weeds, disease and drought. Let your lawn do the work of choking out those weeds.

Tip Two: Lawns only need one inch of rain a week. During dry spells, let your lawn enter a period of natural dormancy and cut back on mowing. Your beautiful chemical-free green lawn will return when the rain does.

Tip Three: Leave grass clippings where they fall. Grass clippings can supply up to 50% of the nitrogen needed by a lawn. They naturally fertilize and add valuable nutrients to the soil. Also people should get a soil test to determine if pH is proper and to identify any nutrient deficiencies. Fall fertilizing to correct for missing nutrients is best.

Tip Four: Remove weeds by hand with a paring knife. You can also try corn gluten to stop the spread of broadleaf weeds – it won’t kill them, but will stop new ones from germinating.

Tip Five: Reduce the size of your lawn by letting some of it turn to meadow. Meadows are more diverse and so better support natural predators of pests. Also, expand your gardens or xeriscape – a water wise garden – more paths, patios, flower beds, ground covers (including meadow) can all replace lawn.

Make the move to a non-toxic, less costly yet still beautiful lawn that you can feel good about. Don’t stress about having the perfect lawn - learn to tolerate a few weeds. For more information, visit www.cetonline.org.


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When it comes to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, just say no.

Think of synthetics as your lawn on drugs, says Clark Abraham.

"The more you use, the more you need."

Once out of rehab, however, the drug-free lawn gets by on less of everything — less fertilizer, less watering, less mowing. More importantly, the clean-and-sober lawn is safer for people and their environment, he says. Not to mention, "drug" prices, in this instance, are rising right along with the price of gas.

Abraham is one of the undoubtedly few area residents who has signed on to the SafeLawns Challenge, a national campaign to promote environmentally-friendly lawn care. But an eco-green lawn is a natural for him. He owns and operates Abraham’s Eco-Lawn Organics in Normal. He hasn’t used man-made chemicals on his own yard in 11 years.

The question is, how many others will join him, particularly in central Illinois?

That’s the challenging part for the SafeLawns Challenge, which aims to convince Americans — including homeowners, businesses, schools and other institutions — to convert one million acres of grass to organic lawn care by 2010.

"Organic lawn care is taking off on the East Coast and the West Coast," says Paul Rosenbohm, owner of LAF Compost Inc. in rural Peoria. "They jump on the bandwagon first, we wait and let them work out the mistakes."

Franz Hoerdemann, of Hoerdemann’s Landscaping in West Peoria, agrees. Though he tries to use as little synthetic fertilizer as possible, he suspects farmers are using more organic products than landscapers to fertilize or to control weeds and insects.

"I’m looking at it because it’s something we’re going to have to get used to," Hoerdemann says. "But right now it’s not cost effective, even though fertilizer has gone up 40 to 60 percent because of oil prices."

However slowly, even the traditional lawn-care industry is moving away from petrochemicals to organic products made of manure or bone meal.

The SafeLawns Challenge is sponsored by the SafeLawns Foundation, a not-for-profit based in Maine geographically and online at safelawns.org. Both are the brainchild/marketing tool for Paul Tukey’s mission. He’s a reporter-turned-landscaper who turned organic lawncare advocate after he was diagnosed with acute chemical sensitivity, brought on by an overexposure to chemicals.

Tukey, founder of a "People, Places and Plants" magazine and former host of a cable television show of the same name, is author of "The Organic Lawn Care Manual." SafeLawns Foundation came about as a result of discussions with the publisher about how to promote the book. The foundation got off the ground just as Land O’ Lakes Purina Feed launched Bradfield Organics, a fertilizer billed as safe for people, pets and the environment.

The two have been linked ever since. For instance, Bradford Organics sponsors how-to videos on the SafeLawns Web site, and SafeLawns selected Bradford products to use on its National Mall demonstration project.

But Tukey sees the SafeLawns Challenge and other activities as a public education campaign. He’s trying to change minds and myths, lawns and laws.

Traditional lawn-maintenance programs typically involve a four-step program — pre-emergent weed control, weed killer, a summer fertilizer, and a fall weed and seed. Tukey likes to say organic lawncare is a 12-step program, beginning with mental detoxification.

The perfect lawn is a marketing myth, he says, and the idea that organically-maintained lawns are ugly is a misconception. Using eco-friendly techniques on four acres of the National Mall, for instance, is designed to dispel the misconception that going organic is going ugly.

"Changing the tolerance level for what we call weeds is part of this," Tukey says. For instance, people loved clover in the yard until the 1960s. "Now they’ve been convinced that, somehow, it’s un-American."

Tukey also points out that traditional lawn-care practices also contribute to pollution, from chemical run-off into water systems to noisy lawn mowers.

"With organic lawn care, the soil needs to be every bit as alive as you and me," he says. "If you’ve been using a chemical fertilizer program for any length of time, the soil is dead. The only way you can grow plants in dead soil is to use more and more synthetic fertilizer."

Thus, Tukey’s lawn-care intervention.

Going organic is more costly and labor-intensive initially, he explains, because it’s a process of bringing soil back to life. Composting, leaving grass clippings down, and not cutting grass too low are part of the drug-free lawn rehabilitation program.

Organic lawn care practices are more cost effective in the long run. Eventually, lawns require less fertilizer, far less watering and maintain better in drought conditions.

The SafeLawns Foundation is also among the growing number of local and national organizations pushing for laws banning or limiting the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Between the legislative push and the price of fossil fuel, the country is hitting bottom, Tukey says. "Frankly, people are going to have to change, whether they like it or not."


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