Reducing Your Use

Reducing or eliminating your use of pesticides is a healthy choice for your family, pets and your neighbourhood. 

 

 

Your lawn depends on a healthy soil ecosystem.  This ecosystem is made up of many parts including grass roots, beneficial insects, earthworms, fungi, microbes, nutrients and more.  If pesticides and strong chemical fertilizers have been applied to your lawn for long periods of time, the soil ecosystem may have been disrupted. 

Your lawn's ecosystem can be restored by:

• following the Healthy Lawn Care steps described in this website 
• reducing or eliminating pesticide use

 

If you use a lawn care company to care for your lawn ask for IPM (Integrated Pest Management) or pesticide-free services.  Click here for more information on how to choose a lawn care company.

 

By spot-spraying weeds instead of applying pesticides on your entire lawn, you will use over 180 times less chemicals.

 

If you care for your own lawn, avoid 'blanket' or whole-lawn pesticide treatments.  Blanket treatments consist of spreading granules (like weed and feed) or spraying products on the entire lawn.  This results in pesticides being applied to all areas whether needed or not. 

Follow these steps to reduce and then eliminate your pesticide use: 

IF YOU DO THIS…	THEN TRY THIS…
Use a lawn care company that sells you a set number of pesticide treatments…	Ask for a pesticide-free service that focuses on preventing problems or an IPM service that only sprays as a last resort
Use weed and feed (granules or spray) to prevent weeds…	Use feed and seed - add grass seed and fertilizer.  It is more effective at preventing weeds.
Use weed and feed on your whole lawn to get rid of weeds…	Just use a weed removal tool or spot spray only the areas with weeds.
Use a pesticide spray bottle to spot spray weeds	Use a weed removal tool or use a natural weed killing spray (acetic acid) product