Organic Lawncare: Safer, Cheaper, Easier than Chemical

On May 10, 2002 PBS’ “Now with Bill Moyers” ran a report which asked the provocative question “Are We Poisoning Our Children.” While the short answer to question appeared to be “yes,” the details were nonetheless startling. “In my lifetime 75,000 synthetic chemicals and metals have been put to use in America,” Moyers declared, “Chemicals, that, in many cases make our lives easier and better. They kill insects and weeds, clean our clothes and carpets, unclog our drains, create and produce lawns, pretty as a picture.”

An increase in the incidence of childhood cancers was the first trigger for the investigation, which discovered children with home and garden pesticides in their urine, lactating women with termite poison and flame retardants in their breast milk and in Bill Moyer’s personal blood test a veritable witch’s brew including the long banned pesticide DDT, as well as dioxin, PCBs, organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides, ad nauseum.

When the Moyer’s reports ran in 2002 I had, perhaps naively, expected the start of a grassroots movement aimed at reducing our and, more importantly, our children’s exposures to chemicals at least in those areas where individuals could make choices, such as whether or not we would put chemicals on the lawns our children played upon.

However, since 1995 and continuing beyond 2002, home use of pesticides has grown steadily and currently represents the only growth sector of US pesticide production. According to Pesticide Action Network of the 30 most common lawn pesticides 19 are carcinogens, 13 suspected of causing birth defects, 21 interfere with human reproduction and almost the entire 30 (27) have been linked to either liver or kidney damage.

The thing is chemicals are not really necessary to have a great looking lawn. With a little common sense and information just about anyone can produce a lawn that will pass muster with all but the most demanding neighbors and Homeowner’s Associations (HOAs). In fact, in some localities, particularly in places like Seattle where lawn chemicals threaten endangered species such as certain types of salmon and may be also be contributing to the decline of the Puget Sound Orca pod, some enlightened HOAs are actually encouraging homeowners to adopt a non-chemical (organic) approach to lawn care.

An additional bonus of a well thought out and well executed organic lawn care program is that you will also save both water and money. In the long-run your lawn will be far healthier than it was relying on chemical quick fixes that end up eventually causing many more problems than they address.

The Basic Rules

A lot of organic lawncare is fairly simple when you think about. The first three rules are easy if you follow them. If you don’t, however, you will set your program back. The first is to not cut your lawn too short. Set your mower at the highest setting. This is important to your lawn for a number of reasons, the most relevant of which in terms of avoiding the application of chemicals is that if you cut your grass too short it allows sunlight to reach the areas between blades of grass, which in turn, cause the seeds of weeds to germinate.

The second is avoid short daily or twice or thrice weekly waterings. Only allow your lawn water when it clearly needs it and then completely soak it. The best reason for that is that it causes the lawn to become more drought resistant by forcing the lawn to grow longer root systems. This, in turn, crowds out weeds.

The third is to leave grass clippings in place. Contrary to common belief this does not lead to thatch and will cover areas where weeds could or would otherwise emerge. It also holds water in the soil and allows you to use less water.

As far as mowing goes, I use and it is far more earth-friendly in a myriad of ways to use an old fashioned hand mower (but keep the blades sharp). On some summer days in Seattle the local air pollution board estimated that power mowers were responsible for a greater percentage of the air pollution than cars. It is also considerably more neighborly and considerate to mow with a handmower if you are going to mow early in the morning on a weekend.

Corn gluten and vinegar – Not just for breakfast anymore

Another organic lawncare strategy is to avoid weeds in the first place (pre-emergent weed control) without the use of chemical weed and feed, is to use the much more organic compound corn gluten. The most effective time to apply corn gluten is in the spring before weeds can emerge but later applications also can prevent the emergence of late growing weeds. Unfortunately the availability of corn gluten is still sporadic. In the Seattle area I was able to purchase large quantities at the Grange Supply Store in Issaquah (about 20 miles east of Seattle), however, in Denver I have not been able to find a supplier except for websites. Neeps.com has 25 lb. bags for $28.99. Eartheasy.com has 20 lb. bags for $36.95 and so on. Corn gluten is a waste product of the wet-milling ethanol production process and prices should come as demand picks up.

Vinegar, especially when it is mixed with a combination of any or all of the following: salt, corn oil, niacin, other essential oils, is an excellent broadleaf weed killer. It is best to apply it in the morning on sunny days and to completely soak the weeds in question. If worse comes to worse you can also

Finally, give the process time. It will take some time for your lawn to respond to years of chemically induced stress (PDF link).

Finally, don’t be shy about sharing your success with your neighbors and others and ask your local school district and government not to expose our children to toxic chemicals at school or in public parks by educating them in techniques that have proven to work for you:
Washington Toxics Coalition
Toxic Free NC
Citizens Campaign – Pesticide Free Schools