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Maintaining a healthy lawn is the best way to combat weeds, diseases and pests. If you find you have to continue to add chemicals on your lawn to keep it looking good, it could indicate an underlying problem.
A natural-care lawn can be healthier, and the bonus is that it is also healthier for your children, pets and the environment.
Fertilizers
Pesticides
Weed and Feed Products
Other resources
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More fertilizer is not necessarily better for your lawn! Over-fertilization can make a lawn more susceptible to drought, insect and disease problems.
Over watering and rainfall can cause lawn and garden chemicals to run off into rivers, streams and lakes. This pollution can affect the health of fish and other aquatic life. Fertilizer runoff from lawns contributes to the growth of algae in our lakes and streams.
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Pesticides (fungicides, herbicides and insecticides) are used to control diseases, weeds, and insects and other pests such as slugs. These chemicals are toxic and can pose a threat to people and pets if overused or carelessly applied.
Some pesticides can also kill the earthworms, other insects and microbes that help build healthy soil.
Pesticides can also affect humans, animals and the environment. Scientists have found links between our exposure to pesticides and health problems including reproductive and neurological damage. Children are more sensitive to harm than adults. The long-term effects on human health from continuous exposure to low levels of chemical pesticides is a subject of ongoing debate.
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These garden chemicals contain both herbicides and chemical fertilizers blended together. This can be wasteful and can also be a pollution problem. Because these products are generally applied to the entire lawn, unneeded chemicals may be applied to the lawn. For example, there may be areas of the lawn without weeds that don't need herbicides. Or, using weed and feed may result in applying fertilizer at a time of the year when the grass is not growing and the fertilizer won't be absorbed. This can waste money, and add to pollution when it is washed off the lawn by watering or rain.
Some weed and feed products do not prevent germination of new weed seeds. If your lawn is healthy, weeds will have less opportunity to take root. Some weeds, such as clover, are good for the soil. Clover fixes nitrogen in the soil and makes it available to your lawn.
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