Did you know that Americans apply approximately 78 million tons of pesticides to their lawns each year? In fact, the average homeowners uses 10 times the amount of pesticides in their lawncare treatments than an entire acre of farmland. While this is all in the pursuit of fewer weeds on a typical suburban lawn, those results can come with some devastating consequences — for you and for the environment.
How can organic lawncare services help you and others around you? Get the facts on this greener way to keep your yard green:
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1. Organic lawncare services are safer for you and your family. Pesticide-laden lawncare products often come with warnings once they are applied. Usually, they say something like “Keep children and pets off of your yard for 24 hours” — or longer. That’s because these products have been known to cause conditions such as cancer, liver and kidney damage, and neurotoxicity. Organic treatments, however, include the use of composting and grasscycling, which uses grass clippings from mowing. These can often have similar benefits and eliminate the need for fertilizers.
2. Organic lawncare treatments are better for the environment. Because pesticides can seep into soil and groundwater, they can significantly impact the water supply in a particular area. Pesticides have been discovered in groundwater in at least 43 states, and they can harm wildlife. In one study in the 1990s, 90% of fish and other creatures in streams were found to have one or more pesticides in their bodies. These substances also kill between 60 and 90% of earthworms in areas where pesticides have been used. That’s actually bad for soil quality! Contrast this with organic lawn treatments, which don’t have these harmful side effects.
3. Pesticide free lawncare treatments are kinder to your yard. Not only will your lawn benefit from strategies like composting or grasscycling. These treatments have similar benefits to pesticides but without the harm. For instance, using compost tea and similar materials can increase the length of plant roots by two or even four times, but they don’t use chemicals to get those results.
If you think that organic lawncare services can help you, make sure to get in touch with one of these green companies soon. Leave any questions or comments below. Get more here.