We can make a BIG positive impact on our environment by stopping the use of chemical lawn fertilizers and pesticides. Although they may make your lawn look lush and green, the long term use of these products can cause much harm to your yard. Use of inorganic lawn fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides creates a dependency on these chemicals so you must continue to apply them frequently. These products also reduce the population of earthworms and beneficial soil organisms essential for a healthy lawn. If your lawn needs fertilizer, it is likely because of poor soil quality. Poor soil can only be improved by introducing organic matter - and synthetic chemical fertilizers don't do that!
Instead of using these harmful chemicals, use organic natural lawn care products. Corn gluten meal is one of the best, easiest and least expensive fertilizers. It is non-toxic, high in nitrogen, and won't burn your lawn. It is also effective as a pre-emergent for weed control.
To control insects, you can buy insecticidal soap or other natural pesticides, or even make your own. Organic weed and grass killers are also available.
Begin your organic lawn program now! Stop using poisons and start using non-toxic, organic products. Be patient, it may take some time to restore your yard, but after being on the organic plan for a while you will notice how lush and green your lawn is compared to your neighbors'. Here are some other benefits you'll receive when using organic lawn products:
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An increased population of birds in your yard
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Knowing that your kids, grankids and pets won't be harmed by running barefoot in your yard
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Less lawn diseases like fungus and brown patch
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You protect our drinking water by reducing harmful chemicals that enter the water supply in "run-off"
"Green" cleaning tips:
There are many great reasons to use green house-cleaning products: reducing risk of poisoning children; eliminating dangerous fumes from conventional cleaning products; and flushing out (no pun here!) the harmful effects that bleached toilets will inflict on the environment.
Practicing green cleaning at home is easy and less expensive! Here are a few simple steps for healthier, clean living:
- Vinegar, baking soda and hot water are amazing and multi-tasking. Baking soda cleans, deodorizes and scours. Vinegar cuts grease, removes mildew and odors, and is great diluted with hot water to mop tile floors. What you replace: Comet, bleach, harsh floor cleaners, Windex, toilet bowl cleaners.
- Reuse containers. Reduce the packaging waste by reusing spray bottles and dish soap dispensers. Simply rinse and refill with a vinegar mix or other green cleaner. You eliminate both landfill waste and greenhouse gases created when making the containers.
- Use washable cleaning rags, dish sponges and napkins. Throwing away paper products like napkins, paper towels and paper plates is a huge waste of landfill space and trees. Use old t-shirts and towels for cleaning rags.
- Use only eco-friendly laundry detergents. We suggest Mrs. Meyers Clean Day or Seventh Generation detergents. Both use plant based ingredients and essentials oils and have a low impact on the environment.
Another tip:
Use ladybugs to control aphids on your roses and in your vegetable garden instead of using pesticides and chemicals.
You can buy live ladybugs at many nurseries, or order them online. To make sure your little garden helpers stay in your garden follow these instructions:
- -Release ladybugs in evening after sun down. Ladybugs navigate by the sun and in the evenings they tend to stay put.
- -Pre-water the area where you are releasing them.
- -In the warm months, it helps to chill the ladybugs in the fridge before releasing them.
- -On severely infested plants like roses, drape a floating row cover or thin sheet over the plant and release the ladybugs underneath. Within a day, the ladybugs will find the aphids and be happily munching away.
