In our effort to have “the perfect lawn”, homeowners are applying as many as 10 times more chemicals per acre than farmers do.

Weeds are opportunistic. If bare soil areas are present in your lawn, weed seeds will sprout. Solution: Over seed grass in your lawn this autumn. Weeds can also be an indicator of a low pH.  Solution: Do a pH test on the soil, then apply the appropriate amount of granulated lime. Dandelions are an indicator of compacted or heavy clay soil. Mother Nature designed a dandelion’s fat tap root to bust down through the soil, creating air spaces, un-compacting as it grows. Solution: Have your lawn aerated this autumn, which will lead to a better soil structure (and ever important percolation!) Clover is an indicator of low Nitrogen. Clover has the amazing talent of being able to pull Nitrogen from the air and place it in the soil. It is also a favorite of bees. So we kill our clover and buy Nitrogen. And we remove our bee’s favorite nectar and wonder what we will do with no pollinators. An ironic situation. Solution: Fertilize with a long lasting organic Nitrogen. Crabgrass is, well, crabby. Solution: Mow your lawn higher. 3" will shade the ground and make it difficult for all those seeds to germinate.

2,4 D, the most commonly used weed killer, is toxic to fish and has no business in our waterways. No lawn is 100% weeds, yet Weed & Feed products are commonly applied to the whole lawn. Solution: If you must, apply only to weeds. Or learn to practice tolerance. I challenge the idea of a perfect, weed free lawn equaling prestige. In years to come, I believe it will be known more as a display of great environmental unconsciousness.