Chemical Lawn CareChemical lawn care is designed to do two things: And it works. For a while anyway. Until the chemicals start killing off the very micro-organisms needed to convert fertilizer into energy for your lawn and it goes downhill fast from there.
Look in the phone book, and you’ll see quite an array of service companies all wanting to visit your lawn and all to spray pretty much the same chemicals on your lawn for the best price they can negotiate with you.
Time for a reality check. The fact is synthetic petrol-chemicals used on lawns to provide abnormally high nitrogen levels are highly toxic, These force a chemically induced green reaction in your grass but sacrifice the root system to do it. It's a great way to sell chemicals, but it runs contrary elementary science. When you use chemicals they begin to kill off critical micro-organisms, thatch begins to build up, weeds start to dominate, and the pH level continues to plunge! Since the grass is dead, the roots and fungi that normally that hold the soil together aren't there anymore and the exposed soil is washed away. And just think you paid an arm and a leg for all this!
How do you get started? Get your soil tested! Why? Because until you read the print out from the lab it's all guess work. When I have soil tested and then get the lab report, I am an expert on that soils condition and know instantly what needs to be done. A soil report can tell you the same things! It will do the same for you too! There's good information about this on my soil testing and Soil Chemistry pages. A chemical lawn company won't test your soil. Why? Because they don’t understand the report and therefore can't interpret it. Additionally, they don't have the products or experience necessary to change the soil chemistry. Okay, so I said you could have a gorgeous lawn (and healthy!) without paying an arm and a leg. That being said realize that when you first start with organics your lawn is in its worst condition and is going to need organic inputs to rebuild its fertility. An initial expense - and probably not any more than you were paying a chemical company-is an investment your soils fertility that pays off year after year. Once established, your organic lawn will easily cost less to maintain than all those ill-advised chemicals!
Additional Chemical Problems!There have been volumes written documenting the dangers and health risks associated with synthetic chemicals. It is beyond the scope of this website, however there are some very good non-profit organizations that provide a wealth of information simply by visiting their websites listed below.  Pan North America states that a recent report by the Toxics Action Center on ChemLawn (the largest provider of lawn care services in the U.S.) uncovered that over 40% of the chemicals of their consumer product range contain ingredients banned in other countries, and all of the products in their lineup not only pose a threat to human health, but to water supplies, aquatic organisms, and non-target insects.
http://www.panna.org/resources/lawns
Children face unique hazards from pesticide exposure. They take in more pesticides relative to their body weight than adults in the food they eat and air they breathe. Their developing organ systems often make them more sensitive to toxic exposure. The U.S. EPA, National Academy of Sciences, and American Public Health Association, among others, have voiced concerns about the danger that pesticides pose to children. The body of evidence in scientific literature shows that pesticide exposure can adversely affect a child's neurological, respiratory, immune, and endocrine system, even at low levels. Several pesticides, such as pyrethrins and pyrethroids, organophosphates and carbamates, are also known to cause or exacerbate asthma symptoms.See Select Studies on Pesticides and Children's Health.
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/
Healthy Schools Network (HSN) is a national environmental health information, advocacy and research organization, with more than 20 fact sheets, guides and reports available online. http://www.healthyschools.org  The Childproofing our Communities Campaign is locally based with a grassroots focus, geared to protect children from exposure to environmental health hazards in schools and other childcare settings.
http://www.childproofing.org
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