Do you spray your lawn with pesticides and/or herbicides?

Question

Why? What pests do you intend to kill?

Or are you killing the weeds and encouraging grass to grow?

Do you fertrilise your lawn?

Do you hate dandelions? What about daisies and wax-caps?

Answer 1

No, I have a young child and a dog who play on the grass. I don't want my child's hands, arms or face exposed to poisons while he tumbles on the lawn. I also don't want my dog chewing grass that has pesticides or herbicides.

Weeds actually have a great purpose. Plants grow where the conditions are best for those plants to grow and they all contribute to the soil in their own special way.

Dandelions, for example, grow in soil where there is little calcium. They then contribute calcium to the soil, and eventually stop growing at the site, making the soil rich for another type of plant. We should not fight mother nature so much.

Some people pick dandelions and use them for tea or salads. They have many health benefits. We of course can't eat from a lawn laden with poison.

Pests can be controlled naturally. You can introduce predators by building bird houses, bat houses, or introducing other friendly bugs that control the unwanted pests.

Answer 2

No, I do not spray.
My husband sometimes sprays miracle grow, I wish he wouldn't. I mow the lawn with a mower that mulches up the grass and leaves that are on the lawn. I think that works just as well. I work on the theory that if my soil is great then the grass will be healthy enough to choke out the weeds. Mostly it works pretty well.
Dandelions are ok but I don't have them. there are some pretty blue flowers that I mow around that would be considered weeds. I don't spray for bugs but because I don't I have a lots of frogs and lizards that take care of bugs for me (bug spray would kill them too). And I enjoy butterflys and dragon flys.

Answer 3

Herbicides are a type of pesticide. Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, etc.
I only spot spray weeds. I originally had to treat the entire lawn, but after getting them under control, I only spray as needed.
I fertilize with a phosphorus free fertilizer. This helps the turf develop which helps keep weeds out. I think dandelions are pretty, but only in someone elses yard.

Answer 4

Neither. I use WOW (Without Weeds) a product from Gardens Alive which uses corn gluten as an agent to prevent weeds. It works beautifully and protects the environment and prevents health issues with children, pets and wildlife. It is made from natural, organic materials. I don't believe what the big chemical companies claim as being the best in "killers" because you end up killing the beneficial insects and pollute underground water supplies with both pesticides and herbicides.

Answer 5

We never put anything on our lawn. The rain comes and wets it, the sun comes and dries it, we mow it a bit. The weeds invade the lawn, we mow them as well. The moss invades the lawn, we mow that a but.

We never use any fertiliser in our garden. All it gets is what comes from our compost heap which is made up of a mix of lawn cuttings, leaf cuttings and various items such as egg-shells and teabags, spud peelings etc.

What pests?

The best flowering display I have ever seen is a field full of dendelions in April. You need your heavy shades to just look at them in the bright sunlight.

Answer 6

I am not fond of dandelions at all. That is the biggest problem I have in my lawn but I do not use any chemicals on it. My wife and I are both avid gardeners (two of our three grown children are also into it) and we avoid all chemicals. It is a bit harder work but we feel it is worth it. We also eat organic vegetables. I simply do not trust chemicals.

Answer 7

Not very often, but now and again you get a few weeds etc making the place untidy (or the grass is also looking a bit tatty).Then I use a combination 'weed & feed. Hope this helps (HTH) & LOL (lots of luck!)

Answer 8

Weed and Feed.

Answer 9

I don't bother any more. It resists drought better if left to it's own devices. I rake out moss on acasions.

Answer 10

No, I live by water. Stop polluting.