Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant | University of Illinois

Back to Newsroom

March 26, 2010

Healthy lawns can be pesticide free

Don’t be fooled by the name. Pests, such as insects and weeds, are not the only victims of pesticide application. Humans, especially children, are in danger of exposure to pesticides—linked to numerous diseases and adverse health conditions—from simply playing or walking barefoot on the lawn. These chemicals can also be tracked into homes and settle on carpets and furniture. Furthermore, pesticides pollute our air, water, and soil.

A new brochure, Natural Lawn Care for Homeowners, explains the advantages of natural lawn care and provides homeowners with the information necessary to maintain a healthy, aesthetically-pleasing lawn without the use of chemicals.  

This publication provides step-by-step descriptions of the basic measures that help homeowners accomplish this, including soil testing, fertilizing, watering, and mowing. It also includes research-based explanations of how pesticides can be harmful to human and animal health, degrade soil, pollute water, and harm wildlife.

“Natural lawn care is easy and effective,” said Rachel Rosenberg, Safer Pest Control Project executive director. “You can have a healthy lawn simply by changing a few of your lawn care practices—like mowing higher, keeping your grass clippings on the lawn, watering deeply and infrequently and of course, stopping the use of herbicides and insecticides. A healthy and natural lawn will have the capacity to fight drought, disease and insects without the use of pesticides.”

This publication was developed by the Safer Pest Control Project with support from Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. For more information or to download the publication, visit http://www.iiseagrant.org/catalog/products_wq.html or http://www.spcpweb.org. 

--30--

The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program is one of 30 National Sea Grant College Programs. Created by Congress in 1966, Sea Grant combines university, government, business and industry expertise to address coastal and Great Lakes needs. Funding is provided by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Purdue University at West Lafayette, Indiana.