• How to Have a Healthy Lawn
  
  
• Messages about lawn care
  
  
• Messages about biodiversity
  
  
• Messages about Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
  
  
• Messages about pesticides
  
  
• Messages about choosing lawn care services
  
  

How to Have a Healthy Lawn

Whether a homeowner hires a professional or cares for a lawn by him or herself, having a healthy lawn and reducing reliance on pesticides requires decisions. Homeowners should begin by considering their response to the following questions:

• What kind of lawn or landscape do I want?
• Can I tolerate a certain amount of weeds or other pests?
• How can I prevent pest problems in the first place?

Messages about lawn care

a. Prevention is the best approach to maintaining a healthy lawn.

b. Healthy, vigorous, deep-rooted lawns are less susceptible to pest damage and pesticides are usually not required to control pests.

c. Healthy lawns are less affected by drought, temperature extremes and general wear and tear.

d. Grow a healthy lawn by using correct fertilizing, liming, aeration, mowing, top dressing, over seeding and irrigation practices.

e. If a few weeds appear, just pull them by hand.

f. In a healthy lawn, beneficial insects can keep pest insects in check.

g. Healthy lawns can be maintained without using herbicides or other pesticides.

a. Healthy lawns smother weeds, prevent weed seeds from germinating and are less susceptible to diseases.

b. A lawn which is made up of a variety of grasses can tolerate a range of growing conditions (e.g. shade and sun) and is less susceptible to pest damage.

a. Vigorously growing lawns fill in thinned areas caused by insects or other types of damage.

a. Taking an environmentally friendly approach to lawn care starts with being practical about how you want the lawn to look.

b. The transition to a more environmentally friendly approach to lawn care may take a season or two of improving lawn care to achieve the results you want.

Messages about biodiversity

a. A lawn doesn't have to be just grass—many people enjoy the look of other plants in the lawn, such as white clover.

b. Variety in plant types can prevent pest problems from spreading to the whole lawn.

a. A diverse landscape with a variety of plants is better for the environment, because it:

• is more attractive to birds, butterflies and other wild life; and
• can be easier to maintain when the right plants are chosen to suit the conditions.

b. Where conditions are not suitable for a lawn, try growing plants more adapted to the area. Other plants can make good ground covers, especially for shaded, dry or other difficult sites.

c. Experiment with alternative landscapes, such as native plants, mulched perennial beds or rock and alpine gardens. These are drought resistant and require less maintenance.

a. Birds and predatory insects feed on grubs and other pests. Insects, earthworms, beneficial fungi and other micro-organisms break down thatch and aerate the soil.

b. Protect beneficial insects and earthworms by reducing your use of insecticides and fungicides.

Messages about Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

a. IPM puts the emphasis on prevention, looks at all available information and considers all the management options before deciding on the most effective, economical and environmentally friendly means of managing a pest problem.

b. Elements of IPM programs are:

• prevention
• regular monitoring
• identification of pest or problem
• assessment of problem to decide on what action to take
• use of a variety of tactics as necessary to deal with pest problem
• evaluation of the results and adjustment to the lawn care program as needed
  

a. Prevention offers lasting benefits and is more effective overall than using pesticides to control individual pest problems.

b. Prevention includes:

• providing good soil, with ample depth and organic matter,
• choosing the right mixture of grasses for the conditions,
• making long-term changes, such as improving drainage in wet areas or replacing lawns with other types of landscaping.
  

a. Regular inspection of the lawn makes it possible to detect pests and other problems early.

b. Keeping an eye on developing pest problems will help you decide:

• whether or not treatments are needed
• when to apply treatments
  

a. Correct identification of problems is essential because:

• plant damage may not be caused by pests. Plants can be injured by poor growing conditions or practices, and environmental problems such as road salt or dog urine.
  
• beneficial insects may be mistaken for pests.
  
• you need to know the pest in order to look up life cycle and other information that will help you decide if and when to apply treatments and how to prevent further problems.

a. The presence of a few weeds or insect pests in healthy lawns may not be cause for concern.

b. Keep an eye on the pest problem and get more information if necessary before deciding:

• whether or not treatments are needed
• how and when to apply treatments

a. If weeds or other pests are invading the lawn, you may need to correct drainage or fertility problems, add lime, increase mowing height, remove thatch or make other improvements.

Messages about pesticides

a. Before resorting to herbicides, try managing weeds by improving the general condition of the lawn and doing some occasional hand weeding.

b. Prevention, such as providing good soil and choosing the right mixture of grasses for the conditions, plays a big role in pest management.

a. Improving management of lawns gives long-lasting results and avoids future pest problems.

a. Most lawn pesticides do not prevent pest problems. They only control pests once they are present.

b. Minimize use of pesticides by:

• timing applications correctly to avoid the need for repeat treatments,
• using spot treatments rather than broadcast applications,
• only treating the problem area or plants.

a. The label is a legal document and must be followed. When using pesticides:

• ensure that the pesticide label has directions for use on lawns and lists the pest you wish to control
• use the recommended rate on the pesticide product label
• use any protective clothing, gloves and other equipment specified on the label

a. Avoid having to store and dispose of excess pesticides.

b. Store pesticides out of the reach of children and pets and follow all label instructions and government regulations.

Messages about choosing lawn care services

a. There is a wide range of services available for lawn maintenance and pest control. These may include services marketed as "Integrated Pest Management (IPM)", "Plant Health Care", "organic", and "pesticide-free" programs.

b. Find out what lawn care practices the companies include with their programs and choose the one that is right for you.

a. If any pesticides are used, make sure that they are used as part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program.

b. In an IPM program:

• preventative practices are part of the pest management program
• monitoring is used first to detect pests and to assess the importance of their populations
• when a pest population reaches harmful levels, a variety of management options are considered
• pesticide products are used as a last recourse