Do you put chemicals on your lawn?

[hfojvt]

[kick-ass-bob]

1. I have no lawn. But I have a yard.

:bounce: :bounce:

A little weeding and I'm done.

[Squatch]

2. Once a year, in the spring.

Just to give the yard the first kick to get the ball rolling.

[sui generis]

3. same but twice

I overseed with rye in the fall so it stays green through the winter - snow is not a big problem in Dallas.

[hfojvt]

4. seeding and fertilizing are not the same as herbiciding

although, seeds are chemicals too, but generally non-toxic.

[sui generis]

6. I use a combo fertilizer / broadleaf-icide twice a year

and a fungicide spot treatment.

We have dense clay soil on top of poor draining limestone shelf so St. Augustine grass gets SAD (Saint Augustine Decline) in little fairy rings, and it can spread.

I also use pre-emergent oil on shrubs around the house and on garden and trees. And I occasionally bomb for mosquitos if they start to get bad - we have West Nile down here and lots of old folks in my neighborhood. I don't want my yard to kill anyone.

[democrat in Tallahassee]

5. no, we have too many turtles, lizards, and frogs. It might hurt them.

It took us several years to get these populations built up again because the previous owner sprayed chemicals on a regular basis; now our yard is a wildlife habitat.

[vonSchloegel]

7. I'm over a barrel

It's possible to keep a lawn green and healthy without chemicals if you have a couple goats or sheep to keep it trimmed and fertilized and weeded. (Since dandelions are especially tasty, they will disappear before the grass.)

City ordinances prohibit livestock, and mandate a well kept lawn, so I have to do something. Commercial organic fertilizers creep me out, as they're prone to pathogens. I'm left with no other choice but to use the Scotts®.

[hfojvt]

14. usually they only require that it not get longer than 12 inches

I cannot believe a city has outlawed dandylions and crab grass.

[vonSchloegel]

36. By god, you're RIGHT

Your post inspired me to check the ordinance, I never did that before. I just took the word of Mr. Anal next door who told me if I didn't keep it green and weed-free, they'd seize my house and lock me up for a good long time.

I'm taking the summer off now. Thanks!

[rfranklin]

8. No, but I do put them on my neighbor's lawn...

Detergent, kerosene, weed killer...I hate that bastard!

[madrchsod]

9. i use the tried and true method

dog shit.

[hfojvt]

13. my dogs are grain fed

so it works as fertilizer for me. Or is that what you meant?

[crispini]

10. 100% organic here.

And I wouldn't consider water a "chemical" so I didn't see an answer for me?

[hfojvt]

12. what about #4

And I would not even water, but the water department charges me for at least 1500 gallons no mater how much I use, so I water a little just to get my money's worth.

[DS1]

11. I try to get chemicals OUT of my lawn

:D

:smoke:

[UdoKier]

15. Chemical fertilizer 3 or 4 times a year. No pesticides.

I have a very small yard, don't like bug sprays, but I do use fertilizers.

[EC]

16. I only mow. I provide dandylion seeds for the whole city

I still eat dandalion leaf salad, and I have dogs, so nothing chemical goes on the lawn...

on edit: I dug up the whole front lawn and put in a flower garden so I wouldn't have to even mow, I do use menure there.

[bertha katzenengel]

17. I don't know.

Our yard guy takes care of our lawn.

[gollygee]

18. No chemicals on our lawn

I think everyone else in our neighborhood uses chemicals though.

[MuseRider]

19. I was out

walking door to door last week in a wealthier area of town and the entire neighborhood smelled like chemicals, herbicides and chemical fertilizer. I HATE that stuff.

[ProfessorGAC]

20. Chemicals

Water is a chemical you idiot! (Hey, you offered it as a choice.)

I use inorganic fertilizer (phosphorous and urea) which is mined from the ground anyway. So, there are no complex organics.

I will use spot weedkiller for things that are so hard to remove, like chickweed. But, those don't come up every year. So, it's only occasional.

But, dandelions and crabgrass don't really need herbicides. They can be killed with salt water or just letting the dog pee on them. So, no need for that.

I don't use pesticides of any kind.
The Professor

[hfojvt]

24. isn't salt water going to burn a hole in the yard?

It seems like dog pee is pretty ineffective. If it worked, I should not have anything growing on my fence line. Then again, I used to encourage my dog to pee on one yard because it seemed to burn holes in the yard. I wanted to make them pay for spraying poisons in my neighborhood.
I should have said "poisons" to distinguish them from other chemicals, but I wanted to make a "chemical as pejorative spoof", and then again, water will kill you too, if you drink too much of it.

[ProfessorGAC]

27. Salt Water Won't Burn The Grass

You use a VERY concentrated solution, and pour it directly on the center of the plant. It forces the root to undergo diffusion so salt goes in and water comes out. The plant will wither. It won't work if your yard is full of dandelions or crabgrass though. It's a spot killer.

Dog urine is LOADED with nitrates. It's the equivalent of overfertilizing. As a matter of fact, in the spring and summer, every time my dog goes, i pour a couple of gallons of water on the spot to dilute. It prevents the little yellow grass spots in the back yard. The "holes in the yard" you mentioned. It's not the most effective herbicide, but better he should kill some crabgrass (although i don't have any) and a few dandelions than my grass.

BTW: He is not allowed to use the front yard as a bathroom.

I did get the chemicals joke. That's why i played along. Also, not only will water kill you if you drink too much of it, it's really tought on the breathing. Don't believe me. Go under water for an hour or so, with no snorkle or scuba gear. It can cause serious health issues!

The Professor

[Hobarticus]

21. Does spot use of Roundup count?

Yeah, I guess so then.

[hfojvt]

23. depends what you are killing with it

I use it on the poison ivy in my yard, but I consider that to be self-defense. Mother nature drew first blood.

[ProfessorGAC]

28. That's A Wise Decision

I'm not affected by PI, but my wife sure is. I can't be having that in my yard. We had some growing up our chimney. The chimney is half outside and half inside our deck walls. I couldn't let it get into the deck. So, Roundup to the rescue.
The Professor

[Hobarticus]

30. Dandelions and stickers....

My rule is, if it's green and doesn't get me with thorns, it can stay.

[hfojvt]

32. I have been pulling the stickers up by hand

before they can seed. I still see a few of them, but not as bad as before. I wonder, though, are squirrels (or coons) bringing the seeds into my yard or do some seeds just take many years to germinate?

[Hobarticus]

35. I don't see a lot of stickers in my neighbors yards...

so there may be something to that 'slow germination' thing.

[flamingyouth]

22. Mine is mostly moss.

But hey, it's green. :D

[AngryAmish]

25. Dihydrogen Monoxide

Really greens things up.

[hfojvt]

33. just don't get any on ya

It is not safe to drink. It is one of the leading ingredients causing Montezuma's revenge.

[AngryAmish]

38. It is also implicated in many drowning deaths

More than alcohol!

[marions ghost]

26. no lawn chemicals

big polluter of lakes and streams. Only a little pellet lime and organic fertilizer in spring (for acid soil). Who cares about a little dandelion or clover? There are bigger problems.

[hfojvt]

34. you mean, the dreaded

kudzu? :scared:

[marions ghost]

44. if you have a little kudzu

you can cut it down to the roots and cover the area with with black plastic (same for poison ivy). If you have a large amount of kudzu, it's more of a reclamation project and perhaps not worth it. I have learned not to lose sleep over plant invaders.

[starroute]

29. I mow and I take out the dandelions manually

I've got a nice little tool for the dandelions -- a Roto-Weeder -- with a plunger at the top that operates grabbing tines at the bottom. The whole family takes turns. Our mower is manual as well.

I do use a little grass fertilizer once a year, though, because if I don't, the lawn gives me accusing looks every time I go out the door.

[hfojvt]

37. the horrors of teaching young people

flower-cide.
Today it's dandylions, tomorrow - lilacs.

[hunter]

31. I got rid of the lawn in my front yard.

And I only use an electric mower on those flat parts of my backyard the kids play on.

The mosquito fish, birds, spiders, lizards, ants, etc., take care of all the pests.

Fungus? Who cares about fungus? I ignore them, they ignore me.

Truth be told, if humans ever get into a full scale war with the fungi, the fungi will win. They've been around much longer than we have. They've seen everything come and go. I've seen Attack of the Mushroom People, so I wouldn't want to push my luck.

[MissB]

39. I have no lawn

thanks to the big rumbly machines that came here last fall. I have mud. It does not need to be mowed.

Soon, I will have ecolawn. No chemicals, thank-you-very-much.

[noonwitch]

40. I don't want my dog exposed to chemicals, so no

I mow it and I think dandelions are pretty.

[blindpig]

41. what a waste

In the old days I put them in my head.

No chemicals at our place, no way. The critters wouldn't like it. The lawn fetish is beyond my comperhension. If ms blindpig didn't seed & mow I'd be happier(because I wouldn't have to hear her complain). It seems so pointless, trees, shrubbery, even rocks are more interesting. Don't get me started about golf courses..................

[SmokingJacket]

42. Little by little I'm getting rid of my lawn.

I won't use chemicals and as a result I have a weedy ugly crappy lawn. So I'm covering it up with rocks and ground cover (vinca and pachysandra) and a pond and this year adding a couple of raised beds for vegetables. In my front lawn! Whee!

[orleans]

43. no chemicals

we fertilize once a year maybe...

dandelions--not that big of a deal, not that many. every few years we might get little crops of them--then i might get out there and yank a few of them up.

i don't use that chem-lawn, green lawn stuff. i think it is bad for the environment, the animals, the kids, the air.

lots of neighbors use that spray stuff out of a truck. it just reeks in the neighborhood when they use it.

[all.of.me]

45. all i have is native grass, which is clumps.

hard to mow, no need to fertilize! or water, for that matter. i just let them grow, flower and go to seed.

[Nikia]

46. Something weird happens to chem treated lawns

From what I seen, it will fry your grass if it gets hot and dry and you don't water it regularly. I have seen this in both Ohio and Wisconsin, but it is worse in Ohio with clay soil.
We live in a duplex, but are responsible for mowing and such. In a way, we'd actually like our lawn to die off a little. the lawn is this thick sod stuff that may be nice to wander around bare foot in but it is bad to mow even with a self propelled.
At our other place, we used a non motorized mower. We'd use it and let the grass sit. Our lawn was nicer as a result. It wasn't as thick so we could actually use that mower. With the sod that we have now, using a non motorized mower is too strenuous, even when I ran regularly.

[hfojvt]

47. I think they fry because people over-mow them

shorter grass needs more water, it bakes in the sun and collects less dew. So you end up spending extra time mowing it and extra time watering it, when a little laziness would save time and money on both ends.