If you’re someone who wants to be a responsible steward of the environment but also wants a beautiful and thriving lawn, you might be feeling torn. You may have heard mixed information and you find yourself confused.
You just want to know, Are lawn treatments bad for the environment?
We understand your worries. There’s a lot of different information out there and it can be hard to know what to trust. But we want you to know that Joshua Tree also cares about the environment—after all, we only have one Earth as our home.
That’s why we’re diving into this topic and answering your questions in regard to how does lawn care affect the environment?
We want you to feel confident in making your lawn care decisions.
Are Lawn Treatments Bad for the Environment?
Concerns over lawn care products tend to overshadow a really important fact—that a thick and healthy turf is good for the environment. The best way to achieve a thick and thriving turf is with the use of treatments like lawn fertilization. That’s because lawns are naturally lacking in nutrients and need them added into the soil to truly perform the way they ought to be performing.
Of course, the need for fertilizer tends to lead to the question: Is lawn fertilizer bad for the environment?
The fact is, when applied safely, these materials stay put where they’re meant to. This means utilizing best practices such as applying just the right amount of material and using the proper equipment to apply it.
When material is applied properly (and not overapplied), it stays where it’s meant to. This can help the grass to grow thick and healthy which is good for the environment.
Here are some ways that the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) reports that lawns can be good for the environment.
- Lawns trap an abundance of 12 million tons of dust and dirt annually! These are particles in the air that are not ideal to breathe in.
- Lawns help to filter noise.
- On a hot day, lawns can be as much as 20 degrees cooler than hardscaping.
- Lawns produce oxygen, just like other plants! A 5,000 square foot lawn produces enough oxygen daily for 18 to 34 people, according to The Lawn Institute.
- Lawns have fibrous roots which help to hold soil and filter rainwater (National Arboretum Grass Roots Project).
As you can see, lawns can do a lot of good for the environment. Although there has been a movement toward replacing lawns with other materials (like synthetic turf or hardscaping), the truth is that a well-cared-for lawn can be a really healthy contribution to the environment. Synthetic turf does not last forever and will ultimately wind up in a landfill.
Proper Lawn Care is Key
Of course, the key to getting the environmental benefits of a lawn is to practice proper lawn care. Although homeowners might have the best intentions, they may over-apply or put products down at the wrong rate.
Unfortunately, even some landscape contractors do this. The truth is, it’s faster to just throw product down everywhere than it is to be selective or to apply just the right amount.
At Joshua Tree, we are diligent about applying just the right amount of fertilizer to your property. We also spot spray weeds, only applying product where it’s really needed. This targeted approach is better for the environment (and not wasteful).
We are also meticulous about cleaning up after we’re finished with an application. We want to ensure that product only ends up where it’s meant to.
On top of all that, we make cultural recommendations to help homeowners continue to take care of their lawn even when we’re not there. These include recommendations around proper mowing and watering to support the overall health of the lawn.
We Care About the Environment, Just Like You
At the end of the day, we want to emphasize that we care about the environment, just like you. In fact, many of us got into this industry because of our love for the outdoors. That means we want to do everything that we can to protect it.
While we know that there are worries about lawn treatments being bad for the environment, we also understand that this industry as a whole has gotten a bad rap over the years from companies who are not practicing lawn care in an environmentally friendly way.
But for the most part, many companies in the industry really do care about being “green.” It’s called the “Green Industry,” after all.
At Joshua Tree, you can count on us to continue to find ways to have a positive impact on the world around us. We’re here to answer your questions and concerns so that you can truly have the best of both worlds—a beautiful lawn that is thriving AND beneficial for the environment.
If you’d like to know more about how Joshua Tree can help meet your lawn needs in a safe and environmentally friendly way at your home in the Allentown or Lansdale, PA area, or you have more questions, we’re here to help! Get in touch with us to get some free expert advice and learn more about our lawn care program options.
