Lawn care is one of the most important questions homeowners have when caring for their home, and with good reason: a well-tended lawn has immediate curb appeal, serving as the first impression visitors will have when arriving at your home. Given this, it’s sometimes tempting for homeowners to use lawn chemicals to treat the lawn for fertilization, or address issues related to pests and weeds.
However, lawn chemicals are incredibly potent, and require careful use to minimize any health risks; failure to heed instructions or to use the proper amount can result in grass or leaf burning or unhealthy or shallow lawn root systems. Because of the potency of lawn chemicals, it’s very important to keep children and pets away and to clean up any spills immediately.
GreenPro’s specialties include weed control and fertilization; as a result, we wanted to provide an overview of the most common types of chemicals homeowners use and how best to use them.
Fertilizers
The most common type of lawn chemical is a lawn fertilizer, which can be applied in granular or liquid form and can contain several essential elements in combination or a single needed nutrient. A complete fertilizer will contain the chemicals needed to provide nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K); the percentage of each will be indicated by the row of numbers across the front of the bag: 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 are common ratios that are recommended by the University of Illinois Extension.
Pesticides
Harmful bugs are another common problem for the homeowner, and pesticides applied to the lawn can eliminate them well. These chemicals are strong, however, and should be applied with care. There are different kinds of pesticides meant to affect different kinds of insect pests; however, most chemical pesticides will kill some beneficial bugs as well as harmful pests, so it’s best to use these as a last resort. Pesticides should never be stored, so buy only as much as you need for an application and properly dispose of the remainder.
Herbicides
It’s maybe the homeowner’s greatest frustration–the fact that weeds often grow better than the desired grass. The chemical solution is a granular or liquid herbicide, formulated to kill weeds without harming the grass. It can still cause foliar burn, however, so it should be applied with caution. Many herbicides come in small containers and can be applied to individual weeds or patches. For more extreme cases, an herbicide can be applied with a spreader or sprayer. Caution should always be used because herbicides can be dangerous for pets and humans.
We at GreenPro are the experts when it comes to knowing how to responsibly work with lawn chemicals that will bring your lawn and property to life. Give us a call if you have questions and concerns; we’d be happy to work with you!