# Lawn Pesticides



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Many of us have been wary about the application of pesticides on our lawns... Read this!

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/is...a-and-Lawn-Pesticides_20494-1.html?s=FB071213


----------



## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

Confirms my prohibition of lawn chemicals over the years! Thanks for sharing.


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah we've banned pesticides on lawns. I can't keep up with the weeds. But I guess it's worth it. Pretty scary stuff.


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

My lawn looks like crap! It's kind of embarrassing me mowing weeds every week, but I did research and decided it was better for the pups. They are huge grass eaters....


----------



## MyLittleHavanese (Jan 15, 2013)

No pesticides or fertilizer here either. Whatever grows gets mowed.


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

hey , I finally found something we can use to kill driveway /walkway weeds. Borax.


----------



## MyLittleHavanese (Jan 15, 2013)

Vinegar and dish soap are suppose to work for weeds also.


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

MyLittleHavanese said:


> Vinegar and dish soap are suppose to work for weeds also.


not for me, they didn't, we've got strong weeds up here lol


----------



## MyLittleHavanese (Jan 15, 2013)

I guess that just leaves the old flame thrower.


----------



## Pipersmom (Jul 27, 2009)

I don't use any pesticides or spray weed killer in the backyard but should I not fertilize the lawn?



Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Pipersmom said:


> I don't use any pesticides or spray weed killer in the backyard but should I not fertilize the lawn?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


I think this article was specifically talking about pesticides and herbicides, but my personal preference is to avoid anything but organic fertilizers on my lawn. We do have a fair amount of clover mixed in, and that helps, because it fixes nitrogen in the soil for other plants to access.


----------



## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

I thought the most salutary point in the article was the bit at the end that said that these products are banned in school playgrounds; since children play in gardens and parks you'd think they'd be banned there, too, wouldn't you. But honestly, how on earth can one possibly keep dogs safe from the whole wide world? We can do our own bit in our own back yards, but if we really worried we would never take our dogs to anyone else's house/garden or go into any parks, or woods, or public places. I see the street-cleaner go by in our road, swooshing goodness knows what along the pavements (sidewalks!). Hundreds of plants that we routinely come across are poisonous to dogs. I guess that it's all a matter of risk and we have to make judgements all the time about what we are willing to take a chance on?? Staying indoors, never running free, never seeing sunlight, never meeting other dogs and all the other benefits of being out in public,grassy places would be horribly detrimental to health, too. It's all a minefield. My first dog, a Coton de Tulear, died at the age of 4 from a hideous disease called Protothecosis. Prototheca is an alga. It is ubiquitous in grass, puddles, and ponds. The disease is, mercifully, vanishingly rare - about one in a million and a half dogs succumbs to it. It is always fatal. Pamba lived for two years with it (the prognosis is usually 3 months from diagnosis) thanks to my extraordinarily hard working vets. All our dogs come into contact with this organism. Pamba was hideously unlucky. I panic now every time one of my dogs (I have Cuba, my Havanese, and another Coton, Tycho) drinks out of a puddle, but I know that, statistically, my panic is pointless. I do wish we were all better taught in school how to understand statistics and risk! If anyone wants to know more about Prototheca (and I sincerely hope that no-one has cause to want to know any such thing) I can't say I'm the world's expert, but I do know quite a lot, I'm sad to say.


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

So I decided to aerate, seed and fertilize with an organic non toxic fertilizer. I won't use weed killer..... I just don't have any grass left and so many bare spots. Any concerns I am missing guys?
I also have grubs so I'm gonna use milky spore to get rid of them. It's totally pet friendly


----------

