Presentation to the City of Winnipeg Ad-Hoc Committee On Non-Essential Pesticide Reduction

Alternatives to Chemical Pesticide Use in Lawn Care

May 30, 2007

Presented by:

William D. Hrynkow

1410 Mathers Bay East

Winnipeg MB

R3M 2J9

Members of the City of Winnipeg Ad-hoc Committee on Non-Essential Pesticide Reduction:

I wish to address the issue of pesticide use in the area of home lawn care. I respectfully suggest that the use of pesticides for home lawn care is clearly a non-essential use of pesticides and, not only should their use be reduced, but pesticides should be completely eliminated from home lawn care regimes.

Pesticides are toxic substances and other presenters have described the many short and long term harmful health impacts that can arise from pesticide use. Is a “perfect” home lawn worth real and potential health risks? These health risks apply to ourselves, our children and even to future generations. As a resident of South River Heights (and one who uses no chemical product lawn treatments), I am very concerned when I see tanker trucks appear and spraying is done several times during the “lawn” seasons. (It seems that the only time spraying does not occur is when there is snow on the ground!) The little warning signs are placed down and the chemical odour remains in the air for some time after the tanker trucks have moved on.

In recent times, it has become generally accepted that the means of getting a good lawn is through the use of pesticides. As a result, the question can be asked; Are there alternatives to achieving this end? The answer is a definite yes! A good home lawn can be obtained without the use of chemicals and “chemical” lawns can be taken off their chemical dependency.

Pesticide use can be reduced or eliminated in the care of lawns by using natural means of lawn care. Natural techniques of lawn care can be used by the homeowner/occupant or by lawn care companies or a combination of the two parties.

The following information on natural techniques of lawn care is mainly based upon the City of Toronto’s pesticides web site (www.toronto.ca/pesticides - Reducing Pesticides - it’s perfectly natural and Go Natural – 10 Tips for Success) and the 2005 video on DVD with Chip Osborne Growing Your Business the Natural Way, produced by Grassroots Environmental Education of Port Washington, New York. The intended audience for the video is lawn care professionals.

One of the most important factors for a good lawn is the condition of the soil. It is important to assess the soil condition to ensure that soil conditions are appropriate for the growing of lawn grass. This is done by means of a soil test. A soil test determines the condition of the natural beneficial components of the soil and what action is required to ensure that these components are at optimum levels for the growing of lawn grass. Actions may require the addition of natural materials to achieve the optimum growing conditions. Also, natural materials may be used to assist in the transitioning a lawn from chemical pesticide dependence to the use of natural materials.

Natural soil contains beneficial biological elements that help to control insect pests. Chemical lawn treatments tend to destroy these elements, requiring a continuous input in order to provide for insect control. Natural lawn growing techniques provide an important side benefit by providing for an environment that supports these beneficial biological elements.

The major concern with using natural lawn care techniques is that these techniques do not control weeds and the only way to control weeds is by using pesticides. If a lawn’s soil is healthy and is producing thick grass, then weeds have no space in which to grow. The spreading of compost on lawns in the spring is one means of providing for healthy soil. Should weeds germinate, they can be removed manually (ensuring the whole root is removed). An interesting suggestion is the addition of grass seed into the hole or area previously occupied by a weed. Initially, the manual remove of weeds can require a significant amount of effort, the task becomes less onerous as the soil becomes healthier and the grass thicker. Thicker lawn grass will also be promoted with the sowing new grass seed each spring and fall. The natural product, corn gluton is available to assist in weed control. This product controls weeds by suppressing the germination of weed seeds.

Clippings from lawns are usually collected and removed from the lawn when lawns are cut. This has the effect removing nutrients from the lawn. If the cuttings are left on the lawn, the nutrients remain in the lawn and moisture is conserved. An additional benefit is that grass clippings need not be collected and delivered to landfill sites.

Compacted soil does not provide for good lawn growing conditions. This problem can be addressed by lawn aeration that provides the opportunity for the soil to breathe.

Lawn watering, if required, should be done no more than once a week and 2.5 cm of water applied. Deep watering provides for a healthy lawn root system with the added benefit of reducing or even eliminating the requirement for watering.

Finally, lawns are generally cut short in order to try to achieve a tabletop-perfect effect. Cutting lawns short has the effect of exposing roots and reducing the grass blade area available for photosynthesis. A simple adjustment to cut lawns to a height of 7.5 to 8.5 cm will assist in the production of thick and healthy lawn grass.

In the previous sections of this presentation, I have outlined some of the techniques that are available as alternatives to pesticide use in lawn care. These techniques provide results that are generally as good as chemical approaches and, in some cases, results that are better than using chemicals. Pesticides are NOT a requirement to have a good lawn. The toxicity of chemicals used in lawn care can compromise the health of individuals, particularly children and chemical-sensitive persons, as well as the personnel of lawn care companies. In the longer term, negative health impacts may be manifest in future generations. A by-law that eliminates the use of toxic chemicals in lawn care is a positive step forward for the citizens of the City of Winnipeg, both for now and in the future.

At the end of the day, the question must be asked; What is more important; the health of the present and future citizens of the City of Winnipeg or the odd dandelion that may appear in someone’s lawn?

I would like to thank the committee members for hearing my presentation.