As an animal lover and lawn care professional, I always have to consider the safety and wellbeing of our products and methods of treatment especially how they are applied to lawns with pets. Over the years we have had many pet parents here in Ontario ask us about whether or not they should do lawn care with pets on the property. The short answer is: YES! Any and all products used for our lawn care treatments are all natural and safe for our families.
Lawn Care Products, Are They Safe?
You may ask yourself, “are lawn care products safe for lawns with pets?”. The long and the short of it is, absolutely! People often assume that you have to put harsh chemicals on your lawn to get beautiful green grass. But in fact, we have proven there is another way! All of our lawn care products are 100% natural and are certified for use in the province of Ontario by Health Canada. Though they take longer to take effect and require a bit more attention than traditional products, I am happy to have a less invasive product that helps our families, pets, and the environment.
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is really just a mixture of Nitrogen and Potassium to feed the grass and give your lawn that lush deep green colour. It is often applied in granular form and spread throughout the grass using a push spreader. A little goes a long way when applying granular fertilizer. Once it’s spread it often settles close to the soil and is difficult for any pet to ingest. Even if they do get a pebble or two there is nothing to be alarmed about.
Weed Control
The only registered product in Ontario for the control of weeds is Fiesta. This product is an iron based weed control and again, is 100% natural. This product is applied directly to the leaves and stem of an existing weed. Once dried, it carries the active ingredient (iron) down to the root system. It’s been a priority of mine to practice a weed and pest management program that focuses on using the minimum amount of product to achieve the maximum results. Because of this we mostly apply Fiesta with a spot sprayer. This reduces any overspray throughout your property. We also advise our clients to allow for the product to dry before letting their pets out in the yard; however, this is less about safety and more about maximizing the ability of the product to do its job.
What to do if your Pet Eats the Grass?
It’s always important to keep an eye on your pets to identify any unusual behaviour. It’s helpful to record all symptoms, a timeline, and any difference to the pet’s routine that could have caused it. Nevertheless, if your pet is acting unusually at any time, no matter what the cause, your concerns about them can often be eased by a quick call to your local Veterinarian clinic.
Conclusion
I know this summer I have enjoyed a good Saturday afternoon play session in my backyard with my pup Ms. Jarvis. Knowing that the products we apply won’t harm her in any way makes it that much more enjoyable. Especially when I watch her happily play on a thick, green, and healthy lawn!
