The following alternatives ( suggested by Enviro-Guard) can be used to create a lush green lawn. All without the use of chemical pesticides. For the sake of yourself, your family, your pets, and your neighbors, these tips are worth at least a try.

• Mowing: Let it grow! Mowing correctly can kill weeds, save water, cure diseases and provide fertilizer. For Kentucky Bluegrass in northern climates, leave grass at 2 1/2" tall during the spring and until summer droughts and hot weather arrive. Then reduce the frequency of mowing and let grass grow to 3" before cutting. In late summer as temperatures drop and rainfall increases, go back to 2 1/2" and mow more frequently during this growth spurt. A final mowing of the season could be 1 1/2". Close frequent cutting stresses grass, plants, and exposes weed seedlings to the life-giving sun.
• Fertilizer: Chemical fertilizers are harmful to your lawn. Instead, use grass clippings, compost, and manure to return needed bacteria and enzymes to the soil. Other organic fertilization options include fish emulsion, bloodmeal, cottonseed meal, and clover or other nitrogen fixing plants. All of these organic fertilizers are readily available.
• Plant Earthworms: Earthworms eat the cut grass, aerate the soil and provide castings for free fertilizer.
• Water: Water during dry periods, allow your lawn to enter a natural dormancy. Or, plant tall fescue, which is adapted to drought conditions and does not require summer irrigation.
• Pesticides: Healthy lawns do not have insect problems. Pesticides can harm gardens, trees, shrubs, your kids, your pets, birds and other wildlife, as well as yourself. In addition, weed killers breed resistant weeds. Pesticides also kill worms and beneficial insects. Water during daylight hours because the more often grass is wet, and longer it stays wet, the greater the chance for disease. Liquid seaweed acts as a fungal inhibitor, dandelions can be pulled out by hand, and crabgrass has shown to be eliminated in one year through high mowing and heavy organic fertilization.
• Dandelions: Cut out by hand at the root, several inches below ground. If you can learn to tolerate them, they only look "bad" twice a year, and a quick mow fixes that.
• Fungus: This is a problem only in wet, thatchy, over-fertilized lawns. Drain, dry-out, de-thatch, and re-add soil bacteria with compost or manure.
• Aerate: Compacted soil promotes weeds. Aerate twice a year and add a soil loosener like compost. Remember, earth worms aerate naturally.
• Species: Choose the proper grass to plant for your area. Pick varities that resist drought, disease, need little mowing or fertilizer, choke out weeds, and are suited to foot traffic. Switch to groundcovers in hard to maintain areas.
• Fire Ants: Instead of using chemicals to eliminate fire ants, try a mixture of 1 gallon of orange or grapefruit juice, 2 gallons of water, and a dash of dish soap. Pour this mixture into the mound. This works best on a sunny but cool day and after rain when the ground is still moist.

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