Hello All,

Is there such a thing as Organic / Pesticide-Free turf? (grass/lawn/etc)

We'd like a lawn that children can play on without any risk of pesticides and we'd also like to contribute to a more organic environment.

Searches in google turned up nothing. Is it simply that organic turf is not yet commercially viable or that 'organic' gardeners grow a lawn from seeds?

Thank You for your help
Matt

Mj62 wrote:
Hello All,

Is there such a thing as Organic / Pesticide-Free turf?
(grass/lawn/etc)

We'd like a lawn that children can play on without any risk of
pesticides and we'd also like to contribute to a more organic
environment.

Searches in google turned up nothing. Is it simply that organic turf
is not yet commercially viable or that 'organic' gardeners grow a
lawn from seeds?

Plant with seed and use organic fertilizers?
Pull weeds.

Thanks - I thought that would be the answer but no harm in asking

I suspect that there are others like me who want a lawn before the summer comes but also doesn't want turf made with pesticide... perhaps an emerging market...

On May 24, 3:26*am, Mj62 wrote:[color=blue][i]
Bob F;888195 Wrote:

Mj62 wrote:
Plant with seed and use organic fertilizers?
Pull weeds.

Thanks - I thought that would be the answer but no harm in asking

I suspect that there are others like me who want a lawn before the
summer comes but also doesn't want turf made with pesticide... perhaps
an emerging market...

--
Mj62


I highly doubt it. Because whatever residue is left on commercial
sod isn't enough to worry about for enough people to make a viable
market, especially when they see the price. I can see if you want to
use organic products moving forward, but to obsess over buying
commercial sod because it might have been treated with non-organic
products doesn't make sense to me. Meanwhile, your kids are also
walking on the neighbors lawn, an athletic field, or park, all of
which could be actively treated at any time. I suspect they are
eating plenty of kid type food that isn't organic either.

lol Sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder... I'm not obsessing (I thought my question was pretty polite actually), just asking what products are on the market. We live in a polluted world and if I can make a choice for less pesticides at a reasonable cost, then I will make that choice both for my health and that of the planet.

True, kids are out in the real world eating non-organic food, but by that argument I should buy them cigarettes because they may already breath second hand smoke... It's not practical to do everything organic, but I believe numerous good choices make for healthier living.

On May 24, 2:36*pm, Mj62 wrote:
;888299 Wrote:

but to obsess over buying
commercial sod because it might have been treated with non-organic
products doesn't make sense to me. * Meanwhile, your kids are also
walking on the neighbors lawn, an athletic field, or park, all of
which could be actively treated at any time. *I suspect they are
eating plenty of kid type food that isn't organic either.

lol *Sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder... I'm not
obsessing (I thought my question was pretty polite actually), just
asking what products are on the market. *We live in a polluted world and
if I can make a choice for less pesticides at a reasonable cost, then I
will make that choice both for my health and that of the planet.

True, kids are out in the real world eating non-organic food, but by
that argument I should buy them cigarettes because they may already
breath second hand smoke... It's not practical to do everything organic,
but I believe numerous good choices make for healthier living.

--
Mj62

If you try establishing your new organic lawn from seed, using no
herbicides, I think you'll see how difficult and expensive it would be
to commercially grow turf that way. If you compare that totally
organic approach to just using herbicides to the point that it's
established, thick and healthy and then going organic, the latter
approach seems a very reasonable compromise to me.

I've spoken to others who have said similar things. Thanks for the advice

Growing a good quality lawn from seed without NPK fertlizer will be very difficult but you could try adding compost to the soil and then fertilizing with seaweed extract.

Make sure the PH is right otherwise any nutrients that you do have will not become available to the grass seed.

As far as organic turf.... you may find some rough old meadow turf that hasnt had any treatment but any cultivated turf will have definately had chemical treatments.