Think Lawn Safety for Your Kids and Pets

While Alliance Stone specializes in landscape materials for your yard, we want to encourage you to think about the safety of your lawn for your children and pets. As we all move into spring and enjoy more time outdoors, it is essential to remember that the chemicals and products we put on our yards can affect those we love.

Most fertilizers are considered pretty benign in terms of safety. They tend to contain natural elements such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and potash. If your dog or cat eats some grass soon after fertilizer was applied, it rarely leads to severe poisoning. However, experts recommend that when you fertilize your yard, be sure to water the product thoroughly. In fact, watching the weather and fertilizing your lawn right before it rains is the best way to ensure that the products seep into the soil and your pets are protected.

Lawn chemicals can vary widely in their safety toward humans and pets. Most insecticide manufacturers have become more aware of the dangers to humans and pets. They are working to provide safer products for homeowners and landscape maintenance crews to work with.

There are many “organic” products on the market today, and some landscape maintenance companies boast that they use only organic products to treat yards. When selecting an organic lawn and garden product, it is still necessary for you to read the labels carefully. The inclusion of the word “natural” does not always mean it is safe. If you hire out lawn maintenance, ask your providers about their products’ safety for humans and pets.

Most lawn maintenance companies will post a sign in the yard after treatment warning you to keep children and pets off the grass for at least 72 hours. If you have a pet that needs to go outside to take care of business, it will be helpful to have a small area in your yard that does not receive treatment. This area can be left au-natural so that your pet has a safe spot when necessary.

Remember that chemicals applied to your yard can wind up all over your children’s clothes and shoes and on your pet’s fur and paws. Lawncare products can make your loved ones very sick, so take the necessary precautions to keep them safe.

Posted on behalf of Alliance Stone