Avoid Harmful Chemicals At All Costs – CanineJournal.com
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Most people want to have a lush lawn that knocks our neighbors away. But did you know that many lawn fertilizers are harmful and even deadly for your pets? If you have dogs who go outside often, you need to make sure you keep them safe from all the toxic chemicals in most lawn care products.
Fortunately, you have some pet-friendly lawn fertilizers that can help you achieve your grass goals. Surprisingly, there aren’t many pet-safe lawn products on the market, so we’ve done our research to help you find your best options.
Article Overview
How Do I Know If A Lawn Fertilizer Is Harmful?
Our best advice is to read labels and avoid all lawn care products that aren’t marketed as safe for pets. If the ingredients aren’t all-natural, they’re likely not entirely safe for your pets. The biggest culprits are products that contain insecticides and snail bait. But some products also contain herbicides and pesticides that could cause anything from an upset stomach to seizures if ingested. This consideration is essential if your dog is a grass eater.
TIP: When you apply fertilizer, water your lawn immediately and wait a couple of days before letting your pet play outside on the grass. Watering right after applying fertilizer allows the granules or spray to settle into the ground, and that minimizes the risk to your pets.
Best Pet-Safe Lawn Fertilizer
We’ve chosen our top picks based on pets’ safety, quality of ingredients, performance, customer reviews, and other factors.
Sunday Review
#1
Sunday is a customized lawn care subscription that offers all-natural, pet-friendly spray fertilizer and organic, iron-based spot weed killer. Every plan is based on your unique soil, climate, and lawn.
You start by entering your address, and they give you an instant regional soil, climate, and lawn analysis. You then answer a few questions about your lawn care habits and the current state of your lawn, and Sunday determines exactly what your lawn needs in every season.
Depending on the time of year you make your purchase, most Sunday lawn plans include three shipments of nutrients with two to four pouches each. Each shipment date is driven by your climate and grass growth. Your subscription automatically renews, but you can cancel anytime. And they offer a satisfaction guarantee.
Fertilizer ingredients: seaweed, nitrogen, soluble potash, soy protein, iron, molasses, potassium, manganese, and other micronutrients
Price: Lawn plans start at $89 per year
Scotts Natural Lawn Food Review
#2
Scotts Natural Lawn Food is made from all-natural ingredients and contains no harmful or toxic chemicals. You can use it around pets and kids, and it’s safe to walk on right after spreading the granules. It also doesn’t have an unpleasant odor.
Scotts recommends using it four times a year for an optimal lawn. One bag will cover 4,000 square feet of your yard. Most customers say it delivers fantastic results.
Ingredients: nitrogen, phosphate, soluble potash, calcium, and sulfur
Price: Check on Amazon (for 29.1 lb bag)
GreenView Turf Nurture Review
#3
GreenView Turf Nurture Natural Base Lawn Fertilizer (2756714) is rich in natural and organic materials to give your lawn the boost it needs while keeping your pets safe. It contains 70% slow-release nitrogen and no harmful chemicals. You apply the granules on any grass type in spring, summer, and fall.
Ingredients: nitrogen, soluble potash, calcium, magnesium, and sulfer
Price:
$19.99
(for 8.33 lb bag)
Is Weed And Feed Safe For Dogs?
“Weed and feed” is a universally used term for any lawn care product that contains a combination of fertilizer and herbicides to help kill weeds and promote a healthy lawn. Most of these products contain chemicals that can harm your pets if they get the toxins on their paws or fur. We’re not aware of any pet-safe weed and feed products, so what can you use instead?
Pet-Safe Alternatives
We recommend using one of the pet-friendly lawn fertilizers we’ve reviewed above and a separate pet-safe weed killer, like Green Gobbler Vinegar Weed & Grass Killer. Green Gobbler is a certified-organic weed killer derived entirely from corn and formulated into a powerful vinegar acidic spray containing no harmful chemicals.
You can also use a pet-safe weed preventer to keep those pesky weeds from growing in the first place. Espoma Organic Weed Preventer is made from corn gluten meal and is safe for pets and children after application. You sprinkle the granules in early spring and fall to inhibit weed root growth. It also provides long-lasting nitrogen for a healthy lawn.
What’s The Most Toxic Lawn Chemical For Pets?
See what one veterinarian reveals as the most toxic lawn chemical for pets and some symptoms to watch out for if your pet gets ill from being around a variety of lawn care products.
How Do I Save My Lawn From Dog Urine?
Using pet-safe lawn products is likely only one of your concerns when you have dogs in your yard. Is your dog doing a great job of harming your grass when he pees outside? If so, be sure to check out our article on how to stop dog urine from killing your grass. We have some expert tips for you and some suggestions on how to eliminate pet odors outdoors.
Has your dog ever become ill from lawn products?
