Quick fall organic lawn care tips for the health of your dog!

Over the years we've written a lot about organic lawn care. Why?

Because we believe it's one of the most important things you can do for the health of your dog.

Thanks to several groups and organizations evidence is mounting of the affects of commercial lawn chemicals on dogs and children, including:

• The Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University, found and reported in July 2013 that exposure to herbicide-treated lawns has been associated with significantly higher bladder cancer risk in dogs.
• The January 2012 issue of the journal Environmental Research concluded that exposure to professionally applied lawn pesticides was associated with a significantly (70 percent) higher risk of canine malignant lymphoma (CML).
• Information regarding exposure to herbicide-treated lawns and gardens increases the risk of bladder cancer by four to seven times in Scottish Terriers was researched and reported in a study by Purdue University veterinary researchers published in the April 15, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association.
• In 1991, the National Institutes of Health found elevated rates of canine lymphoma in dogs exposed to lawn pesticides (1991).
• A respected report and DVD "The Truth About Cats, Dogs and Lawn Chemicals," funded by Newman’s Own Foundation, has a lot of information for you to learn about the dangers and effects of lawn chemicals on your pets.

With all these dangers, why take a chance with the health of your dog? There are many ways to create a beautiful. lush, green, healthy lawn organically, without the use of dangers pesticides, insecticides and herbicides.

Here are our favorite fall organic lawn gardening tips that you can implement, easily! And don't miss our previous blog posts with more information and details:

Is your lawn killing your dog?
Great, green organic lawn tips for Fall lawn care!

Get out there and pull the weeds! Before you reach for those chemical herbicides think twice. One of the most effective ways of getting rid of weeds is by pulling. And the fun part is that you get to be outside, spend time with your dog, and perhaps they can help you pull a few of those nasty weeds.

Got leaves? One of the healthiest things you can do for your lawn is to mow over many of the leaves that fall in your yard and create wonderful, organic mulch that increases the nutrients provided and creates healthy grass growth. If you have too many leaves, gather them up and add to your organic compost pile. Then come spring add the compost to your lawn, flower and vegetable garden.

Seed, seed and more seed! One of the best things you can do for a good looking lawn is seeding. Seeding fills in those gaps that weeds like, creating a wonderful, healthy, lush lawn. We reseed many times throughout the year, but Fall is the best time. Make sure that you purchase seed that doesn't have added growth hormone coatings and added chemical fertilizer.

Fertilize the organic way! About four weeks after you've reseeded, add some great organic fertilizer to your lawn to create strong plantings. We like several types of organic fertilizers, from worm poo and fish emulsions (which are sprays) to pellet based fertilizers made from feather meal, bone meal, and/or soybean meal.

If you follow all of these organic and lawn building tips this fall, we know you'll have one of the most envied green, lush lawns in the neighborhood without the use of dangerous chemicals.

Happy lawning!