"korey99" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all-

I hope I'm not going to start a big mess, but I had a question. I've
read lots about the opinion of many in this group that the pesticides
used by lawn services and in Weed and Feed products are bad news. I
don't need to be sold on that one; I have a very young son who will be
playing on that grass next year, and whether 2,4D's danger is confirmed
or not, I don't plan to take any chances. Regarding danger, is the
same true for the actual granular fertilizer (without weed/insect
treatments)?

I've read up on organic gardening as well, and what I've read indicates
that I should build healthy dense turf to choke out weeds (a
no-brainer). They recommend applying 1/4 to 1/2" of compost to the
lawn twice a year as fertilizer. I've got 12,000 sq ft of lawn though,
and by my figuring that's about 20 to 40 cubic yards of compost each
year. I don't want to say that's infeasible, but that's still several
trips by delivery truck (or several more in my pickup) each time, not
to mention the expense. Is the general consensus that chemical
fertilizers themselves are bad, or is it the herbicides and
insecticides that often accompany them?


Organic fertilizers can cause burns if you get the granules in your eye or
they contact any mucous membranes. Therefore you shouldn't let the kids on
the lawn until the fertilizer has been watered in.

The issue many people have with organic fertilizers is that they are often
applied incorrectly because people don't bother to read the label. The
excessive nutrients then wash off and enter streams where they can cause
problems. They are probably more of an environmental hazard than a personal
hazard.