For the Love of Your Pets || Ft. Lauderdale, FL

August 2, 2016

Everyone loves the lush, tropical landscaping in Florida.  With its bright, bold colors and verdant foliage, the Florida landscape is unmistakable for its richness.  Layer upon layer of green bushes, palm trees, oak trees and grass frame our lawns and beautify our homes and gardens.  However, this beautiful, tropical landscaping requires continuous work and numerous chemicals to maintain.

Among the chemicals required for a gorgeous lawn are: grass fertilizers, granular weed treatment chemicals, pesticides to treat for chinch bugs, mole crickets, and other lawn pests, liquid weed chemicals for spot treatments and fertilizers to treat the trees and bushes.

So, after all that work and all those chemical treatments, you have to water, water, water your landscaping to keep it green and gorgeous.  What happens to all those chemicals on your lawn?  What happens to the water run-off after you have watered your lawn?   Even using the greatest of care during the application process, there can be chemical transfer to your pets – and your children.

Pets walk on lawns, they explore, they nose around.  The nose of a dog or cat is a mucus membrane and transfer of chemicals can easily take place this way.  A second method of transfer is through their paws – animals walk on lawns and then lick their paws to clean themselves.  A third method of transfer is through hunting, when a cat or dog eats a bird or rodent that has eaten poison; that poison is then absorbed into the system of the cat or dog.

A Colorado State University study, conducted in 1993, found that levels of 2,4-D, a chemical commonly used on lawns and found in “weed and feed” products was significantly higher in dogs who live near treated lawns.  This chemical has been linked to canine malignant lymphoma in dogs.

So what can you, the homeowner, do to avoid contaminating your four-legged family members?

1. Choose Florida-friendly plants, shrubs and flowers, to mitigate the need for chemicals.
   If a plant is native to Florida, chances are it will require very little maintenance or chemical treatments to maintain.
2. Opt for artificial grass.  Synthetic turf, by AlternaScapes, is the best choice for your lawn.  Using artificial turf means you’ll NEVER have to use fertilizer chemicals again!
   Best of all, you will save money on fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation.

Interested in learning more about artificial grass?  Visit www.JustLikeGrass.com for more information or call 1-800-445-2944 today for a FREE Design Consultation!