What’s an organic lawn?

Just like the organic produce you can get at the grocery store or farmers market, an organic lawn is grown without synthetic chemicals. That means no synthetic fertilizers & no synthetic weed killers.

Why is it so important that we get away from synthetic lawn chemicals?

With around 40 million acres of turfgrass in the continental United States, grass is by far the largest irrigated crop in the country. We have three times as much land set aside for growing turf as we do for irrigated corn. ​

Each year, Americans apply around 90 million pounds of synthetic chemical fertilizer to their lawns, either themselves or with a lawn company. These chemicals destroy the composition of our soils, pollute our waters and damage the creatures responsible for natural decomposition processes. ​

Chemicals found in synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides also introduce toxins to humans, pets and wildlife, which are known to cause disease and other health problems.

How can an organic yard help heal the planet?

Natural lawn care isn't about pumping nutrients into your lawn, it's about building up organic matter in your soil. Having healthier soil will mean thicker turf and less weeds, which means less need for herbicides. Having healthier soil will mean less watering, because organic matter locks moisture into the soil. Plus, healthy soil sequesters carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere where it becomes a greenhouse gas.

Removing synthetic chemicals from our yards also keeps those chemicals out of our watershed-- something that we as an organic lawn company work at every day. Applying organic fertilizer, soil amendments and microbial drenches will build up your soil and give you a healthier lawn. Natural fertilizer also locks carbon into your soil, which is great for the environment.

What it means to have an organic yard.

Your yard is more than a patch of grass, at least it should be. It's habitat. In fact, organic lawn care is one of the most direct ways a homeowner can support the ecosystem around us.

• Pollinators need your yard. Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are under serious pressure. Habitat loss and synthetic chemical use have driven populations down for decades. An organic lawn removes one of the biggest threats they face. No synthetic pesticides drifting onto flowering plants. No herbicides wiping out the clover and dandelions that pollinators actually feed on. Organic lawn fertilizer and compost build soil biology that supports a balanced system and biodiversity, which means more food and more habitat for the insects our food supply depends on.

• Wildlife follows a healthy habitat. A natural lawn that skips synthetic inputs becomes part of a larger ecological network. Birds come for the insects. Beneficial insects come for the plants. Harmful pests are less common when things are balanced naturally. The more chemical-free your yard is, the more it functions as a genuine corridor for local wildlife rather than a “green desert” that looks alive but is actually pretty barren. An eco-friendly lawn doesn't just avoid harm. It actively contributes to the ecosystem around it.

• Your pets and family benefit too. An eco-friendly yard means no synthetic residues on paws coming inside. No chemicals on little hands that end up in little mouths. No mystery compounds tracked across your floors after a morning in the grass. A natural lawn is a place your whole household can use without a second thought. An eco-friendly approach protects the people and animals closest to you while doing right by everything else living in and around your yard.

Lawn care doesn't have to come at the expense of the world outside your property line. A natural lawn can also look great and well-kept while supporting pollinators, sheltering wildlife and keeping your family safe. Our lawn library has practical, chemical-free resources for homeowners who want to go further on their own between visits. The choices you make in your yard ripple outward in ways that are easy to underestimate.

Talk with us. We're a lawn company built entirely around eco-friendly, organic lawn care. We’re also a nonprofit whose mission is to help you grow a lawn you can feel good about. No other lawn company brings this level of commitment to yards that are genuinely good for the world around them. Your yard can be beautiful and beneficial at the same time. It just takes a different approach to get there.