For some pets, most of their lives are spent in the back yard. That’s why it’s so important that we make that space as comfortable and safe for them as possible.

Natural turf grass is an excellent choice of surface for pets. It gives them a place to play, eat and do their business.

However, you shouldn’t need to choose between the health of your lawn and the safety of your pet.

Choosing pet friendly lawn care products and keeping your garden free of harmful toxins is crucial.

Many fertilisers, weedkillers and treatments contain toxins and synthetic or chemical ingredients that are harmful to pets.

In fact, one of the most common ways dogs are poisoned is with insecticides.

In order to keep your pet safe, you need to think consciously about the garden products you choose.

Unfortunately, you can’t avoid lawn care products entirely as your lawn will at least need a dose of fertiliser from time to time to keep it in top condition.

This will keep your lawn in optimum health and colour, which makes it a more pleasant environment for you, your pets and your children.

When you can, it is always best to choose natural lawn solutions or organic products. Lawn Solutions Australia fertiliser is free of heavy metals and particularly toxic ingredients.

You should always check the components list of your lawn care products and be sure to avoid disulfoton pesticides, bait with metaldehyde or heavy metals.

Organic fertilisers, such as blood & bone or manures, can be particularly attractive to pets.

However, ingesting these can be quite harmful to them as well. 

You can stop organic fertilisers affecting your pets by mixing it in with the topsoil in your garden or adding a layer of mulch over the top.

If it’s not possible to choose a pet friendly lawn care product, make sure you read the label instructions thoroughly and ensure you keep your pets off your lawn for the entire required amount of time.

By following these instructions you’ll make sure you get the right concentration of the product on your lawn and you reduce risk of harm to your pets.

Where you can, use liquid fertilisers rather than granular or pelletised fertilisers.

By doing so, you’ll reduce potential contact with pets.

You should also water any fertiliser you use in thoroughly as this will reduce burns to your lawn and keep your pets and kids safe.

Choosing a slow release fertiliser allows your lawn to reap the benefits of the fertiliser over a long period of time.

Applying fertiliser less frequently reduces the risk of your pets ingesting any toxins or chemicals and means less work for you as well.

Doing what you can to avoid unnecessarily using fertilisers and other lawn care products is in yours and your pet’s best interests.

Urine burns on your lawns are a ghastly sight and require extra care and fertiliser to repair.

These are caused by the high levels of nitrogen in your pets’ urine and can be solved quite simply.

You can try to train your pet to relieve themselves in a particular area that is off the grass.

Alternatively, you can try a product such as Dog Rocks which will minimise the nitrogen content in your pet’s urine.

Rather than automatically using weed killers when weeds pop up, you can try to control them by mowing or handpicking them.

Certain weeds such as Onionweed and Wintergrass will only keep returning with these methods, however, these methods will be a natural control for other types of weeds.

Mowing as a weed control is only effective before seed heads develop.

And, if you are going to handpick weeds, you have to ensure that you are removing all of the weed’s root system.

Simply having good maintenance practices will also help you reduce the need for garden and lawn care products.

A healthy lawn will naturally outcompete weeds and you won’t need to combat these with weedkillers.

Watering your lawn in the morning or early afternoon will reduce your risk of lawn disease and the products needed to combat this.

Mowing to the correct height for your lawn, and only 1/3 of the blade at a time, will encourage healthy growth without extra fertiliser.

As well as your choice of lawn and garden products, there are other practices that will keep risk to both humans and pets to a minimum.

These include: 

• Store your garden and lawn care products safely out of reach. Ideally, these will be kept up high and locked away in a shed or similar.
• Similarly, you should keep your gardening tools and equipment out of reach.
• Especially the sharp tools pose a risk to your pets and children.
• If your garden has plants that are toxic to pets, such as lilies, chrysanthemum, oleander and more, consider fencing these areas so your pets are kept out of harm’s way.
• Especially during summer, it’s important to give your pets access to a shaded area and water bowl so they can escape the heat.

You shouldn’t have to choose between a greener lawn or the safety of your pets and children.

Choosing pet friendly lawn care products is the best options for your pet’s safety and they are generally a better option for a natural lawn as well.

However, when this isn’t possible, doing what you can to minimise risk to your pets is crucial.

Most importantly, caring for your lawn and keeping good maintenance practices, will make your lawn a safe and happy place for you and your pets.