What is the Ontario Pesticide Ban?

Did you know that Ontario effectively banned the use of lawn and garden pesticides back in April of 2009? This ban, which included more than 250 popular pesticide treatments, has greatly limited the way Ottawa lawn care companies can treat and protect lawns against harmful pests and persistent weed growth. Luckily, the talented lawn care crew at Nutri-Lawn Ottawa have developed a number of techniques and environmentally-friendly pesticide alternatives that can help ensure the health and vitality of your lawn this summer.

About the Pesticide Ban
The Ontario-wide pesticide ban came into effect on Earth Day in April of 2009. The ban, which is now law across all of the province, banned the sale of pesticides "for cosmetic purposes on lawns, gardens, parks, and school yards, and includes many herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides." This ban also prohibited the types of lawn care products that automatic lawn sprinkler system installers could provide to their customers. There are no exceptions to this pesticide ban. If you have used chemicals on your lawn, vegetable garden, patio, driveway or ornamental gardens in the past, you are no longer permitted to do so and can be fined if these chemicals are found in your possession.

Controlling Pests and Weeds Without Chemicals
If you're having trouble controlling the pest population in your Ottawa lawn, don't worry – Nutri-Lawn Ottawa offers a number of natural treatment alternatives. bioherbicide or lower risk herbicides can still be applied by the lawn care professionals at Nutri-Lawn. By law, our automatic sprinkler system installers and lawn care professionals are required to post a notice on your lawn following the application of these types of products in order to let the public know that something has been used and that the product is legal.

If you're looking for an effective bioherbicide to use on your Ottawa lawn, look no further than the PMRA approved Fiesta Weedkiller. This environmentally-friendly weed control solution is a safe and effective alternative to many of the traditional three-way chemical herbicides prohibited under the new pesticide ban. Fiesta Weed Killer effectively kills weeds without harming your lawn, with visible results in as little as 48 hours.

Another way to keep pests at bay is through the use of beneficial nematodes. These carnivorous bugs make a living eating annoying lawn grubs, providing Ottawa home and business owners with an exceptional all-natural lawn care alternative.

Nutri-Lawn Ottawa also recommends using natural lawn maintenance methods to ensure the health of your lawn. These includes:

• Properly aerating your lawn
• Overseeding in order to ensure a healthy amount of ground cover
• Water wisely using an automatic sprinkler system
• Using Organics Plus Top Dressing as an environmentally-friendly fertilizer

The lawn care professional at Nutri-Lawn Ottawa also recommend the following pesticide-free gardening tips:

• Using mulch as a natural fertilizer
• Extending your automatic sprinkler system so that it will water both your lawn and gardens efficiently
• Paying close attention to the types of plants you include in your garden installations

If you have any questions or concerns about the Ontario pesticide ban, please feel free to contact the lawn care team at Nutri-Lawn Ottawa. More information can also be found on the official Ontario Pesticide Ban website.