I recently made the mistake of reading some of the comments of one of my favorite YouTube channels regarding lawn care. (Yes, they actually do exist) Although, a majority of the reviews were positive, it appears the negative reviews were a little more passionate about letting their true feelings be felt. One comment really stuck with me for days. It read “Professional lawn care companies are destroying the environment for profit”. (OUCH!) Imagine having to look yourself in the mirror after someone smacks you upside the head with that sledgehammer of a statement. I never find much solace in my reflection but that is due to unhealthy life choices over time, not because of my career choice. In fact, I believe I care more about the environment than most individuals and a steward of keeping Mother Nature safe and beautiful.

Here are some facts:

A healthy, properly maintained yard works as a natural air filter and one of the best ways to reduce air pollution and our carbon footprint. The average sized lawn in Pennsylvania produces enough oxygen to support 24 people daily through the process of photosynthesis. The grass plants absorb carbon dioxide and water, and with the help of sunlight, produce energy and releases oxygen to help purify the air that we breathe. A healthy stand of turf can store up to 4 times more carbon than is emitted by the lawn mowers used to maintain said lawn.

The healthy root system of a stand of turf filters water contaminants as they pass through the root zone and into underground aquifers. The health of the root system will also make the lawn more heat and drought resistance. By neglecting the nutrient needs of your soil can cause the turf to wilt or die back which increases the chance of erosion and the temperature of your environment.

No, my friends, lawn care is not bad for the environment. Ignoring your lawn’s needs is bad for the environment.

Are the products that lawn care companies use safe?

That is a very open-ended question. Let me answer with another question, Is a chainsaw safe? If the owner/operator follows the safety guidelines set by the manufacturer and wears the proper protective equipment and is NOT using in a manner that it wasn’t intended for -YES

Nationwide, lawn care companies use products that go through a rigorous evaluation by Federal and State Agricultural Departments. To use said products you must obtain a special license by the state and follow strict label guidelines. Any violation of these guidelines are met with strict penalties for negligence or misuse.

Here at our company,Green Image Lawn Care, we have families/pets/property we are concerned about, too. Most of our coworkers are avid outdoorspeople (given their career choice), and care very much about the environment. We are not going to ask a client, to have something applied to their property that we would not apply to our own personal environment.

So take pride of the Green Image Lawn Care sign in your front lawn that you too have joined us in our conquest to make the environment a better, cleaner place.