Spooky Turfgrass Facts for Halloween

Pam Newcombe

Halloween is sneaking up on us and we have a few spooky turfgrass facts to ring in the holiday. Now, we don’t want to get too doom and gloom. Although, there are very real and very detrimental side effects to certain chemicals used on lawns. Read to the end for some good news too…

5 Facts*

Due to their developing physiology, children are more vulnerable to acute and long term pesticide exposure than adults.
Kids 6-11 years old have the highest levels of lawn chemicals in their blood compared to all other ages.
It takes 500-1000 years for 1 inch of topsoil to form—This is the uppermost layer of soil that contains the most microorganisms and organic matter.
“Suburban lawns and gardens receive more pesticide applications per acre (3.2-9.8 lbs) than agriculture (2.7 lbs per acre on average).”
The largest varieties of grass are Giant Bamboo and Palm Trees.

Pesticide Risk Among Children

What contributes to childrens’ vulnerability and susceptibility to pesticide exposure? (As noted in Fact #1)

Young kids’ brains, nervous systems and organs are not fully developed. Therefore, they are less able to detoxify and excrete pollutants.
Infants take more breaths per minute. As such, they intake two times as much pollutants.
Kids typically spend more time on areas treated with chemicals (such as yards, playgrounds, athletic fields, etc.).
Children practice more hand-to-mouth contact—resulting in more direct toxin exposure.

Notably, pesticides exposure isn’t safe at any age. Although, it’s especially important to remember these facts when treating properties that kids have direct contact with.

Good News!

Too spooked by our spooky turfgrass facts? Fear not, PJC is here to help! We provide product and support to landscapers, schools, & municipalities that want to transition from a conventional approach to an All-Natural Organic Turf Care program for the maintenance of their lawns & athletic fields. Additionally, PJC Organic is the manufacturer of ProHealthy Turf Organic Products & distributor of soil amendments. View our Product Page or Contact Us directly for more info. We’d love to chat.