Seeding vs. Sodding: Getting Away from Pesticides

I was traveling in Ontario this month and noticed something different from back west: all of the big public parks, lawns and boulevards looked green, well-maintained and beautiful. “But there’s a drought in BC!” you say? Well, Ontario isn’t getting any rain, either. Besides, when I was recently on Vancouver Island, the private and public lawns looked like they were in terrific shape (and it doesn’t hurt that the people of Victoria have some of the greatest green thumbs on the planet. This is, after all, the home of the world-famous Butchart Gardens, a must-see tourist stop in BC).

The real difference between their lush green spaces and our often browned-out, uneven grass lawns in BC’s Lower Mainland? They’ve got the most comprehensive pesticide ban for their green spaces compared with anywhere in North America. Hundreds of toxic chemicals are simply no longer allowed anywhere near Ontario’s lawns, helping protect everyone, particularly children and pets that might unknowingly be playing on poison. That also protects the quality of the soil longer-term, since pesticides may be indiscriminate in killing off helpful organisms that are part of a natural growing cycle. At the time they instituted the ban, no less an authority than famous Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki opined:

“Ontario should be commended for putting the health and opinions of its citizen first and resisting the powerful lobbying of chemical companies. I hope this action will stimulate a discussion about the role of chemicals from all sources in our lives.”

That ban has a practical effect of essentially forcing public and private lawn superintendents to lay new sod down on weed, insect and erosion-plagued green spaces. Without pesticides, it just becomes unmanageable – and it is often just not cost-effective to grow your lawn with hydroseeding.

In BC, provincial legislators looked at the Ontario ban and haven’t yet duplicated it – but that hasn’t stopped some municipalities from enforcing their own bylaws on pesticide management. According to Pesticide Free BC:

  • Almost two thirds of British Columbians (65%) live in 40 communities with a cosmetic pesticide bylaw.
  • Almost a third of BCers (31%) live in 19 “better protection” communities where pesticide use is banned on residential and municipal lands.
  • Just over a third of BCers (34%) live in 21 communities where “not recommended” bylaws allow continued pesticide use by permit or exemption, including Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices.

The trend is clear. Just last year, Vancouver’s Parks Board banned certain pesticides that may be linked to the great die-off of the bees that threatens the survival of the human race (I’m not exaggerating, either – hat tip to CNN’s report, How Pesticides are Killing the Bees). Other municipalities are following suit – so whether or not there’s a provincial pesticide ban in place, if there’s one in your community, you’re going to have to adapt.

Lay Down New Sod Before Your City Lays Down the Law

We know the bylaws are changing from BC’s Lower Mainland to the BC Interior – so it’s time for municipalities, sports field managers and other landscaping professionals to start getting ahead of that change.

Those professionals who have already been in the job for any amount of time already know that hydroseeding is not a long-term solution for maintaining their green spaces (as with residential lawns). As we noted previously in Installing a Turf Lawn vs. Seeding Grass. What You Need to Know

This can prove to be a challenge on the wet west coast, where many of our home owner clients reside. It’s not uncommon in the Vancouver area, effectively built in a primeval rainforest, to experience several days of rain. “A torrential rain could actually wash the seed away,” Nick notes. “If there’s any slope at all on the lawn, all of the seed could end up in your garden.”

Some landscapers do prefer seeded lawns for cost reasons in areas with plenty of shade and tree cover, where it is hard to grow turf in any event – but again, the maintenance is an issue. “Time is money. If you’ve got to spend a lot of time babysitting your lawn, it’s better to use sod.”

So give a pass to pesticides. Hang up your hydroseeder. Say goodbye to short-term lawn fixes that deliver pesticide-soaked, poor long-term results. Call us to send over new rolls of lush, healthy sod to put down on your lawn – and get a great looking, healthy, low-maintenance alternative: natural grass sod for your green space.