How to Make My Own Pet Safe Lawn Care Products

Make your own lawn care products to protect pets from toxic chemicals.

Healthy lawns require fertilizer and the elimination of weeds and pests. Pets run, roll and play on the lawn. They eat grass and other plants. Pets clean themselves by licking. These normal activities cause your pet to ingest the fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides that are on the lawn. Make your own pet safe lawn products from natural ingredients. Never worry again about potentially hazardous chemicals on the lawn causing harm to your pet.

Things You'll Need

• Vinegar
• Boiling water
• Oil soap
• Turkey baster
• Cornmeal
• Garlic cloves
• Mineral oil
• Fish emulsion
• Hot peppers
• Spray bottle

Instructions

Weeds

1. Mix 1 gallon boiling water with 1/2 gallon vinegar in a glass container. Add 1 tsp. oil soap.

2. Apply directly to weeds with a turkey baster.

3. Sprinkle cornmeal to prevent new weeds from growing among plants. Cornmeal prevents germination but does not harm seeds that have already sprouted.

Pests

1. Soak 4 ounces chopped garlic cloves in 2 tbsp. mineral oil for 24 hours. Strain.

2. Dissolve 1 tsp. fish emulsion in 1 pint of water. Add the garlic oil. Store mixture in a glass container.

3. Dilute 1 part oil mixture with 20 parts water. Put in a spray bottle and apply to pest infested plants.

4. Use 1/2 cup chopped hot peppers and 1/2 cup chopped garlic cloves to make an effective pest control spray. Place them in a glass container with 2 cups boiling water and steep for 24 hours.

5. Strain mixture. Place in a spray bottle and apply to plants.

Fertilizer

1. Place your household food scraps and coffee grounds in an outside bin or composter. The bin should measure at least 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet and be placed in full sun.

2. Add dead leaves, shredded newspaper and wood chips to produce carbon, and grass clippings to produce nitrogen.

3. Aerate the compost by turning it with a pitchfork every two weeks. It is ready to use when the organic materials can no longer be identified, and the compost has the appearance of dark soil.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply natural weed killers in midday. Full sun intensifies the effects.

• Use non-toxic plants for the lawn and garden.

• Avoid plants you do not wish to kill when applying weed killer.

• Do not put meat scraps, fats or oils in the compost.

References

• Gardeningknowhow.com: Homemade Pet Friendly Weed Killer
• Composting101.com: A Composting Guide For The Home Gardener

Resources

• Silvermaplevet.com: Pet Friendly Lawn Care Products