Keeping your pets safe in the garden is super important if you’re going to have them run around and make use of the whole space.
One of the things people find challenging is keeping cats and dogs safe while maintaining a thick green lawn.
That’s because some of the fertiliser or lawn feed products on the market are chemically produced and some, particularly pesticides can be harmful to pets. Knowing which ones to choose is crucial.
This article will take you through each of the seasons to explain which products you can use, which also mean you can allow your pets to use the garden immediately after use.
What’s good for pets and what’s not in the garden?
Generally, if you’re going to create a safe environment you need to be on the lookout for 100% organic products. Be aware that sometimes products can be named with organic style names but may still have been chemically extracted. So, keep a look out for that too.
Liquid products are usually absorbed quicker by the soil so these can also be much more friendly for letting pets or children continue to use the space immediately after application.
Spring lawn products safe for pets
Spring is the beginning of the growing season for the year ahead.
As the new season approaches, you’re going to want to revive your lawn from the after- effects of the cool, harsh Autumn & Winter months.
That usually means a bit of overseeding with special grass seed that’s right for your lawn.
But it also means adding nitrogen to fuel the growth for the new season. You can purchase 100% organic fertilisers, which are high in nitrogen.
Be careful of the application rate for these lawn care products because organic fertilisers have a potential for scorching your lawn. If this does happen to you, don’t worry too much, the burn patches usually only last for a couple of mows and then you should start achieving a thicker, greener space.
Summer lawn products safe for pets
Summer is usually the hottest time of the year. These hot days can often stress your lawn out just as much as the Winter months. Especially if you have big trees taking the little water that falls from the ground.
It’s eco-friendly to catch any rain fall with a water butt, then use it as much as possible around the garden when there’s a drought.
For lawns, the difference between Summer and Winter is that your lawn will dry out rather than get damp and clogged up. So, it’s best to use a 100% organic, pet safe liquid fertiliser during this time.
Liquid seaweed will help to revitalise the soil and increase the bio-stimulant activity that’s needed to create healthy grass.
Autumn & Winter lawn products safe for pets
If I’m honest, it can be difficult to find a 100% organic that’s perfect for Autumn and Winter.
That’s because there are very few organic materials that have the correct make up of NPK ratio, that is nitrogen, phosphate and potassium.
This means that to create an Autumn/Winter feed you need to mix together various organic products of different NPK ratios.
For example, a combination of Bone Meal, Sulphate of Potash, Hoof & Horn as well as lawn sand, mixed at the right percentages will create a 100% organic fertiliser that gives an NPK ratio of 3-5-10.
This NPK ratio is essentially low in nitrogen, medium in phosphate and higher potassium. The potassium will help with photosynthesis, which is absolutely essential when light is so reduced for such a sustained period of time.
On top of the seasonal products, you can apply top soils or dressings like compost which are naturally safe and help the soil throughout the year.