Many homeowners in Quebec will be looking at their lawns differently this spring as a new herbicide ban goes into effect Monday.

Building a healthy lawn
  • The key to a weed and pest-free lawn is to build strength in your grass.
  • Overseed every year to create a dense lawn that will crowd out weeds.
  • Fertilize naturally with manure and compost.
  • Encourage good bugs: worms, ladybugs and spiders.
  • Mow less often. Keep grass 6 cm tall to crowd out weeds and grow longer roots.
  • When watering, allow the sprinkler to soak the grass, to build deep roots.
  • Rake out thatch to discourage pests.
  • Dig out any weeds by hand.
  • Learn to tolerate some weeds.
From Environment Canada

The ban of 2,4-D, the popular garden herbicide, means people will have to be more creative if they want to take care of their lawns.

The ban is a result of concerns that the chemical is toxic to humans and the environment.

Some environmentalists have said the herbicide is linked to cancer, noting there are chemical-free ways to keep lawns and gardens healthy.

If homeowners want a weed-free lawn now, they're going to have to work harder, Michel Gaudet, the head of the Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides says.

"You have to feed your lot better. You have to aerate your lot. Compost is very important," he advises.

Organic products also work well, he says, and as of Monday, they are taking a more prominent position on store shelves.

Long-standing debate

In February 2005, after a scientific review, Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency concluded 2,4-D is safe to use against weeds on lawn and turf if sprayers heed the label instructions on the product and use the herbicide at its lowest effective rate.

"The PMRA understands that the public may have concerns over domestic uses of pesticides and would like to convey that all registered pesticides undergo a thorough science-based risk assessment," the agency said in a release.

The agency said its assessment gave special consideration to the risks faced by pregnant women and by children, who may accidentally ingest the herbicide while playing on treated grass.

As part of an ongoing re-evaluation, PMRA reviews pesticides currently on the market that were registered before Jan. 1, 1995.

No evidence was found to back allegations that 2,4-D could cause cancer or harm aquatic life, PMRA said.

More than 60 municipalities across Canada have banned the cosmetic use of pesticides, citing possible harmful effects on people and the environment.

The herbicide, formally known as 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, is manufactured by several chemical companies.