Organic Lawn Care Research

Buzz about organic lawn care persists each spring as consumers read and hear about the benefits of “organics” in their local papers, garden centers and retail stores. But how popular are organic applications among professionals, how much are they buying and what are their perceptions of efficacy? In connection with out September 2007 Lawn Care Report, Lawn & Landscape asked those questions. The research shows:

• Organics only made up 5 percent of all turf pesticide purchases by lawn care operators in 2007, 5 percent of all tree pesticides purchases by lawn care operators in 2007 and 6 percent of all ornamental pesticide purchases by lawn care operators in 2007. 
  
• In 2007, 38.5 percent of lawn care operators said their synthetic pesticides have better performance than organic pesticides, 4 percent said organic pesticides have better performance than synthetic pesticides and 57 percent were not sure yet either way. 
  
• In 2007, 60 percent of lawn care operators said they use their organic pesticides ALONG WITH synthetic pesticides in their lawn care programs, 34.6 percent did not use their organic pesticides ALONG WITH synthetic pesticides in their lawn care programs and 4.7 percent said they did not use organic pesticides at all. 
  
• Only 2 percent of lawn care operators said “customers requesting organic products” was the most challenging issue facing their lawn care services in 2007.