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Not the case anymore, said Brian Detzler of recreâ€" ation and leisure, who explained that now is the { time for citizens to take a more natural approach to lawn care. And if citizens are comâ€" i mitted to that approach, { there should be no need for * chemicals. i Some of the successful ‘alternatives to pesticides ; include monitoring the soil‘s condition â€" regularly; top ‘dressing with a light layer of top soil and compost; fertilâ€" izing with a natural, not chemical, product; mowing with a sharp mower blade and avoiding the urge to *mow in dry weather; aeratâ€" ing the turf to avoid soil comâ€" paction; watering less freâ€" quently and slowly, allowing water to sink into the soil; overseeding to establish drought and disease resisâ€" tant grass species; and dethatching with a heavy thatch rake or a dethatching mower. _ Beginning in the early 1980s, such a strategy was developed to reduce the amount of pesticides. And city staff want resiâ€" dents to know the local «department practises what they preach. , â€" "We wanted to take a proâ€" ctive approach," Detzler xplained. "Staff really took it pon themselves to change approach to greenspace anagement by experiâ€" enting and trying "The concept of cut it, spray it and fertilize it was just the thing to do," said Karen Richter, lead hand at the city‘s parks maintenance department. A strong warning, yet one the City of Waterioo feels is necessary to convey to its local citizens, as well as the rest of the country. The threat is particularly high if chemicals and pestiâ€" cides are involved to rid their lawns of unwanted insects and weeds. But what local residents may not know is that their desire for a carpet of green perfection may be doing more harm than good. It‘s name â€" lawn envy. What‘s even more alarmâ€" ing is that this condition can be traced to many neighâ€" bourhoods here in Waterloo. common _ condition A:v:;eps through this every year, affectâ€" ing almost everyone in its D) ))) 11 ROYAL LEPAGE Ees || .000 T .11 SCHARF REALTY INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED. BROKER 50 WESTMOUNT RD. N. WATERLOO 747â€"2040 Anprea Bauiey Chronicle Staff But _ what _ bothered Detzler even more was the 46 per cent who believe the local government was still using pesticides in its local "I used to be a person on the end of a spray gun in the "The survey provided good news and bad news," Detzler said. "The good news is that, generally speaking, many residents seem to be using less pesticides than they used to. "The bad news is that more residents want to use less, but don‘t know what to do to achieve that." According to the survey, which provided the opinions of 300 Waterloo residents, only 27 per cent were very concerned about the potenâ€" tiallyâ€"harmful effects of pesâ€" ticides. However, he said a lot of work still needs to be done to get the message across to residents. Prompting his concerns was a citywide poll conductâ€" ed earlier this year, asking homeowners what â€" their beliefs and thoughts were on pesticide use. "It‘s a matter of getting the lawns off the drugs so to speak," Detzler said, "and using good cultures and practices." That, he said, is not the For all your real estate needs call Royal LePage â€" Scharf Realty, Ted Scharf, Broker Hey, your clothes fit your mood,; celebrate your individuality. Why should your furniture be any different? With a futon sofaâ€"sleeper you can change the cover and the whole look of your room for just a few bucks in seconds. Express yourself with a futon. Feel like stripes today? "The Name Friends â€" Futon. The better sofaâ€"sleeper."" Furniture designed to let you change your mind. & es . + l &.A m s 3 c td # # P M t 5 F s 4 ~aseentny eave wouk e www.futonsathome.com * sURISE your natural choice for home furnishings NOW OPEN IN KITCHENERâ€"WATERLOO 200 Highland Rd. W. (Beside Kelsey‘s) 744â€"1617