About the Organic Lawn Care program
Manitoba Eco-Network, in conjunction with Campaign for Pesticide Reduction! Winnipeg and Chemical Sensitivities Manitoba, started this project in 2001 in order to provide information on the benefits of organic lawn care. Since then, with support from the City of Winnipeg Public Works Department, Manitoba Eco-Network's Organic Lawn Care Program has given many free workshops to hundreds of Manitobans. A new initiative of Manitoba Eco-Network's Organic Lawn Care Program is the Lawn Library. The public can borrow lawn care tools for free (with deposit) to try them out as part of caring for your lawn organically. Manitoba Eco-Network also offers Mow Better Clinics, which teach participants how to sharpen their Reel (push) mowers.
Organic lawn care has come a long way since 2001, there are more organic products and a couple companies offering organic lawn care services. In 2001 only Quebec had a cosmetic pesiticde ban. Now, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI have provincial cosmetic pesticide bans, and British Columbia has one in the works. Alberta limits pesticide/fertilizer mixtures. Manitoba does not have any cosmetic pesticide regulation as of 2012, but with the trend leaning towards cosmetic pesticide bans, it might not be far off. Take the proactive approach and get a head start on caring for your lawn organically.
Please register for one of our organic lawn care workshops!
To register for a Mow Better Clinic, click here.
Feel free to call our office at (204) 947-6514 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any lawn care questions.
View our new videos on Organic Lawn Care and Pesticide Use in Manitoba.
Organic Lawn Care Practices and Principles
Anything that is worth doing takes a bit of elbow grease, and organic lawn care is worth doing. The potential negative health and environmental effects from conventional lawn care practices (using pesticides and synthetic fertilizers) are numerous. Our free OLC presentations cover the techniques and principles involved in maintaining your lawn organically, the effects of conventional lawn care, and alternatives to lawns. Local lawn care resources are also discussed.
If you are interested in having an organic lawn care workshop at your workplace, please contact us at olc(at)mbeconetwork.org or call 947-6511. Manitoba Eco-Network is a non-profit organization, and does suggest an honorarium to help support our work. Please visit the What We Do page to find out more.
What is Organic Lawn Care?
Organic lawn care is simply caring for and maintaining your lawn without the use of any synthetic inputs (cosmetic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers). It revolves around the fact that your lawn is an eco-system composed of many different parts, all of which work together and depend on each other.
The practices that are discussed, such as aeration and mowing, are very important contributors to the health of your lawn. All the organic lawn care techniques allow your lawn to grow strong and healthy and ultimately, out-compete weeds for valuable space in your lawn.
Organic lawn care also involves having more tolerance for a diversity of plants within your lawn. Diversity contributes to pest resistance and different plants (yes weeds!) can provide different nutrients that your grass needs. Diversity is the spice of life, afterall.
All of this will be discussed in the Organic Lawn Care Tips section of this website.
Thank you to our Partners
Without the support of these departments, the Organic Lawn Care Educational Program would not be able to operate.
Government of Manitoba - Green Team
City of Winnipeg - Parks and Open Spaces Division Greenspace
