• Native grasses are healthier than non-native varieties.Lawn image by Yuriy Rozanov from Fotolia.com
  
  Not only are healthy lawns visually attractive, they are also beneficial for the environment. A 50-square-foot lawn absorbs carbon dioxide, ozone, hydrogen fluoride, and sulfur dioxide from the air and provides oxygen sufficient for a family of four. Healthy lawns also absorb rain water six times more efficiently than unhealthy lawns and prevent erosion. There are a number of home remedies to keep lawns healthy.
  
  

Tomato Sauce Remedy

• Mix together a can of tomato soup, ½ cup fabric softener, 2/3 cup orange juice, ½ cup dishwashing soap and 2 cups water. Using a hose sprayer spray mixture over lawn.
  
  

Fertilizer Tea

• Place five quarts of manure on a 3-foot-square piece of burlap. The burlap will act as a strainer for making the fertilizer tea. Tie the corners of the burlap to create a bag and place in a five-gallon bucket. Pour three gallons of warm water into the bucket over the manure and leave in a sunny area for about a week. Remove burlap with manure and apply the fertilizer tea over the lawn.
  
  

Beer and Pepsi Spray

• Mix together one can of beer, one can Pepsi, 1 cup ammonia, ½ cup dishwashing soap and 1 cup Epsom salts. Apply mixture to lawn. The Epsom salts will help in aerating the ground and provide oxygen to the lawn's roots and the ammonia will kill any fungus or bacteria.
  
  

Beer and Dishwashing Soap Spray

• Mix together 1 ½ cups beer, ½ cup dishwashing soap, 1 ½ cup Epsom salts and 1 cup ammonia with 3 cups water in a container. Use a watering can to sprinkle mixture over lawn.
  
  

Hot Pepper Sauce and Garlic Spray

• Mix together ½ gallon water with 10 drops dishwashing soap, 2 tbsp. hot pepper sauce and a pinch of garlic. Shake well and use a spray bottle apply mixture to lawn perimeter to keep away insects and deer.