Gardening and lawn care bring much joy to those who love to tend them, but they are also hard work and a constant balancing act. Plants need fertilization to remain healthy and grow and may also need a helping hand to fend off harmful weeds, insects, bugs or slugs.
Excluding apartment dwellers, almost all (96%) Canadian households reported having a lawn or garden in 2023, with over half (56%) applying fertilizer or pesticide to maintain their yard.
To nurture
Just over half (51%) of Canadian households that reported having a lawn or garden applied fertilizer to promote plant growth in 2023.
Among these households, organic fertilizer was more commonly used than chemical fertilizer (39% versus 29%), while 17% used a combination of both types.
To neutralize
Lawns and gardens can be afflicted with all sorts of bugs, grubs, insects, weeds, and fungi. To eliminate the threat to their lawn or garden, some households may spray with a chemical or organic pesticide, herbicide or fungicide.
In 2023, just under one-third (31%) of Canadian households with a lawn or garden reported using a chemical or organic product to eliminate the threat to their yard.
Weeds were the number one enemy, with 84% of households that reported treating their lawn or garden using a chemical herbicide.
Bugs ranked second with just over one-third (35%) of households that reported treating their lawn or garden using a chemical pesticide. Approximately 6% of households applied a chemical fungicide.
About one in six households (16%) used an organic pesticide.
Potted plants and sod sales
When it comes to spending on yard beautification, potted plants outsell grass sod by a wide margin.
In 2025, sales of potted plants increased 8.9% to $1.5 billion, with 269.1 million pots sold, while sod sales rose 2.1% to $164.8 million.
Together, these figures show that Canadians households continue to invest heavily in their lawns and gardens, whether by nurturing plant growth, keeping weeds and pests at bay, or adding a splash of colour with potted plants. For many, yard care remains a labour of love in the growing season.
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).