Hidden dangers of homemade pesticides

In an effort to eliminate chemicals around our yard, my husband and I have often made home-made products to control pests and weeds. We know that harsh, unnecessary chemicals can harm organisms on our own property, but can also get washed into local waterways where they can cause fish kills and other water pollution dangers.

I have to admit that the primary reason we have done this is for convenience and to save money. When we see some unwanted pests around the yard, it certainly seems easier to just run inside and mix up a concoction of our own to try to tackle the problem.

But when I recently wrote a post about ways to keep wandering cats from digging in gardens, long time reader Alison Gillespie (author of the great blog Where you are Planted ) pointed out the danger of using mothballs to repel animals. This, in turn, made me think about the potential dangers of all homemade landscape products.

So before mixing up any do-it-yourself pesticide or weed killing products, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. ANYTHING you add to the ground has the potential of upsetting the natural eco-system and possibly killing good organisms along with the pests.
2. Homemade pesticides do not have the benefit of scientific evaluation and do not have label directions that the user can follow to ensure safe use or the desired pest control result.
3. Homemade pesticides may burn or damage plants.
4. While some homemade pesticides (such as soap and water) pose little risk, combining them with other ingredients may be harmful.
5. Often, home garden remedies are mixed in bottles and cans used for food. This is a very dangerous practice, especially with the presence of small children.
6. Other possible risks associated with the preparation and use of homemade pesticides include: inhaling harmful fumes, irritating eyes and skin, and contaminating clothing.
7. Homemade pesticides should be used immediately. Do not store.
8. Do not leave homemade pesticides unattended or spray them near children, pets, and other family members.
9. Purchasing organic pesticides from reputable companies rather than making your own helps to support businesses working towards a green future.
10. Just because something comes from a plant doesn’t mean it is safe.
     a. Nicotine – Nicotine is a potent pesticide that acts on the insect nervous system. Nicotine is also highly toxic to humans, dogs, cats and other mammals. According to oral toxicity trials, nicotine is more toxic to mammals than some commonly used synthetic pesticides such as malathion (Source)
     b. Rhubarb – Oxalic acid may be extracted from rhubarb leaves and is often recommended for aphid control. However, oxalic acid has been associated with deaths of goats, swine and humans through ingestion of high quantities of rhubarb leaves (source)
    c. Chrysanthemums – Pyrethrum can be extracted from chrysanthemum flowers and is one of the most commonly used insecticides in the United States. Although Pyrethrums have low toxicity towards humans and other mammals , thousands of reports of mild symptoms of pyrethrum poisoning are reported annually across the United States.

For more information:
Organic Pest Control : What Works, What Doesn’t
Organic Pest Control Methods Explained
http://www.pesticides.montana.edu/News/Bulletins/MT%20Pest%20Bulletin-May.pdf

Homemade pesticides are dangerous

Keeping Champion Trees Strong

Volunteer Opportunity with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Sunday, May 6 from 9 a.m. to Noon-“Keeping Champion Trees Strong”

A grove of very rare trees, Franklinias were found at Triadelphia Recreation Area.  But invasive weeds have also found them-and we need to get rid of the invasive weeds from these groves.  Triadelphia Recreation Area, 2600 Triadelphia Lake Road, Brookeville

For more information, visit the WSSC website.

Composting Workshop – May 9th

What: GREEN LIVING SERIES WORKSHOP: Composting Fundamentals
When: Wednesday, May 9th, 6:30 to 8:00 PM
Where: Discovery Communications, One Discovery Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Would you like to understand the science behind composting and how it relates to what you do in your backyard?

Would you like to learn the “Seven Compost Lessons” that are essential to making "Black Gold?"

Then plan on attending this workshop to hear Master Composter Sam Patsy outline the fundamentals of composting so that you can improve your garden soil.

Mr. Patsy was raised on a small farm and has been composting all his life. From 2003 to 2010 he was head of the composting group for the Maryland Master Gardeners.

Register here for this workshop: Backyard Composting

The event is free, although donations will be accepted.

The event is being organized by Silver Spring Green (SSG), a local grassroots organization that brings together individuals, organizations, businesses, and government working together to improve our environment, economy and shared sense of community.

Information for this post provided by Kathy Jentz, editor/publisher  of Washington Gardener Magazine

It’s Arbor Day – What is Your Favorite Tree Memory

In honor of Arbor Day, I decided to write a post about my favorite memory of trees. I soon realized that it was a difficult task, because instead of one distinct memory, there is a whole crowded forest of tree memories in my life.

But before I invite you to wander down that wooded path with me, I wanted to share just a brief history of Arbor Day, which I found on the Arborday.org website. I love the history of this event because, like many important environmental actions in this country, it was planted by an enthusiastic environmental writer.

“Among pioneers moving into the Nebraska Territory in 1854 was J. Sterling Morton from Detroit. He and his wife were nature lovers, and the home they established in Nebraska was quickly planted with trees, shrubs and flowers.

Morton was a journalist and soon became editor of Nebraska's first newspaper. Given that forum, he spread agricultural information and his enthusiasm for trees to an equally enthusiastic audience. All of the pioneers missed the trees of their homelands. But more importantly, trees were needed as windbreaks to keep soil from blowing and for fuel and building materials, as well as shade from the hot sun. 

Morton not only advocated tree planting by individuals in his articles and editorials, but he also encouraged civic organizations and groups of every kind to join in. His prominence in the area increased, and he became secretary of the Nebraska Territory, which provided another opportunity to stress the value of trees.” (You can continue reading about the history of Arbor Day here)

And now, here are some of my favorite tree memories:

1. My sisters and I planting a peach pit in our backyard in Mt. Holly, NJ and seeing it grow into a beautiful tree. I think we were all surprised when that wrinkly old pit actually became a tree.
2. Long walks through the woods with my sisters and mother growing up in NJ, where I feel my love of nature really took root and grew.
3. Long walks through the woods with my sisters, friends and others throughout my life. Walks in the woods are such a great place for nurturing relationships and helping them to grow.
4. The walks I used to take through a wooded park with my mother as she eased into her senior years.
5. The beautiful oak tree that my brother in law donated and planted in that same park in memory of my mother when she passed away.
6. Every single day on the beautiful piece of wooded property that my husband and I now own.
7. The GORGEOUS wooden bench that my husband built me out of a huge fallen oak from our property, and the sadness as we watched it slowly get eaten up by boring beetles.
8. The countless wonders I have seen by looking up at trees; the peaceful murmurs I have heard as wind rustles their leaves;  the sensory pleasures of bark and fragrance and falling leaves
9. The time that my husband gave an oak sapling as a baby gift, with a handwritten note that said “For his first tree house”.

But my favorite tree memory that I often share is this one, about when I first met my husband, Tom. Reprinted here from a previous article I wrote:

Last year I met a man named Tom. He had curly black hair and a joyful smile, and I warmed to his pleasant, natural personality almost immediately. But it wasn't until he came to my house and brought me a gift that my heart opened it's doors to him and welcomed him inside.
"It's an oak tree," he said, handing me a slightly rusting tin can with a 9" plant sprouting healthily out of the strong, black soil. "I grew it from an acorn and I want you to have it."
I don't know how he knew about my love of plants or that I would like that more than the roses that most first dates would bring. But somehow he knew. And somehow, seeing that nurturing side of him on our first date made all the difference in the world.

So today, on Arbor Day, I hope that you will take some time to think about trees and some of the important memories that they have helped to create in your life. And whether you decide to go out and hug one, plant one or write about one, I hope that, in your own way, you will celebrate them.

Build Your Own Rain Barrel Workshops

What: Build Your Own Rain Barrel Workshop
When: Saturday May 12, 2012 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Where: Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St. (Map This)

AND

Saturday, May 19, 2012 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Drive, Reston, VA 20191

Event Details:

As part of their Eco-City Alexandria initiative, and in coordination with the Northern Virginia Rain Barrel Program Partners, participants will discuss water quality issues and how they can be part of the solution by learning to build a rain barrel, building a rain barrel, and taking it home at the end of the workshop. The rain barrels are made from sturdy, repurposed barrels and are very affordable. Please visit the provided link to pre-register. You must pre-register to attend.

Link: http://www.arlingtonenvironment.org/barrel.php

Contact Person: Jesse Maines

Contact Phone No.: 703.746.4071

Contact Email: Jesse.Maines@alexandria.va

Fees: $55 (please visit registration link)

Garden therapy is my favorite prescription

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, April 28th

I treat my body the same way that I treat my gardens. When it comes to health, my first line of defense is always a natural one, and I only turn to chemical solutions as a last resort.

But every now and then, I’ve accepted a prescription medicine for something because it just seemed so easy at the time. I have filled prescriptions for pain killers when I’ve had minor medical procedures. And more than once, I’ve accepted something from a doctor who thought some symptom I had was related to stress.

And then I realized that I didn’t need the drugs after all. The anticipated pain never came or A day in my garden took away all of my stress.

Accepting unnecessary prescriptions may seem like an easy thing to do if you have health insurance that covers the cost for you, but it causes a major problem: how to dispose of those medicines safely.

Some people decide to keep the medication just in case they may need it sometime in the future. Who knows when some mysterious, unbearable pain may occur, right? Unfortunately, this attitude can prove disastrous or even fatal.

• Each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.
• The number of young children being poisoned after inadvertently ingesting over-the-counter or prescription medications has risen dramatically in recent years. A study by the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center found that visits to U.S. emergency departments due to medication poisonings of children five and under rose 28 per cent between 2001 and 2008 — and 95 per cent were due to kids getting into the drugs on their own.
• Pets, too, are in danger of being poisoned by human medications. In 2007, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center received 89,000 calls related to pets ingesting over-the-counter and prescription medications.

Flushing medications down the toilet or disposing of them improperly can cause the same kinds of environmental problems as disposing of unwanted lawn chemicals inappropriately.

If you have any surplus medication laying around your house, I urge you to take advantage of the DEA's Take-Back Initiative.

This Saturday, April 28th, 2012, from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to provide a venue for persons who want to dispose of expired, unwanted and unused over the counter or prescription drugs.

Americans that participated in the DEA’s third National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 29, 2011, turned in more than 377,086 pounds (188.5 tons) of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal (helping to keep those drugs out of the hands of our children and out of our waterways)

To find a location to turn in your unwanted medication, visit the DEA website and input your zip code.

And next time you feel a little stress starting to run you ragged, why not try a little Zen Gardening. It always works wonders for me!

Rain barrels help you work WITH Mother Nature

  One of the first suggestions that I make to people who want to start practicing “green”, eco-friendly gardening, is to learn to Work WITH Mother Nature, Not Against Her. What I generally mean when I say that is that one of the best ways to NOT harm the environment in and from your own landscape, is to get to know the piece of property you are working with, including such things as plant hardiness zone, areas of sun and shade, pH levels of the soil, and  plants which are native or invasive. Here is a post  that explains those ideas in more detail: Working With Mother Nature

But another way to Work With Mother Nature is to adapt our gardens and our gardening practices to work with Acts of Nature, which include times of drought, rain, wind and freezes.

The recent near-drought-to-heavy-rain which many of us experienced was a perfect example of how rain barrels are a great way to work with Mother Nature. Those who already have rain barrels installed at their homes now have a good supply of water saved up (depending on the number and size of barrels that they have) to help deal with the next drought.

My husband LOVES his rain barrels.  During our recent rains, he was outside in a raincoat checking on his rain barrels, making sure they were all working correctly, and filling up our very large assortment of watering cans to capture as much of that free water source as he could.

But hubby also knows that rain barrels play another important role in protecting the environment. By collecting runoff from rooftops, rain barrels can also prevent stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff is caused when heavy rains  run directly into streets and storm sewers, carrying it (and the pollutants it collects) directly to the local waterways.

Rain barrels require little maintenance and are a great way to save money and conserve water as a natural resource.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to get a rebate to help cover the purchase price of your rain barrel.  In DC, see the RiverSmart Homes site; In Montgomery County, see Rainscapes Rewards; in Gaithersburg, Rainscapes Rewards; Rockville – Rainscapes Rewards.

Rain barrels are fun and easy to build and there are lots of rain barrel workshops in the area:  Northern Virginia Rain Barrel Registration

You can build your own, without a workshop: Rain Barrel Assembly (pdf)

Or you can buy one, readymade: Local Rain Barrel Sources

Some of Mother Nature’s other Acts are a lot harder to deal with. Rain barrels help to make rain and drought some of the easier ones.

Helping Out the Dragonflies

Volunteer Opportunity with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Saturday, April 28 from 9 a.m. to Noon-“Helping Out the Dragonflies”

The best spot to see dragonflies and damselflies in central Maryland is Brown’s Bridge Recreation Area in the summer.  But they don’t need trash and invasive weed covering up their food sources.  So we need your help to tidy up their favorite spot.  Brown’s Bridge Recreation Area, 2220 Ednor Road, Silver Spring, MD

For more information, visit the WSSC website.

Fantastic Friday – Great Earth Day video to share

If a picture is worth a thousand words, than some of the great eco-friendly videos that are out there online are worth millions.
Here is a great one I found today from EPAGOV

Now is a good time to start your fertilizer diet

My poll question on the blog and our Facebook page this month is about fertilizer, specifically: What time of the year do you apply fertilizer to your lawn? After you take a few moment to add your answer to the poll, you can see what horticulture experts recommend by visiting our page, “10 Tips for a “Green”, Eco-Friendly Lawn”

Fertilizer is “in the news” in the area recently because of the Fertilizer Use Act of 2011 for Maryland, which limits the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus that may be contained in lawn fertilizer products and  also puts restrictions on how and when homeowners and lawn care professionals can apply these products.

Although the Maryland law will not officially go into effect until October 1, 2013, Maryland State Agriculture Secretary Buddy Vance is encouraging homeowners to start implementing these changes now.

"According to our state chemist here at the Maryland Department of Agriculture, about 44 percent of the fertilizer sold in the state of Maryland is applied to lawns - that's a pretty amazing factoid," Maryland Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance said during a press conference Monday. "Everybody assumes that agriculture is the biggest user, but lawns use almost as much fertilizer."

One of the main changes from the Fertilizer Use Act will be the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous that is contained in fertilizer.

Nitrogen and phosphorus are key ingredients in lawn fertilizer, but can be harmful if used in excess. When it rains, these nutrients can wash into local waterways and eventually into the Chesapeake Bay where they can fuel the growth of algae blooms and threaten underwater life.

Jon Traunfeld, director of the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center, suggests that homeowners get their soil tested to determine the exact fertilizer needs of their lawn and also suggested that homeowners use compost to supply these needs.

For More Information: Maryland’s Lawn Fertilizer Law
And here is a link to a similar fertilizer law for Virginia : Virginia’s Fertilizer Law
And here’s the link again to our post: 10 Tips for a “Green”, eco-friendly Lawn