Do you know these ten reasons to ditch your lawn and garden chemicals?
(Provided by the Northeast Organic Farmers Association (NOFA), as adapted from a fact-sheet by the Organic Landscape Alliance, Toronto, Canada.)
- Chemical pesticides and fertilizers contaminate surface and groundwater
- Chemical pesticides threaten the health of children
- Chemical pesticides threaten the health of outdoor pets
- Chemical pesticides threaten the health of local wildlife
- Chemical pesticides and fertilizers reduce the activity of beneficial organisms
- Local wildlife need safe places to live
- Chemical fertilizers are a waste of money
- Chemical pesticides have the potential to cause damage throughout their lifecycles
- Chemicals actually degrade the over-all long-term health of your lawn and garden
- Lawn chemicals are unnecessary
Read the long, referenced version on NOFA’s website.
Get started:
- Have your soil tested and request organic recommendations. Where? – Cornell Cooperative Extension Service, Ithaca, NY, 607-255-4540
- Switch to organic fertilizers, ask your garden shop for information on how to use them.
- Topdress your planting beds with a 2” layer of organic compost; work it into the top 6” of soil.
- Pick off garden pests when they appear; use an organic pesticide for large infestations.
- Rotate the placement of vegetables from year to year, to avoid build-up of pathogens in the soil.
- Use a landscaping service that follows organic methods. Search the NOFA’s list of organic land care professionals.
Get all the details:
The Suffolk County Water Authority has information on reducing water usage and sustainable lawn care.
See our page on Gardening in the Special Natural Area District for more resources.
