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Gardening is one area in which we can utilize a lot of toxins to keep plants growing well. We spray insecticides to keep away pests, and herbicides to reduce weeds. Fertilizers that can go on to contaminate ground water are another pollutant commonly used.
Luckily, there are many readily available nontoxic alternatives. Not only are these “greener” alternatives, also you’ll not kill desired plants or insects such as butterflies and ladybugs, or contribute more pollutants to our streams, rivers, or lakes!
Pesticides
To cut back on pests nontoxically, check out the following two charts.
Herbicides
Herbicides can be eliminated from your gardening routine if you employee the following:
• Apply mulch to keep down weeds.
• Kill weeds early with a hula hoe.
Solarize your soil. In the warm season, cover soil with a plastic mulch to overheat and kill weeds. In colder weather, plastic mulch will encourage weed growth; when weeds sprout, uncover to expose them to the harsh winter weather, which will spell their demise.
• Pull them out by hand. The time-honored tradition of pulling weeds always does the job!
• Live with a few weeds.
Fertilizers
Manure, vermicompost, compost, and other natural soil amenders are readily available and/or easy to make alternatives to chemical fertilizers. |
