Homeowner's across Northeast Ohio love to work in their yards and gardens. Many of us may not realize that the widely advertised products we use to fertilize or treat for insects and weeds have consequences that reach beyond our yards.Traditional chemical fertilizers can run off or leach into ground water causing pollution in streams, rivers and creeks which all end up in Lake Erie. Water quality is a big issue given the fact that northeast Ohioans live near 20% of the world's fresh water supply. Fortunately there are organic products and practices for your lawn and landscape. For instance look for organic lawn fertilizers that contain natural weed control made from corn. This and other organic fertilizers are not water soluble like their chemical counterparts and therefore don't cause pollution. Natural weed killers made from vinegar and clove oil can replace traditional herbicides that have shown have links to increased cancer rates in dogs and non-Hodgkins-lymphoma in people.
Even something as common as garlic can act as a natural deer and insect repellent without exposing anyone to any harmful chemicals. Compost tea made from water and a good quality compost can be made into a spray for your plants that will help control diseases and insects. So the next time you reach for a chemical fertilizer or pesticide ask yourself is there a better alternative or is it really necessary.
Recap from our February guest speaker, Dan Norris, available speaker to local groups interested in organics
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