Archived LHEI Article

HERBICIDES ARE DEADLY AND NOT JUST TO PLANT LIFE!

SANDRA L. LAWSON, MASTER GARDENER

FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE LONGMEADOW HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE

March, 2003

In response to the Longmeadow News article [2/20/03] entitled, “Herbicides” published in the Green Space column and written by Duane Campbell, I caution every resident of Longmeadow to think deliberately before jumping for the lawn and garden chemicals that Mr. Campbell cited so cavalierly.

Herbicides, along with insecticides, repellents, pre-emergents, fungicides, rodenticides, algaecides, and antimicrobials are all pesticides; these chemicals are designed to kill certain pests. However, in addition to the intended pest, these chemicals also kill many other living, beneficial organisms that the lawn or garden requires for healthy soil and vegetation.

In today’s chemical marketplace, we are at risk of exposure from more then 85,000 synthetic chemicals. Many of these are pesticides, most of which did not exist in 1950. Fewer than half of these compounds have been tested. Even fewer have been tested on human beings, least of all on children.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], pesticide  usage today is associated with acute and chronic disease, and deficits in fetal, neonatal, and childhood development. Some of the defined deficits and diseases associated with chemical exposures include:

birth defects        learning disorders       respiratory illness          brain cancers

leukemia              Parkinson’s               brain damage                non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

hyperactivity        ADD symptoms         low sperm count           testicular and breast cancers

male infertility    hormonal activity          immune system problems.        

Especially vulnerable to pesticide exposures are fetal, infant, and child development. This vulnerability is incurred from the rapid development of their tiny organs; from the greater intake of food, air and water per pound of body weight by children than by adults; by the decreased ability of young children to metabolize and excrete toxic substances; and because of the frequency of hand-to-mouth activity demonstrated by young children who also spend considerable time on the floor where toxic substances accumulate in their homes.

If you have home and garden pests, the #1 strategy to be rid of them is prevention! Preventative methods offer the cheapest, easiest, and safest methods to avoid infestations of any kind.

Let’s look at Longmeadow’s luscious lawns as an example. To make them pest-resistant:

1.     Test and amend the soil so it is healthy with appropriate pH, nutrients, and texture.A soil test will define the deficits of your lawn and the amounts of products require to amend it.

2.     Choose a type of grass suitable to our climate and to the amount of sun exposure it will receive.

3.     Mow the grass high [2.5”-3.5”] and often with sharpened blades on the mower. When the grass is cut, it suffers from shock briefly; the duller the rotor’s blade, the more stress the grass will experience. Plants of all kinds become more susceptible to disease and pests when stressed. Also, mulch those grass clippings to fertilize your lawn organically.

4.     Water the grass deeply but only when it begins to wilt from dryness. Light watering stimulates shallow root development which is unhealthy for all vegetation..

5.     Correct thatch build-up. Actually, the overuse of synthetic fertilizers can create heavy layers of thatch in your lawn. Mulched grass clippings do not contribute to thatch build-up.

6.     Set realistic pest and weed control goals.  Not every weed seed must be killed; not every blade of grass should be of the same type of grass. Remember, when you use chemicals to control pests, you also kill the worms and beneficial insects that keep that particular pest under control.

No amount or combination of pesticides will provide these qualities to your lawn ever!

Once these conditions are satisfied, the most effective strategy to control pests in your garden or grass is Integrated Pest Management [IPM]. This ecologically sound method suppresses and eliminates pest populations by the most economical means and with the least hazard to people, property and the environment. In Part II of this article, IPM will be discussed thoroughly.

                                    Part II: INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT

Last week, prevention of lawn and garden pests was presented. We defined soil with appropriate pH, nutrients, and texture as the key to preventing pests and to assuring healthy lawns and gardens. Sometimes, despite perfect soil and healthy plants, pests do occur. When they do, remember: we do not have to bring out the heavy armaments when pulling the weed will suffice!

To decide the most sensible course of action to treat this pest, Integrated Pest Management or IPM is recommended. There are five IPM methods; they begin with the least toxic and advance to the most toxic remedies. For the home gardener, with rare exception, the most toxic methods have no appropriate place as these chemicals are intended for agribusiness.

IPM Method #1: CULTURAL CONTROLS

·        Select disease and insect resistant plant materials;

·        Till compacted soil so plant roots can grow deeply and are not stressed;

·        Use an organic mulch to prevent weeds, side dress plants, and conserve water;

·        Correctly space plants for adequate air circulation and to accommodate future growth;

·        Water properly to minimize the amount of time that foliage is wet: wet foliage is prone to mildew and other pests;

·        Use the most effective growing strategies for that plant: for example, a staked, dwarf apple tree will be healthier and more prolific than a free standing, unpruned apple tree;

·        Plant compatible plants: never plant a cedar next to an apple tree;

·        Plant companion plants: blueberry bushes require a female and a male plant to produce berries;

·        Practice healthy sanitation: remove plant refuse and diseased parts immediately;

sterilize tools before making cuttings with a solution 1 part bleach: 9 parts water;

·        Rotate crops: planting potatoes in the same site year after year guarantees potato beetle;

·        Comply with planting time guidelines: plant too early and the seeds may not germinate due to coldness; plant too late and the heat may be too intense for young seedlings;

·        Have your soil tested and amended according to test results; not more and not less;

·        Provide adequate nutrition with compost and mulches annually;

·        Locate plant material in appropriate sites: Rhododendron planted in the sun will attract mites that love heat and dryness;

·        Visually monitor your plantings weekly: can detect a pest in a young stage of development and when its numbers are fewer.

IPM Method #2:MECHANICAL CONTROLS

Hand pick pests and destroy;

Utilize row covers, bird barriers like plastic owls and tin foil plates, fly swatters;

Purchase or make insect traps.

IPM Method #3: BIO-RATIONAL PESTICIDES

These are biologically and chemically based  products that are pest-selective, decompose readily, are safer to handle, and tend to preserve beneficial organisms. They include:

·        Insect growth regulators;

·        Bacillus thuringiensis [B.t.];

·        Beneficial insects, nematodes, and competitors;

·        Insecticidal soap;

·        Horticultural spray oil;

·        NEEM.

These products must be used cautiously as there are associated dangers with them.

IPM Method #4: NON-SYNTHETIC PESTICIDES

These products are derived from plants and other organic matter. They, too, come with risks. Always read labels thoroughly and follow directions exactly to protect yourself and your resources.

·        Pyrithum;

·        Rotenone;

·        Ryania;

·        Sabadella.

IPM Method #5: SYNTHETIC PESTICIDES

These products are human made, largely untested on humans, and have profound effects on plants, animals, humans, and on our environment. Wear protective clothing, use exactly as directed, and dispose of containers and leftovers appropriately. These products kill and damage more than just the pest for which they are recommended.

·        Commercially produced, non-organic chemicals.

·        Liquid and granular lawn fertilizers;

·        Chemical pesticides.

In summary, always aim to prevent the pest problem first. Should this not work, treat the situation with cultural controls. If the problem persists, advance along the IPM methods but seek assistance before implementing the most dangerous strategies. The Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association provides answers and suggestions for all your garden / pest problems free of charge. Call our Garden Hotline at 413-298-5355 or go to our website to submit your question at www.WMassMasterGardeners.org. Also, we will have a booth at the Longmeadowe Days celebration on May 17 & 18, and are at the Tuesday Farmers’ Market at the X from May through October. Bring a soil sample, a diseased leaf, or a question. Additional resources available to you without charge are listed below.

We must ask ourselves seriously, what costs to our own health, that of our children and our community, and that of our physical world are we willing to pay for the uninformed and/or flagrant proliferation of everyday pesticide usage. Today, all our rivers are contaminated with chemical run-off; all our children are at risk, and all of us are responsible.

RESOURCE TOPICS AND WEBSITES:

Longmeadow Health and Environment Initiative: www.lhei.org

Center For Disease Control And Prevention, “Chemical Exposure Report”@

www.cdc.gov/exposurereport

Citizens Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety: www.state.ma.us/dfa/pesticides

Pesticides In Your Home: www.epa.gov/region1

Measure your own “Body Burden” of environmental toxins: www.ewg.org

Everyday Exposures: www.healthytomorrow.org

Home composting: www.mastercomposter.com and www.state.ma.us/dep

List of organic landscapers: www.massorganic.org

Safer alternatives to pesticides: www.pesticide.org/factsheets.html

Organic lawn care: www.ci.wellesley.ma.us/nrc/pesticide

Western Mass. Master Gardeners’ Association’s IPM policy:

www.wmassmastergardners.org

IPM Resources: www.IPMnet.org:8140/DIR/

Biological controls: www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol