The chemical challenge

My wife once made the comment, "well we grow an organic garden...right?"

I pointed at the water in the canal and said, "as organic as the chemicals in that water."

We are all wary of the wand spraying chemical truck in the neighborhood, but what about the household cleaning chemicals going down the drain? What about the oil, grease and gasoline on the roads running into the drains and into our water supply?

Trying to avoid chemical exposure is virtually impossible. So what do we do?

Filtering water is very important. I actually filter the water coming into my Garden Kart to insure I'm starting with something clean to begin with.

I also avoid many household cleaners that have worse warning labels than common pesticides.

It's important to think of the source of where everything is coming from when avoiding chemicals.

Contolling Spring Weeds

Weeds seem to be epidemic in the spring. Keeping weeds down around trees is a concern I always have in that often DIY and Commercial people are spraying liberally around the root base of a tree.

Trees natural weed defense is organic matter of last years leaf drop decomposing around the roots. This is what I use in that it is organic and healthy for the tree. However many people prefer the area around the trees to be bare or have grass up to the tree base. If you will not use the natural method, please do not use 24-d products or Roundup type products with "extended control" in that it has a sterilant that will harm your trees.

Caseron is one of the "pre-emergent" that can be used around trees in a healthier way in that it uses a gas that does not effect the roots of the tree however it is a chemical and be very conscious of it's label when applying to keep yourself healthy from chemicals.

Are you using chemicals this spring?

Here come the weeds...so does the weed killer - kill us?

If a professional was spraying that weed they would have rubber gloves, long sleeve heavy protective shirt and safety glasses. Not allowed to spray with any wind and not allowed to spray if it was so hot the chemical could volatize...what and how are you spraying?