Using Fertilizers and Pesticides

Fertilizers
Test your soil before applying fertilizers. Over-fertilization is a common problem, and excess fertilizer can wash off landscapes or leach into groundwater and contaminate water supplies.

Fertilizing Before or During a Rain Is a Waste of Your Time and Money
Do not apply pesticides or fertilizers before or during rain when they are more likely to be washed into your local waterways. Watch weather forecasts to avoid summer thundershowers.

Test Your Soil Before Applying Fertilizer
Lawn fertilization can be a source of nutrient pollution, especially when lawns are fertilized in excess of plant needs. Test your soil and, if you must, add only the nutrients that are missing.

Choose Fertilizers Carefully
In recent tests, organic fertilizers out-performed synthetic fertilizers. Grass treated with organic fertilizer was denser and more attractive, and fewer nutrients traveled to our surface and groundwater. Also be aware that many products that claim to be “slow-release fertilizers” contain only 5-10% slow-release nitrogen.

Use Pesticides as a Last Resort
Many pest problems are minor or temporary, and do not require control efforts. There are more “good bugs” (pollinating plants and/or attacking harmful pests) than “bad bugs” in the yard. Most pesticides kill all the bugs indiscriminately, upsetting the natural balance of the garden.

“Weeds and Feeds” Cause More Harm than Good
Combined “Weed and Feed” type fertilizers encourage plant growth while blanketing the entire lawn with an herbicide to kill weeds, wich may only be present in specific areas. By combining herbicide with fertilizers, one of the products is wasted. Pulling or spot treating weeds is preferable and will protect ajacent vegetation including trees from injury.