Friday, February 22, 2013

Safer Fertilizer and Pesticide Options for your Lawn - Home - Gardening

The application of fertilizers and pesticide on your garden and lawn goes a long way, but overdoing it can be dangerous not only to your plants but more importantly, to your health.

The chemical agents called pesticides include herbicides (for weed control), insecticides, and fungicides. More than half the pesticides used in the United States are herbicides that control weeds. Most of this number includes the ones we use on our lawns. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates indicate that 86% of U.S. agricultural land areas are treated with herbicides, 18% with insecticides, and 3% with fungicides.

On the other hand, fertilizers are natural or synthetic chemical substance or mixture used to enrich soil so as to promote plant growth. Virgin soil usually contains enough amounts of all the elements required for proper plant nutrition. However, when a particular crop or plant is grown on the same parcel of land year after year, the land may become exhausted of one or more specific nutrients. If such exhaustion occurs, nutrients in the form of fertilizers must be added to the soil. Plants can also be made to grow more lushly with suitable fertilizers.

Knowing which type of fertilizer and pesticide to use on your lawn, trees, and shrubs is one of the keys to keeping things safe around your home and community. Organic and liquid fertilizers are usually the best options when it comes to safe and natural means of growing your lawn and garden.

Liquid organic fertilizers are water insoluble which means that liquid organic fertilizers will not be washed away even if you water your lawn, trees and shrubs every day. Some fertilizers like pellet fertilizers are easily being carried away from the plant should you keep on watering your lawn almost every day. Liquid fertilizers on the other hand are being absorbed by the soil quickly due to its water-like consistency, thus making your plants healthier and greener.

Liquid fertilizers are also good pesticides. Using liquid fertilizers will help you knock them down organically. A lot of pesticides contain harsh and very concentrated chemicals that can burn or makes your lawn dry and unhealthy. By using liquid organic fertilizers, you are not only providing essential nutrients but you are also protecting them from harmful pest infestations.

Water pollution is one of the worst side effects of excessive fertilizer and pesticide usage. Toxic chemicals like nitrate and salts can get washed away into sewage and water systems during rainfall. This can become dangerous for your community's water supply. Nitrate (formed when nitrogen leaches from fertilizers and manure) is potentially toxic to both animals and humans when it enters drinking water sources. Fertilizer in ponds and lakes can stimulate the excess growth of algae, which consumes oxygen in the water, thereby suffocating fish and plants.

Horticultural experts are now looking for safer fertilizer and pesticide options to apply to lawns and to put on gardens, trees, and shrubs. Commercial and residential lawn care specialists I Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco are also looking into using more environmental-friendly chemicals to grow and protect plants.

Try Southern Lawn Care. They serve the areas around Hillsborough and Pasco.

Southern Care Lawns, IncBarbara HolleyPO Box 57Tarpon Springs, FL 34688Phone: (727) 934-3227Fax: (727) 849-2711Email: :





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