Is the grass greener on the other side?

Remember that your lawn will be just as green without using pesticides. The Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES) has tips and advice on how you can have a naturally beautiful lawn.

“The key to a healthy lawn is healthy soil,” explains Allyson Brady, SES Executive Director. “Allow your lawn to naturally fight off pests by ensuring that you have at least 15cm of topsoil.”

You can make your own organic top-dressing by using equal parts aged manure, compost (or peat moss), and weed-free topsoil. This will act as a natural fertilizer, ensuring that your lawn has the nutrients it needs to thrive.

Remember to over-seed your grass.  Grass plants, like all living things, eventually die so it is important to re-seed. Sprinkle grass seed by hand over the top dressing you have just applied. Use 500g of seed for every 20 square meters.

On May 6, SES and the City of Saskatoon started a ten-week information campaign to raise awareness about reducing the use of cosmetic pesticides.

For more information on how you can have a naturally beautiful lawn, visit the www.bepesticidefree.ca and click on the natural yard care factsheets.

Happy Earth Day Canada!

Pesticides and your Pet's Health

Tis the season! It is spring! What does this mean?? We will spend more and more time in our backyards, flower beds and gardens. Let's think how we can limit the amount of chemicals we use on our lawns and gardens. This week, in honour of EARTH DAY, we would like to look at pesticides and how they affect your pet's health.

What is a Pesticide?

A pesticide is any chemical substance that is designed to kill a living thing that is considered a pest. Pesticides refer to insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and rodenticides.

What are the Health Effects of Pesticides?

Cancer is by far the most rising concern involving pesticides and pets. Recent studies have shown that dogs living in yards that have been treated with pesticides (particularly 2,4-D) have a higher risk of developing canine malignant lymphoma. In certain breeds, such as the Scottish terrier, the risk of certain cancers can rise by as much as 4 times1.

How Do They Affect My Pet?

Whether you’re using a pesticide indoors (eg. raid) or outdoors (eg. roundup), whether you’re spot treating or using a widespread application, your pet is at risk to contact the pesticide. Where a pesticide is applied, the area up to 15 meters in all directions is generally considered contaminated as well. Even small scale applications can contaminate a large area, increasing the likelihood of your pet being affected. By walking on a lawn recently treated with pesticides, a pet can become contaminated. Non-target species, such as birds can also spread the pesticides to your pets. Watch for signs and notices indicating recently treated areas.

Pesticides and Poisoning

It is only logical that pets are at a higher risk from the use of pesticides. Pets, like children, are lower to the ground and they spend a lot of time in contact with areas that may be contaminated. Many things also go into their mouths after being in contact with a contaminated surface. Self-grooming, and playing with toys also increases exposure.

Pets are inquisitive and playful by nature – by simply playing in a yard, park or body of water that has been treated with a pesticide, your pet will be at risk of exposure. Acute symptoms of exposure to pesticides can include strange behaviour, stumbling, excess salivating, vomiting and seizure. Long-term effects can range from liver and kidney damage to neurological damage.

Remember:

Keep your pets off recently treated lawns!

If you do use pesticides, keep your pet off of the treated area for the recommended amount of time.

Applying pesticides in your yard increases their presence in your home.

Pets are at a higher risk of contamination because they are closer to the ground and very likely to lick or chew things, such as toys, that are contaminated.

What Can I Do to Protect My Pet?

Consider not using pesticides in your yard. Cosmetic pesticide use is not necessary and is causing health issues in people and in pets. There are alternatives to using pesticides.

Provincial and municipal pesticide by-laws exist across Canada and are by far the best protection against pesticides.

 

 

 

Needing tips on creating the garden of your dreams! Register online at ReginaLibrary.ca for the session of your choice!

http://www.reginalibrary.ca/pdf/spring_garden.pdf

Earth Day is coming up folks!!!

Earth Day is an annual day on which events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Earth Day is observed on April 22 each year. The April 22 date was designated as International Mother Earth Day by a consensus resolution adopted by the United Nations in 2009.
Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network,  and is celebrated in more than 192 countries every year.

 



 

The Value of Taking Stock

In our fast-paced world, it’s often easy to put off the time to reflect on the year’s successes and failures as we plow ahead into the holiday season. But now is a great time, while memories are still fresh, to look back at the gardening year and see what worked and what can be changed.

In my own garden, we had a bountiful crop of tomatillos, tomatoes, leeks and cucumbers. The squash patch, unfortunately, was decimated by wet spring weather and hordes of slugs. Next year, I will start my squash plants indoors and transplant them, to get a jump on the season if it’s wet again, and I’ll diligently patrol the patch for slugs, at least until the plants are established.

Our summer was hot and dry so many of the fungal diseases we normally get didn’t appear until much later in the fall, when most of the harvest was already in. We did, however, get many visitations by imported cabbageworm butterfly whose caterpillars gobbled up my young cabbage, kale, and bok choi seedlings. A note to self: place the floating row cover over the nursery area as well as in the garden, to prevent damage from happening in the first place.

One nice habit that I put in place this year was using an Excel spreadsheet to note the dates I planted and transplanted my seeds and seedlings. I was then able to note when the first harvest came in as well as any other comments such as “seed ran out!!”

I’m already receiving requests from seed companies to start putting orders in for 2013 so having these records on hand is very helpful. If you’re like me, I often have stashes of seed all around so now is the time to amalgamate, take note of what’s missing, and then plan for the next season without doubling up on seed that’s already on hand. Most seed lasts for 3-5 years so it’s not necessary to buy new every year.

One nice thing that I like to do at this time of the year is visit farmer’s markets and see what kind of produce is still around. If you like a particular squash, the person who grew it is right behind the table and you can ask them what variety it is. Most farmers are very forthcoming. They know that although most gardeners like to grow as much as they can, there’s a limit to what can be grown in an urban setting and they’ll continue to be able to sell produce.

So, as the days shorten, and wonderful stews are bubbling on the stovetop, take a moment to reflect and take stock of the year. I love the winter for re-charging my inner batteries. By the time February comes around, I’m itching to start planting and the season starts again.