Silent Spring, that’s what Rachel Carson titled her 1962 book that investigated the disappearance of neighborhood songbirds.  Her expose linking the use of chemical pesticides to the decline of wildlife species, spurred the environmental movement of the sixties.

    We often hear of environmental disasters caused by big companies.  But, many people do not think about how their own actions may contribute to the level of toxic chemicals in our environment.  It is important to realize that “we all live upstream” and chemicals we use may combine and become more concentrated and affect those that live further downstream. Many of our waterways, such as the Hood Canal, are extremely sensitive because of the slow rate at which the water is exchanged and ultimately diluted in larger bodies of water such as the Pacific Ocean.

    Gardeners use various types of chemicals in their yards. Pesticides include insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides, and slug baits.  Petroleum-based chemical fertilizers, although generally not as toxic as pesticides, can cause severe problems in lakes, rivers and bays, encouraging algal blooms and limiting the amount of oxygen for fish and other animals.

    The best way to avoid using pesticides is to grow plants that are not as susceptible to insect damage and disease.  I curse my apple trees because all I ever get are scabby, wormy apples.  On the other hand, I love my plum tree and blueberry bushes.  They produce bountiful crops with little care!  If you grow troublesome species such as apples or roses, try to select varieties that are disease resistant.  If a plant becomes too much of a problem it is better to be ruthless with the plant and replace it with something else than to spend the time and money on chemicals to kill its pests.

    Make sure you diagnose plant problems correctly.  Don’t be in a rush to spray at the first sign of a “bug” or a little nibbling.  Try to tolerate a little damage.  The problem may take care of itself naturally.  Be able to recognize beneficial organisms such a ladybug larva.

    Baits are preferable to spraying because they limit exposure to nontarget organisms.  If you decide to spray, use the least toxic alternative.  Read the Label!  Chemicals labeled Danger are highly toxic, Warning means moderately toxic, and Caution means mildly toxic.  These warnings, however, will not tell you if it is carcinogenic or mutagenic, only how many lab animals it killed in testing.  Only buy the amount you need, following the recommended application rates, at the proper time– no matter how desperate you are to eradicate the pest!  Avoid “double-duty” products such as “weed & feeds.” Also, just because a product is from a natural source does not mean it is safe, although it may be less persistent in the environment.

    I rarely use any chemicals in my yard any more.  My resident garter snake population takes care of most of my slugs.  In my gardens, I use only Tagro, compost, and organic fertilizers.  The use of slow-release chemical fertilizers is limited to my container plants.  I do, however, spray my foundation when necessary to discourage Carpenter Ants from eating my house.  Weeds present the biggest challenge to avoiding chemical use.  Planting groundcovers and mulching discourage some but there are always plenty of weeds that need to be pulled! 

    Reducing chemical use in the garden requires tolerance of some other organisms—such as insects and weeds.  Maybe, eventually, you can convince your neighbor that, to save our planet, it’s not so important to have a perfect, weed-free lawn!

(This article was first published in the Peninsula Gateway on Apr 15, 2009 as Is there Chemical Warfare in your yard?”

     Buying plants on impulse or over-ordering seeds is hard to resist for an avid gardener.  You should have a location in mind before purchasing and make sure the soil is prepared in the selected location before planting. It is much easier to start with a good soil than trying to amend it after planting!

    Most trees and shrubs require little preparation as long as the soil is well drained and topsoil hasn’t been removed due to construction activities.   If you have a drainage problem, you may create a berm (a hill) to raise the soil level or select plants tolerant of “wet-feet.”  Evergreen shrubs such as rhododendrons and heathers need organic matter incorporated into the garden bed prior to planting.

    Use soil that was dug out of the hole for backfilling.  Nicer soil placed in the hole discourages the plant’s roots from growing into surrounding soil and may cause problems in water movement.  Top-dress with fertilizer and mulch after planting.  Don’t forget to water!

    Herbaceous flowers, herbs and vegetables are fussier.  You need soil with a proper balance of moisture retention and drainage as well as the ability to hold nutrients.  Sandy soils drain too quickly and will not retain nutrients.  Clay particles are good at holding nutrients but a clay soil won’t drain.  Loam, with a mixture of particle sizes, is ideal.   Moisture and nutrient retention is also improved by the addition of organic matter. One example is coconut fiber (coir); it is the “green” alternative to peat (which is mined out of ancient bogs).

    It is often difficult to be sure that soil you buy will be of good quality.  Soil companies sell soil as 3-way or 5-way mixes, however there is no standard as to what goes into these mixes.  Usually they contain loam, compost, peat, sand, bark, and/or sawdust, (sometimes weed seeds!).  Before ordering, visit the company to see samples.  Bagged soil also varies in quality; I always look for broken bags so I can inspect the actual soil before I purchase a bag as well as read the label to determine the actual soil constituents.

    Table 1 shows examples of various potting soil recipes.  Many growers use two or three different recipes; one for nursery stock (woody plants), another for growing bedding plants (herbaceous flowers, herbs, vegetables, and house plants), and perhaps a third for germinating seeds.  I purposely omit the chemical fertilizers in an attempt to encourage the use of fertilizers from natural sources.

    I usually mix my own soil.  Even if I buy it, I amend it with my own worm compost, biosolid products from local waste treatment plants, other “organic” fertilizers and sometimes perlite.  Tagro is produced by the Portland Avenue sewage treatment plant in Tacoma.  Made from biosolids, sawdust and sand, it is free if you shovel your own.  For a minimal cost you can have it dumped into a truck or trailer, or have it delivered.  I believe it is the highest and best use of this material–and it grows big beautiful plants!  Often I will simply mix Tagro and fine bark mulch in my raised garden beds. You can also purchase premixed potting soil.

    It is a good idea to test your soil, especially for pH—we usually have acid soils. Test kits list recommended pH ranges for various crops and will tell you how to calculate the amount of amendments, such as lime, that should be added to your bed.

   “Soundgro” is a granular fertilizer produced by Pierce County’s Chamber’s Creek treatment plant—I use this for nitrogen when I don’t use Tagro.   I have used rock phosphate for Phosphorus, greensand for potassium (K) and kelp meal for micronutrients.  Follow recommended application rates– more is not always better! Cedar Grove Compost is also a good product made from recycled yard waste in the greater Seattle area. Look for other recycled waste materials in your area. These soil amendments are usually a cheap alternative to chemical fertilizers.

    When you start with a good, nutrient-rich soil, it is easier to grow healthy vegetables, flowers and landscapes!

(This article was first published in the Peninsula Gateway on Jan. 20, 2010)