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Over fertilizing in general is not healthy for your lawn plus much of the fertilizer is washed away by over watering. After considering less-toxic alternatives, when fertilization is needed, follow the same guidelines for purchasing fertilizers as for pesticides.
For more information on pest control, gardening, and composting contact the University of California Cooperative Extension at http://ucanr.org/ce.cfm.
Did you know that about 25% of your trash is compostable? Lawn clippings, shrub and tree trimming, leaves, and food (except for dairy products, meats, and grease) are organic health food just waiting to be returned to the soil. So instead of sending your green waste and food to the landfill and end its usefulness, recycle the natural way, by COMPOSTING!
There are several ways to begin. You may purchase a composting bin, make your own, or designate an open area in your yard for a compost pile. A food scrap container located in the kitchen should be small enough to empty often to avoid unnecessary odors. Now the fun begins!
Compost needs four essential ingredients:
Nitrogen: Any green organics such as houseplant or flower trimmings, lawn clippings (if you aren't grasscycling), contain nitrogren. All vegetable and fruit scraps are also in the nitrogen group.
Carbon: Brown (dry) grass and leaves, paper and cardboard (shredded or in small pieces), plus bread and grains.
Oxygen: The bin or pile must be turned occasionally to allow air to circulate through the mixture.
Water: Keep your compost mixture moist but not dripping wet.
Mix: Apply equal amounts of browns and greens, water to keep moist, and turn occasionally. Make sure to avoid food items that contain grease and oils, any meat or dairy products, and fish to avoid odors and rodents. Throw in a few red worms to hasten the composting process along! Those red wigglers love the warm environment, multiply quickly, make wonderful compost, and provide great bait for fishing!
After about 2-4 months, a rich, dark soil will replace the garden and food scraps. Congratulations! With a little effort and lots of organics, you have made your own compost AND reduced your trash by approximately 25 percent!
For more information on composting, check out these Web sites:
The purpose of the Landscape Management Outreach Program (LMOP) is to diminish green waste generation and disposal in local waste sheds, assist local jurisdictions’ efforts to comply with mandated diversion requirements, and promote the use of recycled organic products in urban landscapes.
Created in 1999, San Joaquin County Department of Public Works partnered with the Cities of Escalon, Lathrop, Lodi, Manteca, Ripon, Stockton, and Tracy to form the Delta Landscape Management Outreach Program (DLMOP).
Purpose
The DLMOP aims to:
Diminish the generation of green waste in landscaping
Reduce disposal of green waste in local landfills and watersheds
Assist local jurisdictions in establishing green waste management programs
Promote the use of recycled organic products in urban landscapes
Largely through offering workshops and hands-on demonstrations to public agencies, institutions, and large commercial properties, the DLMOP hopes to encourage landscape architects, planners, landscape contractors, and other private sector partners to reduce, reuse, or recycle urban-derived organic materials (green waste). Some ways to achieve the reduction of green waste include waste-efficient Landscape Management Practices such as:
Controlled irrigation
Precise fertilization
Grasscycling
Selective pruning
On-site composting and mulching
Proper organic materials application
Environmentally beneficial designs
Delta LMOP Goals
The BUGS Program is a pesticide reduction program to be used by the San Joaquin County home gardener. BUGS also has fact sheets for residents interested in learning more about less-toxic alternatives to pesticides and herbicides used to control garden pests and diseases.
What you will find inside our BUGS book:
Contact San Joaquin County Public Works Department, Solid Waste Division at (209) 468-3066 for your FREE copy!
A great Website to visit is the US Environmental Protection Agency's GreenScapes: Environmentally Beneficial Landscaping at http://www.epa.gov/greenscapes
San Joaquin County has joined several other counties, Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) stores, and other establishments in offering education on less-toxic pesticides and other yard and garden applications. Our Water Our World encourages Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices for all residents of San Joaquin County. Not sure what IPM means?
IPM practices offer several sensible solutions. Many of these methods take a little longer to work than the more toxic chemicals that we are accustomed to using. Be patient! Also, IPM does not mean "no pesticides." Check out the following methods and try one, or a combination, for your garden's needs!
Monitoring: Monitor the pest populations in your garden.
Biological: Introduce beneficial organisms such as ladybugs, lace wings, and praying mantis. (Did you know that one lacewing larva can eat 60 aphids in an hour?)
Cultural: Choose the correct type of plant for each specific planting, use disease resistant varieties whenever possible, and plan a sensible fertilizing program.
Physical: Try copper barriers for snails; caulking to fill in cracks where ants can enter your home; sticky barriers for whiteflies; and traps for yellow jackets.
Chemical: If none of the above remedies
work, try chemicals; however, be sure to start with the least-toxic one first.
(See Pesticides and Fertilizers below.)
Pesticides are designed to kill or repel unwanted pests, but may also harm beneficial insects, birds, reptiles, pets, and people. Fertilizers can also be toxic to pets and people. Both pesticides and fertilizers wash off lawns and gardens, ending up in our rivers, Delta, oceans, and possibly our water supply. Before buying any toxic product, read the label! Better yet, look for a less-toxic alternative!
There are times when you may need to use a chemical to control a pest in your home, garden, or on your pet. If you do:
San Joaquin County Department of Public
Works
Solid Waste Division
Last updated 12/03/2007
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