Mosquito fogging in neighborhoods initially seems like a way to make gardening more enjoyable with less of these pests. However, fogging chemicals will drift in the air onto plants indiscriminately killing any insect that comes in contact. Pesticides commonly disrupt the nervous systems of insects so they can no longer fly or will suffocate them by clogging up their respiratory system. Pollinators are just as susceptible to pesticides as mosquitoes. Bees can pick up chemicals on their feet from walking on a plant and bring these poisons back to their hive, poisoning the entire colony. Fogging is often a decision made by a local municipality, so it is easy to contact the administrator and make our concerns heard.
If a lawn company comes to take care of the lawn it is necessary to ask what fertilizers and chemicals they plan to use on the lawn, why each chemical needs to be applied, and if it is necessary. Do some research on whether those chemicals are safe and organic. Zero chemical, zero fertilizer lawns are the safest option for pollinators, ground water, and pets.
When neighbors are spraying herbicides, pesticides, or applying any chemical to their yard it might have negative impacts on our gardens. Pollinators don’t know to stay within the borders of our garden and may become poisoned after straying over a fence. With aerial sprays, chemical drift from wind can bring poisons across borders. Water will also bring pollutants into the garden from any property upstream and all the oil and pollutants off road surfaces. We may need to educate or bargain with our neighbors to keep chemicals out of our yards.
Salt is another common soil and water pollutant coming in from the driveway, or sidewalk. Many native plants are intolerant of salt and will slowly fade away or immediately yellow and die before spring. Salt levels build up in soil over time and are slowly leached into the ground water, contaminating a bigger and bigger area of the yard. Try to use alternatives to salt on paths and divert water from running off salted streets into the yard. Encourage the local authorities to use less road salt in winter and to explore alternatives to salt.
Soil testing is a great idea when starting in a new space. Who know what the previous property owner did. Overuse of fertilizers, leaching limestone gravel, and heavy metals can all be left in soil and may need to be worked around. If certain spots in the garden just don’t seem to grow, soil testing might reveal the answer.
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