Spring has sprung and many Alabamians are heading for their gardens, ready to plant and prune their way to those beautiful May flowers.But just as sure as there will be dirt and sunshine to make those gardens grow, gardeners are bound to encounter plenty of pests attacking the fruits of their labors. To combat them, most gardeners will arm themselves with pesticides.
While they are essential to healthy gardens, pesticides should be used carefully, says Dr. Wheeler Foshee, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System specialist in pesticide education.
Foshee recommends several tips for handling pesticides safely. For starters, he says, buy only what you need.
“Be a smart shopper and buy only as much pesticide as you need to do the job,” he says. “Identify the pest to be controlled and match a pesticide product to it. Make sure you don’t target beneficial pests. Target pests are listed on the product’s label. Calculate the amount of pesticide you’ll need before you purchase the product, then apply only the recommended amount. Don’t use more than is recommended.”
Foshee says gardeners should be careful when mixing liquid pesticides.
“Always read the label before you begin to measure it,” he says. “Make sure to put on appropriate safety equipment, such as eye protection, rubber gloves, a long-sleeved shirt and pants, before opening the container. Again, measure only the proper amount required – do not overuse.”
Foshee says to fill a sprayer with two-thirds the amount of water needed, then add the measured pesticide product.
“Rinse the measuring container, and pour the rinse water into the sprayer,” he says. “Fill the sprayer with the required amount of water, and spray on the target plant or site.”
Make sure you apply the spray or granules only to the target plant or site, being careful not to apply it to driveways, sidewalks or other hard surfaces, Foshee says.
“If the label says the product has to be watered in, apply only enough water to move the pesticide into the ground,” he says. “Stop watering when puddling occurs. Avoid pesticide runoff away from the target site; it can enter our groundwater and waterways. Don’t apply pesticides if rainfall is expected within six to eight hours.”
Unused pesticides should be stored in their original containers and kept in cool, locked locations, safely out of the reach of children.
When disposing of empty pesticide containers, rinse them three times with water and pour the rinse water into the sprayer. Do not insert a hose into the container, Foshee says. Spray the rinse water on the target plant or site – never pour it down a drain.
Clean the sprayer by flushing the inside with fresh water, then spraying the flush water on the target plant or site. Finally, wrap the container in newspaper and throw it away; don’t recycle it. If you have pesticide left over, Foshee recommends sharing it with a gardening friend who will use it properly.
“The proper use of pesticides is a valuable pest management tool that can protect against disease, weeds and insect pests,” he says. “But home gardeners need to make sure they use these products properly to protect public health and the environment.”
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