Garden Chemicals - Should you or shouldn't you?

The City of Irvine has an Integrated Pest Management Plan – What does that mean to me?

 The state law is clear. The City of Irvine's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy does not affect the use of pesticides on a private property, including home owners associations (HOA). Only properties managed by the City a covered by this policy. Some HOAs have voluntarily agreed to follow the same IPM plan as the City and some have even taken it a step further by stipulating that the HOA will not use any synthetic pesticides (including herbicides) or fertilizer on HOA managed property.

 

Nevertheless, just because you can, does not always mean that you should and people using pesticides on their own property should use them with caution. Pesticides spray can drift onto non-target areas and granules and spray residue on hard surfaces can be carried away by rain or irrigation runoff. Pesticides are often used in reaction to an immediate problem that could have been anticipated and managed through the use of another method, such as using mulch for suppressing weeds in landscape beds. If you do choose to use a pesticide, the best choices are those that have least impact on human and environmental health and only affect the pest that you want to control.

 All pesticides, even those advertised as being organic, are toxic at a high enough concentration and exposure. Before using a pesticide, check to see if there is another way you can control the problem. For weeds, consider using a trimmer for edging, overseeding a lawn, hand-pulling, and using mulch in landscape beds. For insects and plant diseases, trimming off stems, washing off plants, changing the e method and amount of irrigation can reduce the impact of those problems.

 For help in managing pests in and around your home, see the UC IPM web site about home and garden pests or contact the UCCE Master Gardeners Orange County .

 

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