Just How Dangerous are Pesticides?

Pesticide is a general term for Weed, Insect and Disease Controls. The following is a true story.

A good friend of mine, from my landscaping days is a Pesticide Applicator. He is licensed by the state. Last June, he was applying an Insecticide in granular form. He was wearing a respirator to keep the dust out of his lungs, short sleeves and pants, but it was hot. It was over 90 degrees that day and he was sweating. The dust stuck to his sweaty clothes and absorbed into his skin through his open pores. Before he knew it he was unconscious on a customer's front lawn and was rushed to the hospital. Thank goodness they were home. He spent the day in the hospital on IV, having fluids pumped into him to flush out the poison in his system.

This year, it was time to apply insect control again. He took the same precautions, and wore long sleeves to cover his skin. It was not quite so hot this year, in the low to mid 80's. It just happened to be time for his regular check up, and his Blood work came back irregular. High Blood Sugar. The doctor sent him for more tests. His pancreas was not processing insulin fast enough. This left him with periods of high blood sugar. He was of course very upset. This is a guy who is in generally good shape, a healthy weight and diabetes does not run in his family. At only 40 it was quite a shock.

The doctor just wanted to monitor him for a few weeks before putting him on any kind of medicine. He went for regular Blood Sugar Testing. After he had been done applying the insecticide for a few weeks, his blood sugars were back to normal. The insecticide had caused the problem. When the body is sick, whether it be from a virus or a toxin, the rest of the body slows down so it can eradicate the illness. This is what happened to my friend.

Think of all the chemicals we put on our lawn and plants, all the cleaning supplies we pour down the drains that ends up in our own bodies and our waterways. Overexposure to one chemical for a few weeks, almost poisoned my friend, just think what those chemicals constantly being applied all around us can do to fish and wildlife. Not to mention our children and pets.

How many of us have applicator's come apply 6 or 8 chemical treatments to our lawns annually? Usually a little flag is left on our front lawns. If we are not aware, it is easy to let the dog out after work, or tell our kids to go out and play, not realizing the potential danger that lurks in our own backyards.

Or maybe you apply your own chemicals. Most of us don't own respirators or even wear dust masks when applying fertilizers or control products.

Chemicals are generally not good. They cause disease in the body. Whether it is chemicals in our foods, cleaning products, or pesticides and fertilizers they can all cause problems with our health. A hundred years ago, people ate what they grew, there were no growth hormones for livestock and farmers used natural products like manure and compost to feed their plants. There were not nearly as many diseases as there are today. This is why living an organic lifestyle is so important. Get back to basics, simplify and teach your children to do the same. Our health, our planet and our future depend on it.

Brill Push Reel Mower

The Brill Push Reel Mower is a German made rotary type mower. Remember the old push mowers? They were heavy and back breaking to use, then came the Gas powered mowers and the Reel Type mower became almost obsolete. Sure, you would see an old die hard using one every now and again, but not often. Well the Push Reel mower is back and better than ever!

At one time I had a gas powered push mower, when it died, I hired a lawn service. I used that lawn service for 5 years. I could have bought 10 lawn mowers with the money I spent having someone else do it. We came across the Brill Push Reel Mowers while researching new environmentally friendly products for our retail website. They looked so interesting, I decided to buy one for myself. My neighbors laughed when I told them I bought a Push Reel Mower. I was very excited that I would no longer be contributing to the pollution of our environment and I would be getting a great workout.

When the mower came, my husband put it together, it took about 10 minutes. Then I was off. I had let my landscapers go, so my grass was ready to be cut. I was pleased and surprised at how easy it was to push! It only weighs 17 pounds, so it is actually mush easier to push around my 1/2 acre yard than my old gas mower. It is super easy to turn as well. The sound was so quiet I could have a conversation with my kids while cutting the grass!

The Silent Cut Design reduces wear and tear on the blades. In this system, the reel blade and the bedknife don't come in contact, instead they remain separated by less than a millimeter and shear the grass like scissors. This clean cut also helps the grass recover, because it doesn't mangle the stem or leave a jagged edge. Cutting height ranges from 15mm to 45mm (0.7 inches to 1.8 inches). This lets you cut low enough for the golf course look, and high enough for an average length cut for a wide variety of grass types.

I set the cutting height for 45mm for the first cut. I was worried it may be too short, since it is July and we have not had any decent rainfall in New Jersey in weeks. The grass looks great!
As the owner of a company that promotes Green Practices and sell products that help to reduce the footprint on the environment I am very proud to say I own and use a Brill Razorcut 38.

Rain Barrels, Benefiting the Environment

Harvesting rain water is quickly becoming an important part of reducing our footprint on the environment. Rainwater is beneficial for plants, people and pets. It is free of chemicals such as chlorine, pollutants and it is naturally soft. Plants and turf always look their best after a good soaking rain.

Collecting rainwater is great for areas that have water restrictions, and during a drought. By collecting rainwater you can water your lawn, plants and garden when you need to, regardless of watering restrictions. This will help save and sustain the landscape and garden you worked hard to establish. You can also wash the car, the dog, windows, etc.

By installing a Rain barrel you can also save precious water from becoming Storm water run off. Storm water run off pollutes our natural waterways and contributes to drought situations. When it rains, the water coming out of your gutters most times cannot be absorbed quickly enough by the surrounding lawn and landscape. It runs through the grass and down the driveways collecting fertilizers, chemicals, oils, etc. and all of that ends up in the storm drain. This contaminated water goes directly into our natural water ways. It pollutes our streams and rivers, which in turn knocks the whole eco system out of balance. Woodland plants and wildlife are affected greatly by the water run off from our homes.

A rainfall of 1" on 1,000 square feet of roof, will catch 600 gallons of rainwater. This can turn into thousands of gallon per year. (depending on rainfall in your area) By capturing just some of this water, you can save money on your water bill, water your plants when you need to, and keep pollution from entering our waterways. Now that's beneficial.

Rain Barrels come in various sizes, the most common is around 55 gallons. Most are equipped with an overflow spout, and a faucet for hooking up a garden hose or soaker hose. Many are also mosquito proof, which is important as well. Once installed, they will easily blend into the landscape.

Next time it rains, be ready! Install rain barrels and be ready to save water, save money and save the environment!