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California Native Plant PR

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Time to Whack Weeds!

As I was walking in Griffith Park today with husband and dogs, I suddenly was overcome with the need to weed. I couldn't help myself - the mustard is just starting to sprout and, in some cases, bloom. At this stage, it's pretty easy to pull up by the roots. I grab it underneath the leaves and wiggle it out of the ground. I encourage anyone to whack as many weeds as they can by this method (ROOTS AND ALL, none of this cutting off the top stuff). Best to get them now, before they go to seed!

In your own garden, get pulling! Whenever you see a tuft of grass or some other green puff that you didn't plant, jiggle it from the base and extract the whole thing. Forget about Round-up. There is absoultuely NO GUARANTEE that it breaks down as the manufacturer claims. There are reports of it showing up in groundwater and in wildlife. It's poison and we have enough of that on this planet.

Take the pledge with me: no poisons in the garden! Good old fashioned manual weed removal is the ONLY 100% safe way to rid your garden of invasive plants.

When it comes to pests in the garden, look into integrated pest management. Pesticides are too dangerous. So, too, are other 'cides. They make their way into birds and wild mammals, often causing diseases that they wouldn't otherwise get, such as mange and cancer. We are the stewards of this planet; let's treat it with care. Our actions always have consequences. Everything is connected. We're all one big ecology. Everytime someone purchases a toxic product, it ends up in our environment.

Next time you see an aphid on your plant, get the hose and blast it. Or, put in plants that attract beneficial insects. Get this book: "Good Bugs for Your Garden" by Allison Mia Starcher. It has beautiful illustrations and tons of great info on how to bring in the good bugs that get rid of the ones you don't want.

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