The Alternatives - Tools
Outside Pesticides and
Herbicides for Green Space
Maintenance
Talk given by Paule Hjertaas,B Sc, president and
spokesperson of the Saskatchewan Network for
Alternatives to Pesticides (SNAP Inc) to the 2010
Saskatchewan Green Trades Conference, November
12, 11 a.m., Saskatoon Inn, Saskatoon
www.snapinfo.ca
Table of content
• Problems in green
space management
• SK efforts at pesticide
reduction
• Weed control in
various situations
• Chemical versus
natural fertilizer
• Comparison ReginaBarrie, ON
• Insect Control
• Fungicides
• Usefulness of IPM
• Questions to ask
• Acknowledgements
Problems faced in green space
management:
• Probably mostly weed control
• Some insects on individual species of
plants or lawns
• Mosquito, wasp and other biting insect
control
• Rodent control (especially ground squirrel)
Saskatoon - pesticide-free
hospitals
• In 2009, the
Saskatoon Health
Region started to
maintain hospital
properties pesticidefree
Regina Pesticide-Free Parks 1
In 2010, Regina designated 3 pesticide-free parks
Regina Pesticide-Free Parks 2
• When looking for
candidate parks,
Regina realized that
they had 106 parks
(37%) which had not
been sprayed for
years
• Parks chosen also
had good turf
conditions.
Regina Sports fields
The group in charge won the 2009 city awards for innovative
initiative
• Currently class A
sports fields are
maintained without
the use of herbicides
or other pesticides
• The award was for
starting a composting
project with grass
clippings, pulled
flowers, and use
the resulting compost to
topdress the grass
• More frequent
aeration
• Top dressing and
overseeding
Weed control
Timing is everything
• flower beds
• under trees and
shrubs
• under fences
• hard surfaces
– along fences
– paths and walkways
– patios and paving
– gravel
•
•
•
•
•
lawns
noxious weeds
along water
neglected areas
in ground covers
Flower / Shrub Beds 1
• Avoid leaving bare
soil - plant or mulch
• Pull out any weed
roots
• If it gets out of hand,
dig plants and start
over.
• Apparently, shrub
beds watered by
sprinklers, they stay
too moist if mulched
so plant any new
shrub beds
accordingly
Flower / Shrub Beds 2
Getting started on new ground
• Grow smother crop for 1-2 years
• Solarize the bed before planting to reduce
weed seeds
• And/or cultivate often
Weeds Under Fences
• The city of Seattle chose to pour a cement
mow strip under their fences in the area
which cannot be mowed.
• Other types of barrier strips may be
effective. They can be covered with mulch
• More options in “Maintaining Hardscapes
and Fencelines” NCAP
Weed control on hard surfaces
• Currently most of you likely use
RoundUp
Crack and sidewalks - my
experiment
Use of Ecoweeder in cracks
and hand tool for asphalt
edges besides sidewalk
• Strategy: when weeds
come out
• Prevent going to seed
• Annual weeds mostly
under control
• Replaced by plantain and
Portulaca but not a big
issue.
Weeds in Play areas, school yards
Alternatives
Crusher Dust
• Regina increased its use
of York rake on these
surfaces
• Harley rake (Seattle)
Playgrounds and
scoolyards
• Regina uses Eco-Clear, a
vinegar-based product
Other Alternatives
• Prevention: sweeping or
blowing the dirt out or caulk
cracks.
• Aquacide excels on hard
surfaces
• Propane
• Eco-weeder
NOTE: effectiveness may
depend on timing
Comparative cost/ha for grass
(inclusive - Regina)
Traditional
Class B =
$6,750/hectare
Mowed 1/week at 2-3
inches, trimmed
1/mo,
• Class C =
$1,000/hectare
Mowed once/month
Cultural/IPM
• Class A =
$9,200/hectare
Mowed twice/week at
2-3 inches
Trimmed 1/week
Watered, fertilized and
edged twice as often
as cl B
Cost of chemical vs natural lawn
care
• The main difference between class A and
B parks in Regina is mainly one of man
power
• Both Chris Osborne and Paul Tukey have
shown that the cost of natural lawn care is
similar after a few years
• Lawn care industry testimonials also
indicate reduced costs and larger profit
margins (Osborne DVD)
How to Reduce cost of weed
control
• Costs can be
maintained or
decreased by
improving soil life and
quality
• Only control weeds
based on complaints
and infestations, not
everywhere as a
matter of fact
• Education campaign
• Donate edger tools to
home owners
• ‘Naturalize’ some
grass areas
• Clean streets more
than once/year
Complete Approach to pesticidefree grass - Cultural
• Go Organic cold turkey
• Soil test for pH, all
nutrients, minerals and
microrganisms
• Optimize soil conditions
based on soil tests
• 7 times more Calcium
than Magnesium
• Use natural fertilizer to
add organic matter and
the right organisms
•
•
•
•
•
Aerate as needed
Topdress with compost
Brew own compost tea
Overseed spring and fall
Water deep and less
often
• Mow high all year, leave
clippings on
• Use 5 % clover for
nitrogen
• Mow low and rake in fall
Chemical vs Natural Fertilizer
Chemical
• Feeds the plant
directly
• Usually results in
organism-poor soil
Natural
• Feeds the
microorganisms in the
soil
• Re-establishes
nutrient and pH
balance
• Adds organic matter
and beneficial
organisms
Noxious Weed Control
• Most common will
likely be Leafy
Spurge, Scentless
Chamomile (image 1)
and Purple
Loosestrife (image 2)
• All have Integrated
Vegetation
Management plans
Leafy Spurge
chemicals don't work
very well on spurge is
because
• the mature weed has
roots that reach 10 to
15 feet deep
• the weed spits its
seeds as it dries up
• a creeping habit
• tillage is ineffective
Leafy Spurge alternative control 1
• Integrated control
better if the infestation
is the size of a large
room or larger
• Image 1: Leafy
Spurge Flea beetles
(5 species)
• Image 2: Leafy
Spurge Hawk Moth
caterpillar is
established in some
areas but no major
control noticed
Goats to Control Leafy Spurge 2
• Image: Angora goat
eating leafy spurge
• Grazing
• Goats are especially
effective.
• Goats destroy seeds
• Prefer weeds, especially
leafy spurge
• Aerate and fertilize soil
• Can be used to effectively
reseed
• Grazing pattern prevents
regrowth
Goat herd successfully used to
control leafy spurge in Elbow
community pasture
Goats for weed control
• Are there any Acts,
Regulations or municipal
bylaws to prevent livestock in
municipalities?
• Best site:
http://www.goatseatweeds.com
/
• Email: Ewe4icbenz@aol.com |
• Lack of training
Goats are hired to eat the
following weeds:
• Canada thistle
• Cheat grass
• Common tansy
• Common mullein
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dalmatian toad flax
Dandelions
Downy brome
Indian tobacco
Knapweed
Larkspur
Leafy spurge
Musk thistle
Ox-eye daisy
Plumeless thistle
Poison hemlock
Purple loostrife
Scotch thistle
Spotted Knapweed
Sweet clover
Yellow star thistle
With dog
Comparison Regina - Barrie, ON 1
Regina
• Entirely planted urban
forest
• Less species diversity
• More pesticides use
• Insect pests: Canker
worms, beetles
transmitting Dutch
Elm Disease,
occasionally tent
caterpillars
Barrie
• Many natural
woodlots left within
city
• More tree diversity
• Already used much
less pesticides than
Regina
• No tree pests
Comparison Regina - Barrie, ON 2
Regina
• In the past, Regina has
sprayed trees in summer
for aphids with
insecticidal soap by itself
or mixed with pyrethrins.
• WCA has sprayed for
scale insects with
dormant oil in spring and
used Cygon for borers in
conifers. (over-reaction?)
Barrie
• No insect issue
• Citizens supported a
phase out of chemical
pesticide use
Insects
•
•
•
•
•
Canker Worms
Banding in fall - timely
Btk
Wondering if shop
vac would not work
for home owners
Tent Caterpillars
Btk
Lures available
Dutch Elm Disease
• Transmitted by elm
bark beetles
• Winnipeg unpublished
experiments: banding
before Sep 1st causes
96% mortality
• Lures available
Insect Control - Mosquitos
Chemical
• Fogging with
malathion or other
chemical
Alternative
• Find out where
mosquitos breed and
larvidice the area with
Bti or Bacillus
sphaericus
• Promote use of
mosquito repellent
and other lifestyle
changes
• Garlic barrier as area
repellent
Insect control - Wasps
• Close garbage cans
• Cover drinks
• Identify nest area and
vacuum with shop vac
or/and vacuum
outside guards and
squirt diatomaceous
earth inside nest.
Regina use of fungicides
• Currently never used
in parks
• Only on golf courses,
especially greens
Alternatives
• Planting different
grasses ecotypes with
more resistance to
local fungi
• Compost tea as
fertilizer and to
prevent diseases
• Bio-fungicides
Compost Tea
• Can be made from • On August 31, 2006, the
compost, or herbs
French government
and weeds
seizes all information
• Nettle tea is very rich related to using nettle
tea for insect and
in nutrients and a
disease control because
good compost
it is not a registered
activator as well as
pesticide product.
controlling aphids,
fungi, algi, lichens
• Public pressure had the
(permaculture)
law changed.
• Manure teas also
useful
IPM / IVM
Integrated Pest Management
/ Integrated Vegetation ManagementCanadian Definitions
• “Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) is a
process that uses all
necessary techniques to
suppress pests
effectively, economically
and in an environmentally
sound manner.” (IPM
Council of Canada,
http://www.ontarioipm.com/tasks/si
tes/IPM/assets/File/ST_policies_d
oc_-_June_4_2010.pdf
• “IPM takes a variety of
monitoring techniques
and biological, cultural
and chemical measures
to control pests in an
ongoing management
program.” (Canadian Produce
Marketing Association,
http://www.cpma.ca/en_gov_IPM_
factsheet.asp )
Compare the previous two to IPM
Institute of North America definition
• “IPM relies on inspection and monitoring to detect and correct conditions that can
lead to pest problems. They act against
pests only when necessary, and use the
least-hazardous methods when action is
needed.”
IPM Definition- the essential
• “Integrated pest management (IPM) is an
integrated approach of crop management to
solve ecological problems when applied in
agriculture.”
• “These methods are performed in three stages:
prevention, observation, and intervention. It is an
ecological approach with a main goal of
significantly reducing or eliminating the use of
pesticides while at the same time managing pest
populations at an acceptable level.[1]”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_pest_management
Missing mandatory components
of Canadian IPM definitions
1. the goal to
significantly reduce
or eliminate
pesticide use
2. the lack of
prioritization of
methods used based
on their toxicity, such
as using chemicals
only in last resort,
and starting with the
least toxic methods
and products.
Questions to ask
• Why is no alternative
training available in
SK?
• Why are there so
much fewer natural
products registered in
Canada than the US?
• Why is Canada
persisting in using an
ineffective IPM
definition?
Acknowledgement
• Neil Vandendort, Director, Parks & Open
Space Department, City of Regina
• Chett Neufeld, Native Plant Society of
Saskatchewan
• Heather Adie, Saskatchewan Organic
Growers
• Brenda Frick, Bluebur Fluent Organics
• Harvey Anderson, Invasive species
specialist, SARM