Government has pesticide ban plan
The Gardener's Corner
By Judith Rogers

Currently, the use of pesticides (including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, or combinations of any of these) is restricted in a number of municipalities across Ontario. On November 20, 2007 the government committed to a toxics reduction strategy, to help protect Ontarians from potentially harmful environmental toxics. The government has made a number of commitments with respect to the proposed ban on cosmetic uses of pesticides including:

• New legislation to be introduced in the spring of 2008 to ban the cosmetic use of pesticides in cities and towns.

• A ban to apply cosmetic uses on lawns, private gardens, parks, school yards with the focus on small towns and cities, not for rural residents.

• Agriculture would be exempt, as Ontario farmers already have strict rules on the storage and application of pesticides.

• Golf courses will also be exempt, but would have to adhere to a developed plan to limit the environmental impact of pesticides.

• Pesticides will still be available for use by professionals to ensure public health and prevent illnesses like the West Nile virus.

• Provide outreach and educational alternatives to pesticides on lawns, with enforcement as a last resort.

The banning of pesticides is inevitable and the horticultural industry, be it garden centres or nurseries, Compost Canada, OMAFRA (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) garden writers and others, all will do their best to be environmental stewards to educate the public about good gardening practices, integrated pest management and alternatives to chemicals.

For instance, Neem oil is a naturally occurring insecticide produced by the Neem tree. Azadiractin is the major active component, which kills feeding insects by blocking the molting process of some and causing others to become inactive and stop eating. It is non-toxic to plants when used as directed and since it must be ingested to be effective, will not harm beneficial insects like ladybugs and spiders. There have been no adverse effects observed on earthworms, but it must not get near aquatic areas, as it is toxic to fish. Repeated applications to flowering plants has seen some adverse effects on bees while collecting pollen. In Canada, Treeazin has recently been registered as a Neembased product to control the emerald ash borer.

Sarritor, a new organic product to be available in the next year or so, is a living organism that causes diseases in plants. Composed of granular barley grits colonized by a fungus, the uses are for broadcast or spot treatment of turf to control dandelions and some broadleaf weeds.

Corn gluten meal, a natural by-product from the wet milling of corn, is an organic pre-emergence herbicide that inhibits cell division of germinating seedlings of crabgrass and annual weeds. Also a beneficial organic fertilizer and soil conditioner, corn gluten meal should only be applied to established lawns.

Beet juice extract works as a fertilizer and post-emergence inhibitor on dandelions, clover, quack grass and tall fescue. This is a more expensive option, and it takes longer to see the benefits. However, it is a good organic alternative that is already being used by some lawn care companies.

Greenstar Plant Products is a 100 per cent Canadian owned company that sells organic products for homeowners under the names Earth Safe, Grotek and Grotek Life. Check them out at www.getgreenstar.com

With files from the Ministry of Environment and Guelph University's Department of Environmental Biology.