Environmental Commission Offers
Tips and Resources
On Gardening Without Pesticides
posted April 19, 2007
There’s something
about Livingston in April that has nature lovers poring
over seed catalogs and lingering in the garden departments
of local stores. The Livingston Environmental Commission
has some suggestions for planning gardens and landscapes
that are not only beautiful to look at but also beneficial
to the environment.
Environmental Commission
Vice-Chair Gary Schwartz, shown in the photo discussing
the brochure with resident Buchi Ramagopal, says “What
we do in our own yards has an impact on the environment.
It’s possible to have both a green lawn and a safe
environment.” To help Livingston gardeners
decrease their dependence on pesticides, the LEC has prepared
a brochure on environmentally friendly gardening techniques,
available at the LEC website http://www.livingstonnj.org/envbrochure8-04.pdf.
Schwartz and the LEC caution against the use of pesticides,
which kill insects that provide food for many birds. “Pesticides
not only harm creatures that are beneficial to the beauty
and health of the garden, but they also cause environmental
damage to water supplies when rain washes the chemicals
into streams and rivers,” says Schwartz. “Pesticide
exposure has also been associated with adverse impacts
to human health.”
“We can’t underestimate the impact that our
local and individual actions have on the environment,” says
Arlene Johnson, Town Council liaison to the Environmental
Commission. “Ordinances and practices at the local
level play an important role in creating a safer, cleaner
environment.” In April 2000 the Livingston
Town Council passed a resolution adopting an Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) Program, to reduce reliance on pesticides
in the Township’s owned and maintained public properties
and facilities. For a number of years the Board of Education’s
landscape contractor has utilized IPM techniques on the
town’s athletic fields.
The IPM Resolution encourages “all Livingston residents
to make every effort to participate in this endeavor on
their private properties.” A list of New Jersey
landscapers who have received formal training in IPM can
be obtained by visiting the Livingston Environmental Commission
website, at http://www.livingstonnj.org/lec.htm.
To control garden pests without pesticides, Schwartz
recommends several approaches:
• When choosing
garden plants, go with native species because they are suited to the local
climate, need less watering and can better resist local pests without the use
of pesticides. Some plants even help keep pests away. For example, dill,
fennel and yarrow attract parasitic wasps that attack many garden pests. Sunflowers
are a favorite of ambush bugs, which eat flower-loving insects.
• Make
sure your plants get all the water, nutrients and space they need, so they
can marshal their own defenses.
• Healthy soil produces
healthy gardens. Composting enriches the soil and nourishes soil fauna that
fight disease.
• Inspect often. Tackling
pest problems early will give plants a better chance of survival.
“By making the right gardening choices,” Schwartz
advises, “you can create an inviting environment
for birds and butterflies that add so much to the beauty
and enjoyment of home gardens.” Many types of birds
find both food and habitat in shrubs, trees, wildflowers
and perennials, so selecting plants that produce flowers,
fruit or seeds at different times will assure an endless
banquet for birds throughout the year. For example, elderberry
and blueberry plants produce berries in the spring, while
sunflowers, Echinacea and black-eyed Susan yield seeds
late in the summer. Leave the dried flower heads in place
so birds can feast on the seeds as they ripen.
The environmental bonus is that many birds eat huge numbers
of insects each day, which helps control the population
of mosquitoes and other pesky insects, Schwartz explains.
Bees also have an important function, both in the garden
and in the world’s food supply. By helping to pollinate
plants, bees are responsible for 15 to 30 percent of the
food U.S. consumers eat, according to National Geographic
News. To attract bees, plant colorful flowers in groups
and cultivate sweet-smelling herbs such as basil among
vegetable crops. Fennel in the garden provides nectar for
the bees and also attracts beneficial insects.
Nothing spruces up a garden like butterflies, which also
benefit the ecosystem by spreading pollen as they move
from flower to flower. Some of New Jersey’s native
butterflies are Monarch, Tiger Swallowtail, Black Swallowtail,
Mourning Cloak and the Silver Spotted Skipper. Butterflies
like sunny locations and brilliant colors. When looking
for a place to lay their eggs, they prefer plant species
that their caterpillars will eat. Many native New Jersey
plants and trees provide both food and habitat to butterflies,
including flowering dogwood, wild black cherry, milkweed,
hyssops, phlox, asters, viburnum and violets.
Livingston’s all-volunteer Environmental Commission
members dedicate their time and efforts to meet at least
monthly. The Commission meets the first Thursday of the
month at the Senior Community Center. They have been working
on environmental and energy conservation projects to help
inform residents and advise municipal government on ways
to conserve natural resources and protect the environment
in the town.
