Ten Gardening Tips To Reduce Pollution In Our Waterways

Believe it or not, washing your car, changing your oil, spraying with pesticides can all pollute our Bay Area waters. When pesticides and other pollutants are washed into storm drains by rain or over-watering they wind up in our creeks and Bay. You can help to keep our watershed from contamination by using these garden tips.

1. Limit your use of insecticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and other garden chemicals.

2. Use less toxic products like oil sprays and biological pesticides.

3. Encourage natural pests predators such as birds, ladybugs, lacewings, toads, and garter snakes.

4. Grow flowering plants to provide beneficial insects with nectar year-round.

5. Put up traps, barriers, and snail baits.

6. Remove ivy, rotting fruit, and other pest attractors.

7. Choose plants that require less water and fewer chemicals, particularly native plants.

8. Pull or hoe weeds before they flower and leave seeds.

9. Compost garden trimmings to make a natural fertilizer.

10. Pick the right spot for your plants. Healthier plants are more pest resistant.