Lawn and Garden Management
Home*A*Syst Home Worksheet Intro Information Sheet (PDF) Glossary Go To The Worksheet
Lawn and Garden Management Fact/Worksheet
How will these materials help me to protect my drinking water?
How do I complete the worksheet?
Why should I be concerned?
Pesticides, fertilizers, and water play an important role in maintaining a successful lawn and garden. Pesticides control undesirable weeds, insects, diseases, and rodents; fertilizers increase the fertility of the soil to enhance the growth of plants; and of course water, is essential for the very life of the plants a homeowner is growing. However, if pesticides, fertilizers, and water are not used properly, there is potential that ground water and thus drinking water will be contaminated. Surface water can also be impacted if the chemicals are carried in runoff.
When pesticides are found in water supplies, they are rarely in high enough concentrations to cause immediate health effects. Rather, the concern is through their potential to cause problems from prolonged exposure.
Nitrate in ground water can be a result of fertilizer application. Infants younger than six months are believed to be susceptible to nitrate poisoning as their digestive system is not developed to kill the bacteria that converts nitrate into toxic nitrate. Nitrate interferes with the ability of blood to carry oxygen, so the baby may show signs of suffocation. The drinking water standard is 10 ppm (NO3-N). Nitrate poisoning may also occur in ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep.
The goal of Home*A*Syst is to help you protect the environment and your drinking water.
How will these materials help me to protect my drinking water?
This worksheet will help you protect your drinking water by:
- Helping you determine which of your lawn and garden practices are reasonably safe and effective, and which practices might require modification to better protect your drinking water.
How do I complete the worksheet?
After reviewing the information provided, select Go To The Worksheet in links at the left. It should take you about 15 to 30 minutes to complete the worksheet and summarize your risk rankings.
Information derived from Home*A*Syst worksheets is intended only to provide general information and recommendations to rural residents regarding their own homestead practices. It is not the intent of this educational program to keep records of individual results.