57 Ways - 21. Apply Fertilizers Accurately And Safely

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57 Ways To Protect Your Home Environment (and Yourself)

Caring for the Home Landscape

1. Aim for a healthy lawn rather than a perfect lawn
2. Cut the grass without gas
3. Prevent insect, disease, and weed problems in the garden
4. Identify fruits and vegetables that need fewer pesticides
5. Select native trees and shrubs that will thrive in your yard
6. Keep your tress healthy and safe
7. Plant “wild” in your backyard
8. Attract birds and butterflies to your backyard

Using Alternatives to Traditional Pesticides & Fertilizers - Where Practical

9. Scout for pests on the landscape
10. Consider microbial insecticides
11. Consider botanical insecticides & insecticidal soaps
12. Conserve beneficial insects
13. Monitor & control insects with traps
14. Use pest barriers in your garden
15. Solarize soil
16. Consider the potential of natural fertilizers

Using Chemicals on the Landscape - If Necessary

17. Know what to ask a lawn-care company and arborist
18. Understand pesticide toxicity
19. Read the pesticide label
20. Apply pesticides accurately and safely
21. Apply fertilizers accurately and safely

Storing & Disposing of Hazardous Chemicals

22. Store hazardous chemicals safely
23. Dispose of pesticides safely
24. Dispose of auto products safely
25. Dispose of paints and solvents safely
26. Dispose of adhesives, areosols, household cleaners & other hazardous waste safely

Managing Yard, Food & Other Household Waste

27. Reduce household waste
28. Recycle paper, glass, & aluminum
29. Reuse and respond
30. Recycle grass clippings
31. Create a compost pile
32. Use yard waste as mulch
33. Dispose of tree residues

Protecting Your Drinking Water

34. Know when & how to test your water
35. Test your water for coliform bacteria & nitrate 36. Test your water for pesticides - if necessary
37. Know the signs of contaminants in drinking water
38. Select effective water-treatment methods
39. Prevent contamination from septic systems
40. Know the pros & cons of bottled water

Protecting the Indoor Environment

41. Prevent contamination by lead
42. Test your home for radon
43. Reduce radon levels
44. Control dust, dust mites & other allergens
45. Reduce pollution from combustion equipment
46. Prevent contamination by formaldehyde and asbestos
47. Recognize tht it's not always necessary to control indoor insects
48. Select the right household pesticide
49. Control household pests with less toxic alternatives
50. Select household cleaners wisely

Conserving Energy & Water

51. Design new homes for energy effciency
52. Save energy in heating & cooling
53. Insulate & seal your home
54. Choose energy-efficient appliances
55. Save money & energy with compact fluorescent light bulbs
56. Use plants & other landscape tools to conserve energy
57. Conserve water in & around the home

21. Apply Fertilizers Accurately And Safely
	Striving for more precise fertilizer application does not have to be complicated. It requires attention to a few details, beginning with equipment selection. A drop spreader drops fertilizer granules straight down. Drop spreaders, in general, apply fertilizer precisely and uniformly. However, some drop spreaders cannot handle large granules. Any steering errors with a drop spreader can mean missed strips or areas with excessive overlap—problems that can result in light and dark streaks in the lawn.
	Rotary spreaders throw granules in a semicircular arc in front of the spreader in a 6- to 8-foot-wide swath, covering a given area faster than drop spreaders. On the downside, fertilizer often ends up in nontarget areas such as sidewalks, driveways, and patios. To prevent the fertilizer from washing into storm sewers, be sure to sweep fertilizer off of these areas.
	Whether you have a rotary or a drop spreader, fill it on a paved surface rather than on your lawn. If a spill occurs, it’s easy to clean up from a drive. When filling the spreader, make sure the openings are closed to prevent leaking on the ground.
	Begin by applying fertilizer along a header strip—an area where you can turn around and realign the spreader at each end of the lawn. After making each pass, close the spreader as you move into the header strip. Then turn the spreader around and open it again while moving forward to make the next pass.
	Rotary spreaders increase the risk of an uneven application. To avoid creating light- and dark-green stripes, cut the application rate in half and run two overlapping applications in the same direction. The header strips can be covered before running the two overlapping applications.
	Read the fertilizer label carefully and follow the recommended application rate–the overall amount of product applied in pounds per 1,000 square feet. Your spreader should include instructions on how it can be set for different application rates.