Healthy Without Chemicals

How to Avoid Chemicals in Your Food Without Spending a Fortune . I love this concept of eating healthy on a budget, it is exactly what I am.
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CHE Toxicant and Disease database 2.

Eating clean: Three tips for avoiding chemicals in your food

Woodruff T, et al. Trends in environmentally related childhood illnesses. Boyle C, et al. Trends in the prevalence of developmental disabilities in U. Jennifer Sass, Nanotechnology's Invisible Threat: Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, U.

GARDENING WITHOUT CHEMICALS

Chemical Hazard Data Availability Study: Wilson, Green Chemistry in California: Suite Reston, VA ph: We now know that: Even very small doses of chemicals can cause disease. See Our Stolen Future. I like the Pure Spray brand because it can be sprayed on the leaves without any burning. Horticultural oils cannot be sprayed over water with fish. Insecticidal soaps are also popular because of their very low toxicity and negligible environmental impact. They act by dessication and must be sprayed directly on the pest to be effective.

Both insecticidal oils and soaps may have to be reapplied to reduce larger populations and egg hatches. There are many Neem products that vary greatly in their strength.

Neem works as an anti-feedant and disrupts insect development. It can be effective also against powdery mildew. Neem is an active ingredient in my toothpaste, so it has a very low toxicity when applied as directed. The synthetic pyrethrins and pyrethroids are more potent and longer lasting and therefore more dangerous. Among the fungicides, the only one I recommend is Green Cure which is a potassium bicarbonate product, very similar to baking soda and not harmful to beneficial fungi in the soil.

It is very effective, though the appearance may not change for a while. Even baking soda reduces some fungus problems, as does horticultural oil.

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Many fungus problems can be controlled culturally by reducing water, watering in the morning, using drip irrigation instead of overhead watering, improving air circulation or light exposure, aerating the soil mechanically or adding soil amendments. One of the best pest controls is a diverse population of plants that support beneficial insects.

It is especially good to grow plants with clusters of small flowers that provide nectar. The least toxic herbicides are horticultural vinegar, certain soaps and clove oil products. These are all most effective on annual weeds sprayed on hot, sunny days. Some perennial weeds can be controlled when used on small weeds or with repeated applications.

Boiling water works where no valuable plants are nearby, as in between flagstones.

Eating clean: Three tips for avoiding chemicals in your food – Uncle Matt's Organic

Flaming by scorching the leaves is effective, but uses propane. Hand weeding is most effective when done before weeds get big enough to feed their roots. Roundup and the glyphosates are NOT nontoxic. Problems with cracking bark have been linked to the use of glyphosates near woody plants, and Roundup has been shown to be extremely lethal to amphibians like toads and frogs. In addition between and , glyphosate was the third most reported cause of pesticide illness among agricultural workers; and the most reported cause by landscape workers.

Learn to accept a certain level of damage. Trying to dominate Nature with complete control is unrealistic and unfriendly. From a little distance, it may not even be noticeable. It is important to understand that only a small percentage of insects and fungi are pests and many are beneficial.

It is also good to recognize that gardens with bugs support birds and beneficial insects. Our reward for using a non-toxic approach to gardening are gardens and landscapes we are not afraid to touch and eat and let the children play in. Our soils and plants are genuinely healthier and our food is more nutritious.

We support a world environment that is healthier and more diverse, with fewer greenhouse gases and a more peaceful people. Instead of contributing to an environmental global crisis, organic gardening and farming are becoming part of the healing of our planet.

They store water for plants and protect them from pests and diseases. Go to the soil amendments and fertilizer section to learn more about building healthy soil. Plant right for your site. Get to know your yard. Areas of shade, wet or dry soil, or slope all affect which plants will grow well. Choose plants that will thrive in those areas and that resist insects and diseases. Group plants by their needs for water, sun and soil. Many plant problems are caused by overwatering.

Water plants deeply to promote deep roots.