Yard and Garden

Outdoor chores can send materials directly into rivers and streams through storm drains. You can protect your watershed by keeping cleaning supplies, spills, gardening chemicals and other materials out of those drains.

Treat pests and weeds with fewer toxics

•  Control slugs. Hand-pick slugs at night when they are active. Or, create slug traps with yogurt containers buried to the rim and filled with beer.
•  Control garden weeds. Mulch 2-3” deep on bare soil to prevent weeds. Cut weed flowers and seeds before they shed. Hand-pull weeds to remove the root.
•  Control moss safely. Chemical controls cause plant or animal injury, stains, corrosion, or pollution of soil and water. The better method is to remove moss with a stiff push brush, wire brush, or flat-edged shovel.
•  Control mosquitos. Remove any sources of standing water to prevent mosquitos. Using an oscillating fan outdoors is more effective at deterring mosquitos than citronella candles.

Low-maintenance landscaping 

• Creating a low-maintenance yard may take some initial work but it will help you save water, reduce maintenance and avoid toxic substances used to maintain landscapes.
•  Reduce lawn areas. Replace lawn with mulch, permeable pavers, or ground covers that are right for your climate.
•  Low-maintenance plants. Choose bulbs and other flowering perennials that will come up every year without further planting. Choose shrubs that require little pruning and will stay green through the seasons.
•  Design a rain garden. Read the Oregon rain garden guide, available from Oregon State University, and learn how to create a garden that will filter and manage rain water.

Keep pollution out of the storm drain

•  Use a broom to clean sidewalks instead of a hose.
•  Wash your car at a car wash instead of in your driveway.

Are you working with contaminated soil?

• Most soil is safe for playing and gardening. But soil near highways, old buildings, or former farms and industrial sites may be contaminated from car exhaust, pesticides, lead paint, and other persistent pollutants.
•  If your soil may be contaminated, consider gardening in raised beds or containers.
•  Use a thick later of mulch to cover soil on pathways and reduce exposure,
•  Offer a rough doormat for people to scrape dirt from their shoes before coming indoors.
•  Wash fruits and vegetables. Peel any root vegetables, and remove outer leaves of plants that come in contact with soil.

About that fire pit…

There’s no way around it: wood smoke is hard on lung and heart health and can lead to serious health problems over time. If you can avoid smoke, it’s better for your health. If you do want a backyard fire:

•  Burn only dry, clean hard wood. Wood that is split, stacked, covered, and then dried for at least a year burns best. Do not burn treated, painted or plywood.
•  Burn small, hot fires. Smoldering fires with big logs create more smoke.
•  Consider alternative fuel. Propane fire pits and pellet-burning pits.
• Propane fire pits and pellet-burning pits burn cleaner than wood. Electric patio heaters are a warm and cozy alternative.

The way you maintain your home can make a big difference to your family’s health. Get a healthy homes checkup with our guide and tips.