You are reaching here! Rotonone biodegrades very quickly and the likelyhood of rainwater run off contamination is about nil, unless you spray in the rain or happen to have a garden on the banks of a lake or stream. This isn't even an issue. The nitrogen from manure is much more likely to cause lake or stream pollution by run off that Rotonone is. Do you also propose to stop using manure in the garden. A garden is not a perfect, natural environment that grows untouched and is in a perfectly natural state. When we create a garden, we create an altered environment, and that brings with it problems such as soil depleation, insect population changes, weeds, etc. As gardeners, we need to intervene in the most harmless way possible to correct problems caused by imbalances we create. Anything we do or add to correct imbalances has the potential to cause problems, which is why common sense and good judgement is essential. If you have a sever problem with harmful insects because of imbalances, you have a choice to make. Do nothing, and lose the crop, or intervene using the safest organic remedys available. Of course, you can introduce beneficial insects to eat the bad bugs, which by the way, causes another imbalance. You can hand pick the little critters too. But chances are you will lose the crop, and the problem will remain. Or us can use a safe, organic remedy like Rotonone sparingly, and then try to lessen the imbalance that cause the problem in the first place. Ron The Garden Guy http://www.TheGardenGuy.org

It is known that cedar bedding helps keep fleas from pets, but I've not seen it deter ants. The aphids are on your plants because of nice succulant growth and the ants are there because of the aphids, but the ants are taking the aphids to their nest to feed to those working in the nest so those ants are, in reality, beneficial. The most effective method of eliminating aphids is to maintain a good, healthy nutritionally balanced soil so the plants growing in that soil do not attract pests.

pokerguard, According to a few tomato sites dedicated to their care, once plant shows fruit, REDUCE watering (every 3-4 days schedule). And mulch to retain moisture. ;)

I wish this forum would let me know when messages are left. I have to stumble on a conversation before I know it is there. The bottom lime question is to know how much dry leaf mulch might be too much and when can it be put into place. In Mid November, I can get the town to dump them into the driveway and they are incredibly dry and easy to move but I read that I should wait until the ground is frozen (Dec? Jan?) to put them down. For this, I would have to fill up my garage (probably housing rodents. I can still get them in December but now I have to go to the town yard to get them and they are wet/cold sometimes frozen on the top and under they are dry. Then I have to do it manually. I have to schlepped with a pitchfork (manure fork) by hand into a truck, cart them home and schlepped to the gardens. What I want to hear is that I can put them down (dry, light, and flaky) in November, 4" - 6" deep without killing plants and not housing rodents. I fear that the best, and most work, is to wait until December/January. As far as cutting the lawn: I never have grass clippings collecting in clumps unless the grass is wet and when I have ankle deep+ leaves allover the lawn, they still mulch to disappearing. If they are too much for the lawn, I use a leaf blower to put the surplus into the gardens. I have not "fertilized" the lawn nor use any weed killer not insecticide in 20 years. My lawn is greener than the treated and watered lawns in the neighborhood. I listen to the sounds at night and neighbors wonder they they don;t hear them in their yards.