The following linked to 2011 reviewed scientific paper may be of interest to those who have, or are considering, an extensive spray program. Some interesting quotes from that paper follow: "Our findings are consistent with previous results for farm workers who were found to be at higher risk of cognitive impairment,23 31 37e39 although the agricultural settings varied between the studies and none were vineyards. The review by Kamel showed that among 21 studies on the cognitive effects of chronic pesticide exposure, 76% found positive associations with some tests and 82% found a relationship with psychomotor function.2" --------------------------------- "Overall, 13 (81%) of the 16 animal studies addressing cognitive impairment demonstrated a positive association with pesticide exposure." ----------------------------------- "The mild impairment we observed raises the question of the potentially higher risks of injury in this population and also of possible evolution towards neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer�s disease or other dementias. Numerous studies41e43 have shown that low cognitive performances are associated with risk of dementia. The recent review by Santibanez concluded there was a possible risk of Alzheimer�s disease in relation to occupational exposure to pesticides,8 a finding particularly borne out by the data of Tyas et al44 and Baldi et al45 in their prospective studies. The 12th year of follow-up in our cohort should shed light on this important issue." ----------------------------------- H.Kuska comment. I recommend utilization of the Precautionary Principle. Here is a link that might be useful: 2011 reviewed scientific paper

ok first.. with 10 cubed.. you are going to have to pour about a quarter bag ON A PLANT to burn it ... but you arent going to apply it ON THE PLANT... you will spread it around the crown .. to soak into the roots ... next.. get a tblspn measure.. think dollar store ... and dip into the bag ... and put 2 tbs in your other hand.. to 'see' what it looks like ... it will probably just barely cover your palm ... then grab into the bag.. and see if that is a pinch. a scoop .. etc ... you dont really have to measure this stuff.. and just make a circle about 3 inches out from the plant ... rubber gloves help avoiding touching it ... as the nitrogen.. can dry your hands .. and if you have any cut or hangnails.. will make them sting .. i avoid sticking my arm in the bag, covering myself to the elbow with dust .. ... by pouring it into a pail .... with the wind to my back.. insuring that i dont breathe it in ... they are paying double for half as much buying brand name ... they can get 12-12-12.. 50# for about $15 at the feed store ... it stores FOREVER .. in a 5 gallon deli bucket.. one with a rubber seal in the cover ... again.. at 10 cubed.. just do it.. i doubt you can screw it up.. other than dumping it on wet leaves .... hand claw rake with 3 tines.. if you insist in scratching it in ... and IMHO.. you are at least 30 to 45 days EARLY for fert in zone 5 .... if it activates the plants.. and we get a freeze or hard frost ... well.. that could be a problem ... now.. let me propose.. that they are trying to teach you how easy it is.. and you run to the computer.. to check their theory ... might i suggest.. they know what they are doing.. and you should not question their wisdom... lol .. [arent they the ones that also had the grape hyacinths you were worrying about ] well ... for one thing.. dont tell them you posted the ??? sounds to me.. like you have some local mentors.. if you can just get past the inlaw part.. lol .. ken ps: there is basically no difference between 10 cubed and 12 cubed in this application ... and it is impossible for the brand name to be any different than the generic ... so the link shows 40# 12 cubed for $15 ...a quick google on 'Espoma Gardner Food 10-10-10' .. shows 5 pounds for $10 .... and that is marketing brilliance .... [and no.. the type of nitro doesnt matter to me.. for anyone who cares to argue] .. earn their respect by saving them some money .. Here is a link that might be useful: link

As I've posted before, I do my gardening at my parents house because I live in an apartment... here in CO we had a 3/4 week period over the summer that was REALLY wet. I saw plants that NEVER get diseases eventually curl up and die with fusarium wilt. Agastashe rupestris (sunset hyssop), Mirabilis multiflora (wild four o'klocks), and some varieties of Verbascum died! These are all things that are listed as immune to disease. Iris leaf spot also wiped out a huge crop of iris and day lilly leaves (luckily the plants did not die) but I have never seen those problems in Colorado before. But I noticed something: every spot that was troubled was a spot that had been exposed, months earlier, to roundup to control weeds. One was a newly-planted garden that was previously a "wild" weedy area of mostly non-native plants, that was knocked down with roundup a year before, and others were in areas that were spot-treated. About half of the tomato plants died of wilt; they were also in an area that had been treated with roundup in the spring to clear the weeds before they were planted. I admit some bias: I've always been skeptical of using herbicides and would never have used it to begin with if I had my way. My dad, I think, just enjoys watching the weeds curl up and die days/weeks after spraying them, and it's h is house and I don't even live there so I have no control over that. But I've always felt that hoeing weeds, planting new plants there, then smothering or pulling the weeds as they re-emerge, results in healthier plants than when they are planted in a "sterile" plant-free area, but I never knew why. I got suspicious that perhaps the round-up had something to do with the diseases. I remembered a documentary about how round-up ready transgenic crops were developed; the documentary said round-up also kills bacteria, but in a waste site where roundup products were frequently dumped, a resistant strain of bacteria was discovered growing. Researchers cultivated the bacteria and got the gene they eventually inserted into plants. Well if round-up kills bacteria, could it be killing lots of "beneficial" organisms in the soil and leaving room for bad ones to move in? Sure enough, I looked up some studies and found that crops treated with roundup are much more vulnerable to fusarium wilt. I also found that micorrhizal relationships are destroyed by the chemical when it gets into the soil, which hurts surrounding plants. So I'm going to see if I can "culture" the soil with micorrhizal cultures you can order online, and if that's too expensive, I'll just get some dirt from a healthy garden area and move it over, and discourage further roundup use to spot-treat the garden. I think that having healthy soil with a thriving backbone of beneficial fungus/bacteria really makes a difference getting plants through difficult weather periods.

I use it all the time. It works well on fungus gnat larvae, whitefly, aphids, thrips, scale, etc. Doesn't work at all on mites. I just scatter it on top of the soil. Be sure not to leach for the first several waterings, or you'll reduce the effectiveness - it's all on the label. For most plants, only apply once a year. I read where one person suggested making little holes, putting the stuff in, then covering, so when you stick your finger in later to check watering needs, you're not touching the stuff. Probably not a bad idea, but it takes too much time, so I don't bother.