Wells & Fertilizer

[YUKON 659]

I was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on wether or not to use weed killer or fertilizer on your lawn if you have a well for a water source?

Jeff

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

How deep is your well? Are you in farm country? you may have the stuff in there alredy.

 

[YUKON 659]

Hi John, my well is only about 27' deep. Yeah I do live in farm country. What's your opinion on maybe one application a year or every other year? When I had my water tested about 6 yrs. ago, it was free of any nitrates/nitrides(?) or whatever ...you know any of the "bad stuff" that is associated with farming. I would like to have a nice lawn, but I do not want to jeprodize my family's health. What do you think?

 

[spreaderman]

weed killer an fert

use 2-4-d as your broad leaf killer it will kill any thing that has a broad leaf... as far as fertilizers go they will not do as good if the p.h. is below 6.0 do a soil test to tell you what the p.h. is .... If it is under add lime as directed on the sample... If your want to add fertilizer I recommend a 5-20-20 with 10% sulfer to help green things up and give you a real healthy lawn with the use of little nitrates ( thats the 5) so you don't have to cut as often

 

[Newfie]

Jeff,

My first instinct would be to go to an artesian well. Sounds like you have the old style water table well. My well is a fairly average depth at about 260 ft. It will cost ya some coin but you will probably be drinking safer water, that is far less likely to get contaminated by fertilizer, gas, oil and the like, because you are tapping water trapped in seams and pockets in the bedrock. Of course the con is that there is no guarantee that the driller will hit water at all. maybe not the most practical solution but a suggestion for peace of mind.

 

[YUKON 659]

Hi Newfie, I do have an artesian well, I live about 2 miles from Lake Ontario and the company that dug my well said they hit bedrock at 11' or 12'. I know this isn't very deep to hit bedrock, but that's where it is around here. So what you are saying is this type of well is 'kinda" safe, even though it"s only 27' deep?

Thanks, Jeff

 

[Newfie]

Jeff,

Wow, that is shallow! probably something to with the geology of the lake. probably explains why Ft. Drum is a giant mosquito infested swamp! I would think it certainly safer than my original thoughts. I'm by no means an expert, just working off of personal experiences here, I was thinking that the local health officer might have some more useful input. But then again maybe not...

 

[Reed]

Dingalingaling - - - - - - -

Spreaderman suggested 2,4-D. Yikes!!!!!!

Let me tell you a little bit about ANY formulation of "D":

2,4-Dichloroxyacetic acid.....1/2 of what Agent Orange is. There are three dioxins in "D" - Hepta, Tetra, and Tri. Half lives are measured in decades but that's with breakdown elements like sunshine or tempuratures, not subsoils.

All molecular dioxins are proven carcinogens and mutagens (measured effects on human lymphocytes, chromosome abberations, etc., as well and tumor regulators).

Twenty five years ago I was a forester for the USFS in northern MN and tester for spray drift studies on forest silviculture areas. They insisted "D" was safe and to make a long story short, I'm the only man alive from that group. I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (stage 4) in '93, had a bone marrow transplant in '94. The rest of my colleagues died of the same cancer.

Water, mow the weeds witht the rest of the lawn, and using any nitrogen-based fertilizers will increase nitrate levels that WILL perculate down through the strata, yet nitrates are generally not implicated with cancers but do represent increases in immune suppression.

"D" is a killer in spite of the falsified federal approval studies, trust me on that. Many lies come from industry-supported rhetoric, that last few days of FBI agent revelations should convince you of that, as well as my own appeal here. Please trust me, you only have your family's health to protect.

Reed HOlt

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I would have the water tested fo cvomon pesticides and other organic compounds. My uncle used to farm up in northern WI, they found the carrier for roundup in his well water, luckily it was the non potable well, but the cows were drinking out of it. That was why they had it tested.

 

[John Paul McMillin]

WOW oakwilt, I was going to suggest the he read the pesticide label before applying anything but maybe that might not tell the truth either HUH? some chemicals hold to the soil and dont leach and other are more free in the soil and can leach down. I myself use synthetic chemicals at work but at home i have an organic farm with a well and even some organic chemicals are very toxic. I dont worry about weeds in my lawn i just keep mowing once a week, just keep mowing before your weeds go to seed and they might not take over so much. Supposedly if you have clover in your lawn then the rabbits will eat that and not your vegetablesJPM

 

[John Paul McMillin]

here is one of my philosophies, every year remove part of your "Lawn" and plant flowers, trees and shrubs. create an environment that simulates nature . This will attract beneficial insects and they will control the "bad bugs" and you will find that you wont need to apply pesticides once you create a functioning environment. Make one area a sunny area , another a shady area , have a water area ( a fish pond or something ), you will be amazed how low maintenance it will become . No more weeding or sprayng . Try it it does work!........JPM

 

[YUKON 659]

Guys, thanks for your opinions. I may talk to the county health dep't. and/or the cooperative extension.

Thanks again, Jeff