Submitted by Thurston County
App rates more than 1000 lawn & garden products, offers natural gardening tips
Now there is an easy way for consumers throughout the Pacific Northwest to choose lawn and garden products that are safer for people, pets and the environment: The Grow Smart, Grow Safe® app.
Products sold in area stores are rated low, medium or high hazard to help shoppers make smart choices. Take this tool to the store or out to the garage and find out how your favorite lawn and garden products rate. The app also offers tips on gardening without pesticides. Download the app for free at here.
King County Local Hazardous Waste Management Program; Portland Metro; and Thurston County Public Health and Social Services partnered to develop the app to provide reliable, science-based information to Northwest gardeners. The information is also available at online here.
Grow Smart, Grow Safe® rates pesticide safety. Products listed in Grow Smart, Grow Safe® are commonly available at retail outlets, and are registered for home use by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. It’s also been approved for use by Washington and Oregon Master Gardeners.
The science behind the app was developed by Thurston County and is used in our county’s pest control prescriptions (fact sheets). Prescriptions are available for controlling common garden pests like slugs, Himalayan blackberry, and Scotch broom, as well as for all County listed noxious weeds. Each prescription provides non-chemical control strategies; chemical solutions are provided as a last resort. Prescriptions and detailed ratings of all chemicals presented in the Grow Smart, Grow Safe® app are available at here.
Thurston County Board of Health chairperson and County Commissioner Cathy Wolfe said “Our health is affected by many different factors, including the chemicals that we use in and around our homes. Grow Smart, Grow Safe lets consumers make informed decisions about which pesticides they use, based on the risks to their health and that of the environment. This app exemplifies that we can do more when we work together than we can individually and that we can all make smart choices that impact our health.”
For more information call 360-867-2586.
