Are you feeding the weeds in Lake Garfield?
Due to a variety of circumstances, the weeds on Lake Garfield seem to grow more robust and bothersome each year—and you, yes you, may be one reason why. If you live on or around Lake Garfield you are feeding the weeds if you…
…use common fertilizer on your plants & lawn.
A lot of us are already doing a great job of providing weeds with an abundance of fertilizer. We dump it on our lawns on or near the lake. One of those Monterey rainstorms comes along and washes that fertilizer into the lake. Voila! Weeds enjoy a feeding frenzy. Fertilizer makes things grow in the lake just as they do on land. Makes sense, yes? Time-released fertilizers are environmentally friendlier and are less popular with weeds as they don’t like hanging around waiting for their meals.
…use household products with phosphates.
Phosphates are found in almost all laundry detergents and dishwashing powders. They go down the drain, into your septic and before long seep into the lake. Weeds on phosphates bulk up like athletes on steroids. There are phosphate-free detergents that, happily, do nothing to enhance weed growth—but, you have to be willing to spend a few pennies more for them.
…rarely clean out your septic tank.
Septics are designed to seep. That seepage can ultimately find its way into the lake and guess what? If you’re a
weed, septic seepage provides mega nutrition—and tastes better than chocolate. Septics should be cleaned out every few years.