Here are some interesting facts and helpful advice about
your lawn and landscape.
Allergy Proof Your Yard
Itchy eyes? Runny nose? Clogged, painful sinuses? Sounds like allergy season
has arrived. But if you love to garden, or simply enjoy spending time in your yard,
don't despair. You don't have to give up the outdoors because of allergies.
Timing and common sense when it comes to lawn and garden maintenance can
help prevent some allergy problems. In fact, here are tips that can help you reduce
the chances of being bothered by allergies.
Warding Off Invaders
- Banishing weeds from your yard and garden — especially allergy inducers like
ragweed, dock, English plantain and lamb’s quarters — can significantly reduce
allergy problems.
- While doing any yard work, wear a mask to filter out excess pollen and glasses or
sunglasses to protect your eyes. Wear long-sleeved cotton shirts and long pants
to keep pollen away from your skin. When you finish your project for the day, take
a shower and wash your work clothes to remove pollen residue.
Watch the Clock & Weather
- Pollen counts peak during the early morning and at dusk. Although cooler
temperatures make these tempting times for gardening, high pollen counts can
discourage even the most determined of allergy-prone gardeners.
- Most trees and shrubs that produce allergenic pollen bloom at certain times of the
year. Learn the blooming times of these plants.
- If you aren’t allergic to mold, mildew, or weed pollen, gardening after rain may be a
good idea for you, as rain helps wash pollen out of the air.
- The plants in your landscape actually affect the amount of pollen in your yard.
Plants with bright, pretty flowers cause fewer allergy problems because they rely
on insects to transfer the pollen. In contrast, plants that rely on the wind to spread
the pollen cause more allergy problems because they produce more pollen.
- Keeping lawns mowed to a proper height decreases their pollen production.
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