Sometimes some weeds are too hard to kill without some chemical help, and that is OK. Using pesticides can be scary to use for some, and they only get used sparingly. It is pretty common to only buy enough to kill that one patch of poison ivy or Canada thistle, etc. and never using it again until the pesky weed shows up again.
But it is important to know that pesticides have limited shelf life, usually, none retain the marketed efficacy past three years in storage, especially if opened. If you have any insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and bactericides that are older than three years old, it is time to safely discard of them. If you have any open containers of pesticides that are older than two years, it is time to discard those as well.
The Office of Indiana State Chemist is the regulating body for pesticide use in Indiana and every year they host regional sites for homeowners, schools, golf courses, coops and businesses to safely dispose of chemicals and pesticides. If you do not have the label for the product or it is not in its original container you can still take those items to the clean sweep sites to safely discard. I have heard of some crazy things that get dropped off at these events, like dicamba in a pop bottle.
The closest Clean Sweep sites this year are on Aug. 22 at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds, 1900 E. Main St., Danville, Indiana or Aug. 15 at Becks Foundation Seed Facility, 6159 W. C.R. 550North Sharpsville, Indiana.
To participate with Clean Sweep, you must fill out the “Clean Sweep Pesticide Disposal Participant Form” to the best of your abilities. The form can be found on our county website or the OISC website.
The first 250 pounds of pesticides are free to drop off. Mail, fax or email the completed form to Nathan Davis at 765-494-4331 or cleansweep@groups.purdue.edu no later than Aug. 9. Questions may be directed to Nathan at 765-494-7108. Then bring your leak-free and safe-to-transport containers to the collection site. Do not mix materials.
Upcoming Extension Master Gardener Training
Are you or someone you know interested in becoming a Master Gardener? The Master Gardener Basic Training class will be
4-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from Sept. 3 through Nov. 7 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. The class consists of 40 hours of horticulture education that covers soils, insect identification, lawncare, managing yard waste, tree care and more. Taking the basic training is the first step in becoming a Purdue University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer. Master Gardeners are a great group of volunteers that work and uplift our local community.Email triciaherr@purdue.edu for more details.
Tricia Herr is the Montgomery County Extension Educator, Ag and Natural Resource. The office is at 400 Parke Ave., Crawfordsville; 765-364-6363. She may be reached by email at triciaherr@purdue.edu.
