A Dozen Tips for ... ... GardensÓ Thomas Leo ... we plant often has a direct effect on our own health and the health of those near us. A ... male tree in our own yard A Dozen Tips for Producing Low-Allergy GardensÓ Thomas Leo OgrenWhat we plant often has a direct effect on our own health and the health of those near us. A pollen-producing male tree in our own yard will easily expose us to ten times more pollen than would a similar tree growing just down the block. This can be compared to second-hand smoke. It is possible to inhale some smoke from a person smoking a block or two away from you, but it is hardly the same as someone smoking right next to you. It is the same with plants. If your own yard is full of allergenic plants, then you will be exposed most.Elementary school landscapes are frequently highly allergenic because all too often they have been landscaped with trees and shrubs that will not produce any seeds, seedpods or fruitwhich the children might want to toss at each other. What is over-looked is that these tidy choices are usually male cultivars (clones) and although they are litter-free, they are prodigious producers of allergenic pollen. I am now involved with a pollen-free landscape planting at a new elementary school in Tulare County, California. This work is being sponsored by their local asthma coalition and it is very encouraging to see preventative measures like this being taken. Children suffer greatly from allergies and asthma, and asthma is now the most common chronic childhood disease in the US.Another fine example of low-pollen landscaping surrounds the new American Lung Association Regional Headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. With green construction principles a new Breathe Easy allergy-free office was constructed. The allergy-friendly landscape plant materials are predominantly female, and compliment the clean air building. Other Breathe EasyÔ offices are also now using pollen free landscapes, as are numerous Heath Houses.Twelve tips: Remember, the greater the exposure to pollen, the greater the incidence of pollen-triggered allergy and asthma.1.Dont plant any male trees or shrubs. These are often sold as "seedless" or "fruitless" varieties but theyre males and they all produce large amounts of allergenic pollen.2.Do plant female trees and shrubs. Even though these may be messier than males, they produce no pollen, and they actually trap and remove pollen from the air. There is also some very good all-female sod to use for pollen-free lawns. As an added bonus, these female lawns stay low and require less frequent mowing.3.Plant disease-resistant varieties: mildew, rust, black spot and other plant diseases all reproduce by spores and these spores cause allergies. Disease resistant plants wont get infected as much and the air around them will be healthier.4.Use only trees and shrubs well adapted for your own climate zone. Plants grown in the wrong zone will often fail to thrive. Because they are not healthy, they will be magnets for insects. Insect residue, "honeydew," is a prime host for molds and molds produce allergenic mold spores. Often native plants will be the healthiest choices.5.Be careful with the use of all insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Accidental exposure to all of these chemical pesticides has been shown to cause breakdowns in the immune system. Sometimes one single heavy exposure to a pesticide will result in sudden hypersensitivity to pollen, spores, and to other allergens. This is as true for pets as it is for their owners. Go organic as much as possible. Make and use compost! 6.Diversity is good. Dont plant too much of the same thing in your landscapes. Use a wide selection of plants. Lack of diversity often causes over-exposure. Use lots of variety in your gardens.7.Wild birds are a big plus because they eat so many insects. Plant fruiting trees and shrubs to encourage more birds. Suet also attracts many insect-eating birds. Insect dander causes allergies and birds consume an incredible amount of aphids, whiteflies, scale, and other invertebrate pests.8.Use pollen-free selections whenever possible. There are many hybrids with highly doubled flowers and in many cases these flowers lack any male, pollen parts. Formal double chrysanthemums, for example, usually have no pollen. Another example would be almost all of the erect tuberous begonias. These have complete female flowers, but their male flowers have nothing but petals, making them pollen-free. 9.If you simply must have some high-allergy potential plants in your yard, just because you love them, then watch where you plant them. Dont use any high-allergy plants near bedroom windows or next to patios, well-used walkways, or by front or back doors. Place the highest allergy plants as far away from the house as possible and downwind of the house too. Remember: the closer you are to the high-allergy tree or shrub, the greater is your exposure.10.Know the exact cultivar name of a tree or shrub before you buy it. Dont buy any that are not clearly tagged with the correct cultivar (variety) name and the Latin, scientific name. Compare the exact name of the plant with its OPALS/TM allergy ranking. With this scale, 1 is least allergenic, and 10 is the most allergenic. Try to achieve a landscape that averages at OPALS #5, or below.11.If you have a tree or hedge that has high allergy potential and dont want to remove it, consider keeping it heavily sheared so that it will flower less. Boxwood, for example, has allergenic flowers but if pruned hard each year, it will rarely bloom at all.12.Get involved with your own citys tree and parks departments, and encourage them to stop planting any more wind-pollinated trees. There are thousands of fine choices of street trees that do not cause any allergies and we should be using these instead. Working together we can make a healthy difference, and well all breathe better for our efforts.*Note, with the dioecious plants (separate-sexed) males cause pollen-allergy, and females because they are pollen free, do not. Examples of some of these dioecious plants are: red maple, silver maple, box elder, holly, willow, aspen, cottonwood, poplar, fringe tree, pepper tree, carob tree, Osage orange, mulberry, cedar, juniper, podocarpus, yews, ash, date palms, and even asparagus. Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com .
Top blog stories
A review of Idmobile.com
Idmobile.com offers both pay-as-you-go and contract plans. Pay-as-you-go plans are ideal for customers who don't want to be tied down to a long-term contract, and they can purchase bundles of data, minutes, and texts as and when they need them.
Idmobile.com offers both pay-as-you-go and contract plans. Pay-as-you-go plans are ideal for customers who don't want to be tied down to a long-term contract, and they can purchase bundles of data, minutes, and texts as and when they need them.
AO.co is a trusted expert in TVs, washing machines, clothes dryers and other household appliances. AO.com is one of the largest retailers in the UK and it specializes in electronics, clothes and home furniture.
At Three, we believe phones are good. They just make life better. Easier. And more fun. But
we all need to find a balance that works for us. Our mission is to help our customers use
their phones to live their best lives.
We make your life easier
Since 1992, we’ve been helping customers get the best deal on their dream phone. We firmly believe in giving you the highest quality, for the lowest price. That’s why we work with three of the UK’s leading networks to do all the haggling for you,...
At Halfords, we're all about the journey. With more than 700 stores with over 10,000 colleagues, we're the UK's leading retailer of automotive and cycling products. We are also the leading operator in MOT, tyres, car servicing and car repairs - pleasing more than 750,000 customers every year.
It's important to us that everyone gets great customer service and can enjoy our products, no matter their level of sight. So, if you're blind, partially sighted or struggle to see or read the screen, we’ve a range of features to help you get the most from our products and...
Look iconic, without the hassle— using Nasty Gal discount codes, you can shop your favorite pieces for way less by simply entering one of our promotional codes (of your choice) at the checkout. From delivery offers, to promo deals, we keep ‘em coming, so you always have the offer you...
The Covid-19 has caused the school and universities to shut down around the world creating a major issue in Learning and Education. As this virus spreads through the interaction and if social distanci... The Covid-19 has caused the school and universities to shut down around the world creating a major...
Why its Important to Manage Your Holiday Calendars?
A printable calendar 2021 is a prominent online platform where you download printable calendars of your choice. These calendars can be customized as per our client requirement with photo, text, logo, or any other image. If you are thinking of planning a dream vacation tour with family and kids but...
The world hasn’t forgotten the Superiority of the German People theory adopted by Hitler and resulting in massive destruction represented in the killing of millions of people and the destruction... The world hasn’t forgotten the Superiority of the German People theory adopted by Hitler and resulting in massive destruction represented...
Emmaneul Macron, the youngest president in French history and the youngest French head of state since Napoleon, has said: ‘In the absence of a legal framework, they (EU member states) could rapi... Emmaneul Macron, the youngest president in French history and the youngest French head of state since Napoleon, has...
1-The dictator believes that all his opinions are always right. 2-The dictator believes that he is the embodiment of the country. Any kind of opposition against him is considered a crime against the ... 1-The dictator believes that all his opinions are always right. 2-The dictator believes that he is...
We know the importance of getting our dogs groomed. But not all of us can actually afford the grooming of our dogs luxury pet centre. We know the importance of getting our dogs groomed. But not all of us can actually afford the grooming of our dogs luxury pet centre....
You need to travel, or you are traveling frequently. What are you doing with your pets or your beloved dog? You can’t take your dog with you when you are traveling. You need to travel, or you are traveling frequently. What are you doing with your pets or your beloved...
This article teaches you how to train a dog at home. You can toilet train her at home. You can also train her in removing unwanted behaviours and many exciting tricks. You can train a dog anywhere. So, how can I train a dog at home ? In fact, most...
Having a dog is great but comes with a lot of responsibilities, just like having any other pet. The main responsibility is grooming the dog regularly, something that some people still question the importance of it. If you have been wondering whether you should be grooming your dog, then below...
Neutering (also known as castration) and spaying are the common term used to describe the surgical procedure during which both testicles (in males) and uterus and its parts (in females) are removed in order to sterilize (make infertile) a male and female dog respectively. At Pet Prime Veterinary Clinic (Dog...
You may have noticed cases of your dog suddenly showing signs of aggression or rather becoming aggressive and threatening to bite. Such nasty behaviours and signs of aggression by your dog may be frustrating Well, if you have no idea why your dog gets aggressive all over a sudden and...
The loyal nature of dogs makes them the perfect pets, whether you have a family or not. However, most of the time, people rush into adopting pets only to end up being overwhelmed with the responsibilities, which are physical, emotional, and psychological. If you have been considering adopting a pooch,...
Search topic
Things You Need to Consider Before Adopting a Dog
The loyal nature of dogs makes them the perfect pets, whether you have a family or not. However, most of the time, people rush into adopting pets only to end up being overwhelmed with the responsibilities, which are physical, emotional, and psychological. If you have been considering adopting a pooch,...