The Well-Stocked Hardware Store
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What's in Stock? (Click on the following links for product categories and examples)
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A Well-Stocked Hardware Store
To assist local garden centers and hardware stores in transitioning their customers to holistic lawn care practices, Beyond Pesticides has crafted the “Well-Stocked Hardware Store,” which provides the products and tools necessary to support a move to healthy, organic landscapes. This guide fits in with Beyond Pesticides’ Model Pesticide Policy and Implementation Plan for Communities, but can be used independently for hardware stores looking to encourage the use of products and practices that protect the health of their customers, community, and the wider environment.
Weed and Pest Management:
Even with a focus on cultural practices that build soil and natural systems, pest problems can arise, particularly when customers are in the transition process from chemical-dependent to organic lawn.
Mechanical: Mechanical controls should be the first line of defense for customers that need to manage lawn and garden pests.
Garden Gloves: Because hand pulling is the most tried and true method of removing weeds from a landscape, a good pair of gloves will give your customers a leg up on stubborn problematic plants. Womanswork produces high quality gloves (for both men and women) and West County Gardener is a company that supplies high quality gloves made from recycled materials.
Mechanical Pullers: Hand-pulling weeds simply isn't an option for everyone. Luckily, there are innovative products that can assist. The Garden Weasel caries a couple "WeedPoppers" that don't necessitate your customers breaking their back to remove weeds. GarretWade also produces a high quality weed remover called "Grandpa's Weeder."
Weed Whackers/String Trimmers: Encourage your customers to forgo using glyphosate-based products like Roundup along fence lines, driveways, and other edges in their yard and, instead, opt for a simple pass with a string trimmer. Greenworks also carries a wide range of trimmers to fit your customers' budget and landscape needs.
Flame Weeder: These machines use a targeted flame to kill weeds (and can also be used in the winter to melt ice!). While it can be fun to use these products to burn down weeds, stress safety for your customers, and do make them aware of the potential dangers with their use. Red Dragon has mini, full-sized, and backpack flame kits for customers with larger landscapes.
Traps: It's a good idea to carry a wide range of insect traps for homeowners. Options range from stinkbug and Japanese beetle traps, to bug zappers, to outdoor mouse and squirrel traps. Dynatrap carries a range of bug zappers, including a dangerously fun electric fly swatter. Safer Brand carries a variety of outdoor insect traps. And Havahart specializes in producing no kill traps for small animals.
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