Agricultural/horticultural chemicals are now a part of our everyday lives. They are in our neighborhoods, our cities and farm fields. Without chemicals it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to grow the plants and lawns we prize for our homes or raise crops to supply our food needs.

Gardeners need to be responsible chemical users; making sure chemicals are only used when needed and when they can help a particular situation. It is important to first find out if there are cultural solutions to a plant problem. It also helps to buy the most effective but least toxic chemicals available. Applying chemicals carefully and storing them safely is also important. Labels should be read, not just at the time of purchase, but every time a chemical is used.

When it comes to chemicals, labels are your best friends. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has put forth rules on what information must appear on the labels of almost every chemical.* They even have regulations as to how that mandated information should be presented. Before a product is offered to consumers, the chemical manufacturer must submit the label to the EPA for approval and registration.* A few products listed later are exempt.

Here is what is required on each label:

What is it? /What is in it?
• Name of the product and amount in the container
• Name of active ingredients and percent of each
• Percent of inactive ingredients

Signal words for level of toxicity
• Danger = most hazardous
• Warning = moderately hazardous
• Caution = least hazardous

Statement of Practical Treatment
• First aid instructions in case of exposure

Precautionary Statements
• Divided into hazards to humans and animals, as well as hazards to the environment

Specific Pests
• List of the pests for which it is intended

Specific Plants and Area of Plants
• Lists of plants and what part of each plant can be treated with the chemical

Application Rates and Methods
• Specific information on how the chemical should be applied. This also lets you know if the product can be used with other products. It can inform you of the amount of time that should elapse before you use fruits or veggies that have been treated.

Protective Clothing/Precautions
• Sometimes protective clothing (such as long sleeves or chemical resistant gloves) is advised.

Storage and Disposal
• Instructions on safe ways to store the chemical, what to do with the container once it is empty and how to dispose of the chemical.

Are Home Chemicals Safe?
That is a good question for which there is no simple answer. Yes, home chemicals are safe; and No, no chemical should be considered truly safe.
When they are used exactly as the label prescribes, they are considered safe by the EPA (and they have some very rigorous standards to test for safety). But other credible independent sources cite studies that question just how safe they really are. Sometimes it is difficult to know what to believe.

Sometimes the confusion is compounded when a chemical that was once considered safe is re-evaluated. For instance, DDT was thought to be safe for years, now it is banned. Chlordane was once a mainstay in the home gardener’s arsenal against pests, it is no longer used as well.

Products such as Di-Syston add another level of confusion. Garden centers can sell Di-Syston to a homeowner (labeled 2% systemic insecticide granules) for use indoors. But if you own a commercial greenhouse and want to use that same chemical at a higher concentration, you will need a pesticide applicator's license. There are strict rules as to how long after application before it is safe to re-enter the area.

Some chemicals are definitely less toxic and less hazardous than others. Often it is a matter of concentration, but not always. A few chemicals that can be picked up on the shelf at any garden center are so poisonous that ingestion of less than a teaspoon could kill an average-size adult.

Are "Organic" Products Safer Than Non-Organics?
To be considered organic, a product needs to be derived from something that occurs naturally. Generally, organics are considered safe to humans, animals and the environment. But that is not always true. For example, lime-sulfur is labeled “Danger,” the highest level of toxicity, and the label is full of frightening precautions. The bottom line is: do not treat chemicals casually. We all may have opinions on how safe or dangerous chemicals are, but no one knows for sure.

Caution, Warning, Danger
Chemical toxicity varies according to body size and how a person is exposed (i.e. swallowing it or getting it on the skin). The level listed on a chemical container is based on the greatest risk of exposure for that chemical for an average-size adult. These ratings indicate acute toxicity, which is damage from a single, short-term exposure to the chemical. This is different from chronic toxicity, which is damage from lower-level exposures over a longer period of time.

Every registered pesticide (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides) is required to be clearly labeled as either danger, warning or caution. These ratings are based on single exposures, while many of the chemicals we deal with are used repeatedly. This may change the level of perceived “safety.” No matter how safe, all precautions should be followed and chemicals should only be used when necessary.

Danger: The most hazardous classification. Less than a teaspoon of undiluted chemical could be fatal. Sometimes it will have a skull and crossbones, but not always. Examples: Captan-fungicide, Funginex-Rose Pride-fungicide, Orthenex- fungicide/insecticide.

Warning: Moderately toxic. A teaspoon to a tablespoon of undiluted chemical could be fatal. Examples: Fruit and Tree- insecticide/fungicide, Brush No More- herbicide, Infuse-fungicide, Fung-onil-fungicide, Orthene-insecticide.

Caution: Acute toxicity occurs with more than one tablespoon of chemical. Examples: Roundup- herbicide, Weed-Be-Gone-herbicide, Malathion- insecticide, All Season Oil-insecticide, Bon-neem insecticide, Eight-insecticide.
• These are only a few examples. Please check labels for each specific product.

Inert Ingredients
All pesticides are made up of both active and inert ingredients. Active ingredients are actual pesticides and inert ingredients are anything else in the product that does not actually function as a pesticide. Inert ingredients serve several purposes: First, they are fillers. Without them, it would be almost impossible to accurately measure out the small amounts of active ingredients. Inert ingredients also help keep some chemicals stable while stored. Surfactants (such as soap) are sometimes used as an inert ingredient to help the chemicals stick to plants. Other specialized inert ingredients are emulsifiers, which are wetting agents. In the case of aerosol pesticides, they are also ingredients that keep pesticides dissolved under pressure.

Some of the most common inert ingredients in liquid garden chemical formulas are water and alcohol. In powdered formulas, they often use talc or diatomaceous earth. Petroleum solvents, such as kerosene, are sometimes used in garden products. Inert ingredients are generally considered nontoxic, but not always. Most of them break down very quickly in the environment. The industry is considering voluntarily changing the term “inert” to “other” to reduce confusion.

Chemicals That Are Off the Market
Some may ask why some garden chemicals aren't around any more. Some are no longer effective since insect populations build up resistance after repeated exposure. Others do not generate enough money to warrant the expenses involved in licensing the products with the EPA. (Each registration can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.) A few that used to be available to homeowners are now restricted chemicals. Others have been found to be too dangerous for people, animals or the environment.

Restricted Chemicals
There are some chemicals deemed either too hazardous or too difficult to be applied safely by an unlicensed applicator. These products are listed for restricted use and are not sold to homeowners. Restrictions do change from time to time. They can also vary as to where the product is used. For instance, a specific insecticide may be labeled for use in a home garden but not for use on a golf course. When a chemical is restricted, it means you have to have a pesticide applicator's license to purchase and use it.

What Is Piperonyl Butoxide
Quite often you see piperonyl butoxide listed on labels. Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) is a synergist, a substance that enhances the action of the active ingredient. It is often used with organic insecticides, such as pyrethrins or rotenone. There is some controversy about PBO because in high enough doses (more than the recommended rates) it becomes toxic. Some organic certification programs prohibit its use.

Exempted Chemical Products
There are some chemical garden products that are considered so safe that they are not required to be registered or to follow government guidelines for labeling. Just because they are considered safe, does not necessarily mean they are effective.

Here is a list of some of the chemicals Bachman's sells that are exempt:
- Citronella
- Corn Gluten (Concern Weed Preventer)
- Blood Meal

As the industry searches for more “safe” chemical alternatives for gardening, there are lots of new products flooding the shelves. Many of them fit in this exempt category. Watch for products based on cinnamon oil, garlic, lemongrass, salt, corn and soybean oil.

The Whole Truth?
Often labels do not list everything in a product. Sometimes, the exact formula or recipe is considered a “confidential trade secret.” That means the label only has to tell us what the EPA thinks we need to know.