Re: bees and box store plants

**"* B* <l*@msn.com>**

Teri Chace shared the following from a Facebook posting, asking for our input:
GARDENERS BEWARE: Many of the plants you buy at Home Depot and Lowe's may be treated with bee-killing neonictinoids. Because there's no clear labeling, many good-intentioned gardeners end up poisoning the very bees they are trying to help! http://ow.ly/xakJk<http://ow.ly/xakJk> (*Home Depot has indicated it is working on safer alternatives, but Lowe's has not yet responded).

 That's just one of the many things you'll learn from our fascinating photo essay featuring beekeepers and experts! Check it out >> http://ow.ly/xakJk<http://ow.ly/xakJk>  The more you learn, the more you can help protect our bees!
 Help SPREAD this post as part of Bee Week! TELL US >> What alternatives to pesticides do you use in your garden?
 â#âSAVETHEBEESâ
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Hi, Teri!

Here's what has happened to the best of my knowledge. HD in their infinite wisdom decided to require labeling on all plants that they sell this year that are treated with neonics, no matter when/where they have been treated in their growth cycle. This applies to all plants, not just the flowering ones. They announced this in the trade press earlier this year but I couldn't find out why or what they hope to accomplish by doing this. Not an inexpensive undertaking BTW.

My expectation is that it will certainly raise the consciousness of some consumers and confuse the dickens out of many. I think I'll see tons of calls into the local extension office for master gardeners about this asking us what to do when a gardener confronts a plant with such a label. 

Exactly what consumers will do with the info (sometimes new to some of them), I can't imagine. Maybe some will finally get it and stop buying plants that are treated, in which case HD will lose lots of money. 

If I were running HD, why would I intentionally put info into the hands of consumers that would encourage them not to buy products I sell? You see my confusion about their strategy?? Almost sounds like they want the garden center section of their business to fail and this is part of that strategy unless they have a follow up plan to flood their garden centers with plants that are NOT treated with neonics and give them deferential treatment.  

The sad truth is that unless the nursery/garden center is organic and you know the plants you buy are grown as such, HD and all other garden center ops are selling plants that have been treated with neonics and one never knows which one is and isn't. Maybe this year the bees will be better off with the new labeling. I think it will only cause confusion because this labeling without any other info leads consumers down a blind alley.  

Lorraine
Lorraine Ballato
Grow the best container plants you can. 
Go to http://www.SuccessfulSelfWateringContainers.com<http://www.successfulselfwateringcontainers.com/> to learn all about it.
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