Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Although we love spending time in our gardens, many things can harm us when we are working outside.

So, it’s important to use precautions while we’re doing our garden chores.

I know this from experience.

Some plants, such as bougainvillea and pygmy date palms, have thorns that can puncture your hand or finger joints.

The residual plant matter from the thorns can lead to an infection called thorn synovitis.

I know this, because a thorn punctured my knuckle as I was pruning bougainvillea. My finger swelled, I lost range of motion and was in pain for weeks. Eventually, I had to see an orthopedic surgeon about the infection. Now, I always wear my gauntlet gloves when working with thorny plants.

And, that’s just one of the hazards you can encounter while gardening.

Here are some things to keep in mind to help you stay safe.

• Protect yourself from sun exposure.

Wear long sleeves and long pants, stay hydrated, stretch and take frequent breaks. Wide-brimmed hats and sunscreen afford more sun protection.

• Read the labels of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides.

The label is not only the law, but it also provides you important information about how to protect yourself with personal protective equipment and clothing, if needed.

The label provides directions for use and environmental hazards such as minimizing exposure to nontarget organisms like honey bees.

In addition, the label will provide information about re-entry periods or

Preharvest intervals (PHI). A preharvest interval is the minimum amount of days that must be observed between the date of the last application of the pesticide and the date of harvest, which means you must wait that amount of days before you can harvest the fruit or vegetable.

Another important piece of information is called APP, or the maximum number of applications allowed per crop per year.

• Avoid stings

Many of our native bees, wasps and flies are important pollinators and should be encouraged to visit your garden. However, some may sting when provoked, or when their nest is disturbed. To help avoid stings, don’t walk barefoot in the yard; keep sweet drinks and foods covered; pick fruit as it ripens and dispose of rotten fruit; move slowly, and don’t swat at bees or wasps that are foraging for food. It’s also a good idea to wear insect repellant, and avoid mowing the lawn or working in the garden when bees and wasps are active.

• Prevent other bites and beware of poisonous plants

You can protect yourself from stinging caterpillars, venomous snakes, biting spiders, mosquitoes and poisonous plants by not handling something you cannot identify. Learn to recognize poisonous or venomous plants and animals — such as poison ivy and pygmy rattlesnakes. Keep your garden free of debris piles, weeds and standing water, too, to reduce hiding places and habitats.

• Wear gloves

Be sure to protect your hands when working with sphagnum moss and around plants with thorns. A fungus called Sporothrix schenckii can cause the disease sporotrichosis, also known as the rose gardener’s disease or rose thorn disease. This fungus can be found in sphagnum moss and peat moss, and may enter the body through cuts or skin punctures, causing lesions.

This disease is rarely life-threatening and can be treated with antifungals, but gardeners should be aware of this potential threat when working with peat or sphagnum moss.

• Look out, below

It’s a good idea to find out what’s below ground before you begin digging.

You can call Sunshine 811, a nonprofit organization that notifies utility companies where you plan to dig, so they can come out to your property and mark underground cables and pipes. This can protect you from potential damages and can help to keep you safe.

This process usually takes a few days, so call well in advance of your project.

Of course, these are just a few tips to help you along.

If you are injured or suspect you’ve been bitten by a venomous snake or spider, call 911.

If you or someone you know has ingested a poisonous plant, call the Florida Poison Information Center at (800) 222-1222.

And, if you have other questions, or need help identifying a plant or an insect, call your local Extension office.

By Nicole Pinson

Nicole Pinson is an Urban Horticulture Agent in Hillsborough County. She gratefully acknowledges Gerri Almand, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County Master Gardener, for her help in preparing this article. For additional information, you can reach Pinson at (813) 744-5519, ext. 54145.

Published March 9, 2016