Lawns can look good, conserve water

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The good news about lawn and landscape irrigation is that you can have your cake and eat it, too. Lawns and landscapes can be designed and maintained to be good looking and water conserving.

From University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension's John Fech, 10 useful tips to accomplish both objectives:

10. Measure the amount of water applied in a 15 minute period using collection devices such as tuna or coffee cans. Adjust the runtime to deliver the required amount.

9. Kentucky bluegrass lawns, in general, require 1 inch per week in April and May, 1 1/4 inch per week in June, 1 1/2 in July and August, 1 1/4 in September and 1 inch in October.

8. Use a screwdriver or soil probe to measure moisture (rainfall plus irrigation water) penetration into the lawn.

7. Water to the bottom of the roots. Use a small shovel to determine how deep the roots are. Actually the soil should be kept moist to about half an inch deeper than the deepest roots to encourage downward growth. Roots are shallow in summer and deeper in spring and fall.

6. When watering on a slope, use "delayed starts." Run your sprinklers until you notice runoff, then stop. Wait three hours, then resume. Aerate to increase infiltration.

5. Water early in the morning (4 to 10 a.m.). This allows the grass blades to dry, making them less susceptible to foliar diseases. Watering is more efficient in morning due to less evaporation and wind speed. Change the time that your system runs monthly, or at least seasonally. Contact a lawn sprinkler professional if you need help.

4. Observe your sprinkler system once per month. Look for heads that don't turn, heads that spray into the street or onto a sidewalk, bent or damaged heads, clogged or worn nozzles or orifices, turf growth around heads that impede water delivery, puddling and runoff.

3. Adjust heads as landscape plants grow larger and begin to block the spray pattern. New installations of benches, decks, etc. can also decrease irrigation efficiency.

2. On days when temperatures are above 90 degrees, run your sprinklers 5 to 10 minutes per zone in the afternoon to cool the turf and reduce stress. This is called "spritzing," and it reduces the symptoms of summer patch disease.

1. Create water zones by putting plants together that have similar water needs. Each turf species has a different water requirement which is also distinct from ornamentals. Ornamental plants should be grouped into low, moderate and high water users. Each zone of plants should be irrigated according to its needs.

How about taking the 100 Gallon Challenge this summer? The goal is to save 100 gallons of water a week, making changes in both indoor and outdoor practices.

Tips for outdoor water savings, along with potential savings per week:

• Water only between 4 and 8 a.m. to reduce evaporation; 40-70 gallons depending on lawn size.

• Adjust sprinklers to prevent spraying the street, sidewalk and driveways; 30-50 gallons.

• Reduce each lawn irrigation by two minutes; 50-90 gallons

• Use a bucket of soapy water to wash your car, using hose only for rinsing, and use self-closing nozzle; 30-70 gallons.

• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and small sidewalks; 20-40 gallons.

• Repair leaks in hoses, valves and sprinkler heads; 10-50 gallons.

• Repair or replace outdoor hose bibs; 90-100 gallons per bib

• Install drip irrigation for flowers, fruits and vegetables; 50-70 gallons.

• Install a "smart irrigation controller" that shuts irrigation system down when it rains; 60-100 gallons.

• Replace part of your lawn with drought-tolerant perennials and groundcovers; 30-50 gallons.

Note: Estimated savings assume reasonable home maintenance activities and traditional lawn watering pattern of one inch per week in April, May and October, 1 1/4 inch in June, 1 1/2 inch in July and August, applied equal amounts, twice a week. The 100 Gallon Challenge is adapted from the San Diego Water District.

Properly wash fresh produce, prevent foodborne illness

Fresh fruits and vegetables make any summer meal more delicious, but only if proper food safety rules have been followed. It is important to properly wash fresh produce before eating to reduce harmful microorganisms that could cause foodborne illness, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln food safety specialist said.

Wash produce with running water and then let that water go down the drain. Do not just soak the produce, said Julie Albrecht, UNL Extension food safety specialist in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

If there is something on the outside of a food, soaking it could allow the microorganisms to spread to other parts of the food or to other produce in the same sink. Running water washes the microorganisms down the drain, Albrecht said.

"It's really just about preventing cross contamination," Albrecht said. "Always use a colander or strainer so the water goes through the produce instead of just letting produce sit in water."

It is important to wash all fresh produce, even ones with rinds that are not eaten, Albrecht said. Bacteria could be living on the surface and then spread to the inside of the fruit when the rind is cut.

Scrub foods with tough surfaces, like melons and potatoes, with a vegetable scrubber.

Immediately refrigerate fresh produce after cutting it. Most fruits and vegetables can be stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, which is cold enough to kill microorganisms.

"Once you cut something or peel it, keep it cold, refrigerate it. Do not let it set out at room temperature because microorganisms grow best around temperatures of 80 to100. Plus, your food will be crisper and of a better quality," Albrecht said.

Leafy vegetables and tomatoes have been linked to foodborne illness outbreaks in recent years, so take extra care to wash them and keep them cold, Albrecht said.

Be sure to also wash hands, surfaces and utensils before handling raw produce.

While shopping, only buy the best-looking produce that will stay fresh the longest.

"Pick high-quality produce with no bumps or scratches at the peak of ripeness or maybe a little under ripe," Albrecht said. "And make sure there is no mold, especially on berries."

Buffalograss good for some, not everyone

Is buffalograss for everyone? The simple answer to that question is NO. People that like green lawns in April and early May, enjoy mowing the lawns frequently and/or watching the sprinkler water the lawn out the window while sipping a cup of coffee in the morning will be disappointed with a buffalograss lawn.

That's not to say that one couldn't mow buffalograss that often or use a lot of water on buffalograss turf. It's been said some even considered spraying their buffalograss lawn with green paint in the spring so it would match the color of his neighbor's lawn.

If, however, you think that the amount of money spent on keeping the bluegrass lawn green is getting too high or you would rather be fishing than mowing the lawn, or you want a more eco-friendly lawn, then buffalograss might be the solution for you.

Buffalograss is a warm season grass that typically starts to green up in mid to late May and goes dormant with the first killing freeze in the fall. With buffalograss's shorter growing season, the amount of time that the lawn needs to be watered is reduced by three or more months. The other advantage that makes buffalograss more water friendly is the depth of root system compared to bluegrass. Established buffalograss will have roots down to three feet whereas established bluegrass will have roots to eight inches. The rains in April and May that the bluegrass used is stored in the soil profile for summer use in the buffalograss turf. A few timely irrigations will keep buffalograss green and growing all summer long.

A high maintenance bluegrass lawn will need a regular mowing schedule of twice weekly. Buffalograss is a naturally short growing grass and if not mowed will reach only a height of 4 to 5 inches. Buffalograss can be mowed at shorter heights or to reduce the male flowers on a schedule of once every two weeks. Homeowners wanting to spend less time mowing and more time on other leisure time activities may want to consider buffalograss.

Buffalograss does require less fertilizer, using zero to 2 pounds nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per season. Bluegrass fertilizer use is in the range of 1 to 4 lbs N/1,000 square feet per season.

No widespread insect problems on buffalograss have been noted to date; chances are that you may never have to treat for insect problems.

Weed control is a different issue in buffalograss and may be more challenging, especially during the establishment years. Cool season grasses and winter annual weeds tend to be problems in buffalograss especially during the months of April and May.

New herbicide programs have been developed that generally will control cool season grasses and annual weeds. New classes of herbicides have been labeled for use in buffalograss lawns reducing dependance on 2,4-D products or combination products that would damage buffalograss.

Open, dry, sunny sites are ideal for buffalograss lawns. The grass is adapted statewide from the Nebraska/Wyoming stateline to the Missouri River in the east. Sites that are shaded by trees or serve as the neighborhood football field would be better planted to different turfgrass species.

Is buffalograss for you? You be the judge.

By Jim Schild, extension educator, (308) 632-1480.

Video game teaches kids to handle pests

With a little bit of sleuthing, gamers can find all sorts of environmentally responsible ways to rid their homes and properties of unwanted pests with a new video game available from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.

"Pest Private Eye and the Case of IPM in Schools" uses colorful characters like Pest Private Eye and his prot‚g‚e Penny Poe in a classic detective story format with up-to-date video gaming technology to teach fourth- through sixth-graders that swatting bugs, fixing screens to keep mosquitoes out or repairing a leaky faucet to discourage cockroach infestations are really part of IPM, or integrated pest management.

"IPM is all about controlling common pests using the lowest environment-impacting methods possible and to use chemical pesticides only after these other methods have been tried since pesticides ultimately get into our environment and water," said UNL Extension assistant Erin Bauer, who helped develop the game for the UNL Department of Agronomy and Horticulture's pesticide education office.

These low- to no-impact methods include sanitation, exclusion, moisture reduction, mechanical controls, habitat modification, biological controls and low toxic chemicals.

"IPM reduces exposure to pesticides, increases human health and safety and protects the environment, concepts we want to teach people in ways they can relate to and easily learn from," Bauer said.

Which is where Pest Private Eye, Penny Poe and their dastardly pest foes come into play.

Game players learn about IPM through a virtual investigation of Eureka Elementary, a school invaded by pests such as flies, roaches, rodents, ants and spiders.

Sleuthing from room-to-room, players learn about and identify pests. They pick up and use tools along the way that assist them in helping Pest Private Eye solve his IPM problems while his trusty assistant, Penny Poe, helps players navigate the game and summarize the IPM concepts they're learning.

"Game players learn about and use IPM strategies like reducing clutter or cleaning up trash, screening windows, sealing holes, fixing leaks, trapping and using low toxic baits. Using a magnifying glass when they see a pest, players learn about identifying pests before controlling them," Bauer explained.

For reference, players have access to a "Pest ID" book when they need help in identification and can get clues by talking to the game's school principal and staff about what pests have been noticed around the school.

They also learn about using protective clothing and equipment, such as gloves and HEPA masks when working with droppings, along with flashlights, sticky traps, snap traps, baits and trash bags.

If players need a hint, they can get that too, from Eureka Elementary's pest management professional, who gives Pest Private Eye his cell phone number, letting players "call" for help as they navigate the game.

Designed to meet public school curriculum standards, the game has been piloted in public libraries, summer 4-H camps and after school programs, Bauer said.

Biology students at Lincoln Southeast High School also tested the game extensively, she said.

"We got a lot of valuable feedback from pilot participants, which resulted in many refinements to the game," Bauer said.

Complementing the game is a teacher's guide with IPM activities for the classroom and a Pest Private Eye comic and coloring book.

The game is for sale as a DVD ($15) or computer download ($12), which helps UNL cover development costs over and above a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Pesticide Stewardship Education Program that helped create it.

As far as Bauer knows, it is the only comprehensive IPM video game of its type.

Internet links to a game demo, teacher's guide, comic book, and other IPM resources is online at http://schoolipm.unl.edu/pestpi/

Harvesting rainwater

When it rains in Nebraska we usually are thankful for the moisture. Why then do we design our properties and landscapes to move rainwater away as quickly as possible? Why not harvest some of the rain to help conserve water resources?

Rainwater harvesting is not a new concept, but it is making a comeback in practices such as rain barrel use. Rain barrels are fairly limited in the amount of rainwater they collect, but newer methods are also being used. Bioretention gardens, rain gardens, planter boxes, vegetated swales and green roofs are examples of rain harvesting methods being used in home, business and community landscapes.

Water is a precious and limited natural resource whose value is ever increasing. How we view rainwater run-off is changing. Traditionally, in urban communities, rainwater is referred to as stormwater and treated as something to be moved off site as quickly as possible via curbs, gutters, storm drains and pipes (gray infrastructure).

Water run-off, from rain and snow melt, is beginning to be viewed as a resource to capture and reuse or allow to infiltrate (soak) into soil through the use of green space features such as rain gardens (green infrastructure). When this is done, the volume of stormwater run-off from a property is reduced, water is returned to soil to increase soil moisture, and pollutants are filtered.

As stormwater flows from roof tops and across surfaces to storm drains, it picks up pollutants such as sediment, fertilizer, grass clippings left on sidewalks, and oil dripped on driveways. Stormwater is not treated to remove pollutants. It is discharged from curbs to storm drains to streams, rivers and lakes, taking pollutants along with it which impairs surface water quality.

Designing and installing landscapes features to harvest rainwater not only conserves and protects water resources. It also can save money on water bills, increase property values, conserve energy by cooling the environment, improve air quality by plants absorbing air pollutants, and enhance the aesthetics of residential and community landscapes.

For home landscapes, rain barrels, rain gardens and the use of porous surfaces such as bricks on sand or porous pavers for patios are rain harvesting methods being used. Don't overlook simple roof downspout redirection. In place of water from downspouts being directed to a paved area, redirect it to a planted area away from the building.

Redirecting downspouts to a rain barrel or rain garden is an even better option. Today's rain barrels are screened to keep out mosquitoes and designed to direct overflow away from a building's foundation. To remove water from a rain barrel, spigots are attached near the base for garden hose connections.

Although rain barrels are a common way to harvest rainwater, a typical 55 gallon barrel is limited in how much rain can be collected. This is why they are designed for overflow with the overflow being directed to another rain barrel, plant bed, or rain garden.

Rain gardens are fairly shallow depressions of nearly any size with amended soils. They have small berms on three sides and are located where they capture rain from a downspout, lawn, or paved area such as a driveway.

Rain gardens are typically planted to deep rooted native perennials and grasses that tolerate very short periods of pooling water, but otherwise dry conditions between rain events. Most plants used in rain gardens are readily available and currently planted in Nebraska gardens.

A concern with rain gardens is they will have standing water and breed mosquitoes. This is not the case. Surface water in a properly designed and installed rain garden will infiltrate and be gone in 48 hours or less with 24 hours being ideal.

To learn how to design and install a beautiful, functional rain garden, NebGuides covering design, construction and plant selection are available at http://ianrpubs.unl.edu. Type stormwater or rain gardens in the search box to locate these guides.

Another University of Nebraska-Lincoln resource for information on rainwater harvesting and other best management practices for conserving and protecting water resources is the UNL water Web site, water.unl.edu. The rain garden NebGuides also can be found at this site in the Lawns, Landscapes and Gardens section.

By Kelly Feehan, UNL Extension Educator

Eco-friendly yard tips from the professional landcare network

The start of spring gets people excited about working in the yard. These days, many people want to create yards that are easier to maintain and more eco-friendly but they don’t know where to start.

The nation’s lawn and landscape association, the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), offers consumers tips for making their yard and gardens more eco-friendly.

“To create an eco-friendly yard, you have to start from the ground up,” said PLANET member, Richard Heller, Landscape Industry Certified Manager & Technician. “Test your soil and make sure it is in good shape; then assess the healthiness of your grass, plants, and trees,” he continued. “If your yard and plants are healthy and the eco-system is in balance, you need to worry less about watering and treating for diseases and pests.”

PLANET offers tips for creating an eco-friendly yard:

• Test your soil. To ensure that you have a healthy yard, check the pH level of the soil. Either have a professional do it or get a test kit from the local agricultural extension office. Nothing will grow well if the pH balance is off.

• Create a yard that has a rich biomass by planting in layers. The amount of biomass in a square foot is measured by the number of different types of plants, animals, and insects that live in that space. The rainforest, for instance, has an incredibly rich biomass. A rich biomass produces more oxygen, sequesters more carbon, and supports local native animals and insects that help keep the ecosystem healthy.

• Plant the right plants in the right places. Make sure that you are planting shade plants in shady areas and plants that need sun in bright areas. Doing so will create less stress on the plants which will help to keep them disease-free.

• Create a yard that uses less water. Look for plants and grasses that use less water. Different plants have different watering needs: research it and don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach to watering. Also, water early in the morning or late in the day; and water less often but for a longer time.

For more information, or to find a lawn and landscape professional, log on to www.landcarenetwork.org/findaprofessional.

PLANET is the association of members who create and maintain the QUALITY OF LIFE in communities across America. With more than 3,500 member companies and affiliates, these firms and their employees represent more than 100,000 green industry professionals.

Some of these professionals have taken the extra step of becoming certified through PLANET and bear the distinction of being known as Landscape Industry Certified.

Color in the garden -- focused, dedicated, simple

Even an icy, windy day can't stop the most determined gardener. February finds them working on compost piles, filling birdfeeders, thumbing through plant catalogs and envisioning the summer's perfect garden.

"Writing and gardening, these two ways of rendering the world in rows, have a great deal in common. In my part of the country, there comes each year one long and occasionally fruitful season when gardening takes place strictly on paper and in the imagination." -- Michael Pollan

The desire for color may be the single most important element sought by gardeners, according to Bryan Kinghorn of Kinghorn Gardens in Omaha. But that doesn't mean color has to be unusual or dramatic.

"One of the most distinct colors in all of nature is green," said Kinghorn, and it has an amazing range -- from subtle to crisp, lime to gray to olive to Granny Smith apple green.

Kinghorn recommends using a subtle mix of greens with limited and deliberate placement of flower color. Using green as the primary color more closely mimics the natural environment and provides the perfect backdrop for more dramatic colors.

"Color is exciting to work with and, in the end, has tremendous impact on the overall personality of the garden," Kinghorn said.

He encourages gardeners to select dedicated areas where it can have the most impact -- strategically placing it to move guests through gates, onto patios or toward other entertainment areas. Color can be used to lead the eye in the same way, making it especially valuable in areas visible from inside the home. "I like to use color very intentionally, as a focus, a tool for visual continuity and as an invitation toward a mysterious destination."

Repetition and diversity, two components of good design, can be easily and effectively achieved through the strategic use of color. Since color is one way to leave a very personal fingerprint in your yard, Kinghorn recommends selecting a favorite color and using plants with different hues of that same color. The foliage color of one plant can be repeated in the flower colors of another, for example. Selecting flowers with the same color but in different textures can provide the same appealing mix of repetition and diversity -- planting delicate, dark pink coralbells alongside bold coneflowers, for instance. "It's a wonderful practice that is easily overlooked," Kinghorn said, "but when done well is simply stunning."

Other considerations for designing with color:

• Annuals tend to be brighter-colored and longer-blooming, but they require annual planting and leave the landscape bare for much of the year.

• Color has a significant impact on visual space. Muted or pastel colors, placed farther out in the landscape, visually expand the garden space and give the illusion of being farther away.

• Red, orange and yellow flowers appear closer than they are and are particularly effective in full sun.

• Placing light-colored plants in shady areas will brighten the space and make it more visually interesting; dark-colored plants will appear even darker and less noticeable.

• Color complements other design considerations, including unity, focal points, rhythm and balance. Though visually important, it is seasonal and transitory in nature and one of the later considerations in landscape design.

By Karma Larsen, communications associate, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum