Greening & Gardening

Green Jenine gives us some tips on maintaining a beautiful lawn and garden while being a good citizen of Planet Earth.
 
1.  The length of grass is proportional to the length of its roots.  You want your grass to have long roots so it can survive drought conditions, tolerate insect damage and fend off disease.  If you water frequently, your grass will not develop the long roots it needs.  To develop long roots, grass needs infrequent deep watering.  The grass needs only 1 inch of water a week and may get all or part of this from rainfall.  Keep a mug or other container outside to measure rainfall.  If it is necessary to water the lawn, water it once a week.  To determine how long it takes to provide 1 inch of water to your lawn, set out an empty tuna can on the grass.  When the can is nearly full, you've watered about the right amount.
 
2.  A good way to see if your lawn needs watering is to step on the grass.  If it springs back up after you step away, it doesn't need water.  If it stays flat, the lawn is ready for watering.
 
3.  When mowing your lawn, set the mower blades to 3 inches high.  Longer grass shades the soil improving moisture retention and has more leaf surface to take in sunlight, allowing it to grow thicker and develop a deeper root system.
 
4.  Water in the early morning.  Watering in the evening is more likely to cause the growth of fungus on your lawn.  When you water during the heat of the day, much of the water is lost to evaporation.  Also, try not to water when it's windy, which blows sprinklers off target and speeds up evaporation.
 
5.  Use soaker hoses to water gardens and flower beds.  If sprinklers are used, take care not to water walkways and buildings.
 
6.  Consider planting more trees, shrubs, ground covers, native flower gardens, and less grass.  Shrubs and ground covers provide greenery for much of the year in addition to demanding less water.  Use native plants in flower beds.  Native plants have adapted to rainfall conditions in your area.  Cluster plants that require extra care together to minimize time and save water.
 
7.  If an automatic lawn irrigation system is used, be sure it has been properly installed, is programmed to deliver the appropriate amount and rate of water, and has rain shut-off capability.
 
8.  Apply mulch around shrubs and flower beds to reduce evaporation and help stop weeds.  Add compost or an organic matter to soil as necesssary to improve soil conditions and water retention.
 
9.  Check for leaks in pipes, hoses, faucets and couplings.
 
10.  Use a broom to clean walkways, driveways, decks and porches, rather than hosing off those areas.