Recycle the Rain - Reduce Stormwater Runoff

One way to reduce stormwater runoff is to recycle the rain in a rain barrel.

Watch a video here to learn one method of setting up a collection system. You can get very creative with not only the decoration of your barrel but also the movement of the water. Some use pumps or elaporate plumbing to route the water where it is needed.

Rain Barrel workshops are offered monthly at the Manatee County Extension Office. To inquire or register for this series contact the Manatee County UF/IFAS Extension office at 941-722-4524 or email michelleatkinson@ufl.edu

Another way to reduce stormwater runoff is to install a rain garden. A rain garden is a shallow, constructed depression that is planted with deep-rooted native plants and grasses. It is designed to receive runoff from impervious, hard surfaces such as parking lots, roads and roofs, while also collecting rainwater from pervious surfaces like lawns. Rain gardens slow down the flow from these surfaces, hold the water for a short period of time, and allow it to naturally infiltrate into the soil. This infiltration reduces the amount of runoff, and the native plants, mulch and soil in a rain garden combine with natural physical, chemical and biological processes to filter out stormwater pollutants.

Porous surfaces should be used whenever possible for traffic areas such as driveways, walkways, and patios. Materials such as gravel, mulch and pervious concrete will allow rainwater to seep into the ground. A positive byproduct will be that the porous surfaces will act as a filter if any runoff is captured.

Recycling the Rain is a great way to conserve water. Have fun and go wild developing your own systems. Please share your photos and stories with me.

Consult the Manatee County UF/IFAS Extension office with questions at 941-722-4524 or email michelleatkinson@ufl.edu.

Create Your Fabulous Florida Friendly Landscape

Create Your Fabulous Florida Friendly Landscape Series to start August 27th.

With the signing of S.B 2080 by Governor Crist many homeowners are looking for direction on Florida Friendly Landscaping™ practices.

Senate Bill 2080 states that a deed restriction or covenant may not prohibit or be enforce to prohibit any property owner from implementing FFL on his or her land; a local government ordinance may not prohibit or be enforced so as to prohibit any property owner from implementing FFL on his or her land; local governments shall use the standards and guidelines when developing landscape irrigation and Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ ordinances.

To help you develop your Florida Friendly Landscape we are offering a 5 step series. As a participant you will learn how to save water, time & money all while creating your Fabulous Florida Friendly Landscape.

Step 1 - Dazzling Designs on August 27th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Step 2 - Wise Watering on September 24th from 6:00pm yo 8:00pm

Step 3 - Magnificent Maintenance on Oct. 22nd from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Step 4 - Recycle the Rain on Nov. 19th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Step 5 - Compost Happens on Dec. 10th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

To inquire or register for this series contact the Manatee County UF/IFAS Extension office at 941-722-4524 or email michelleatkinson@ufl.edu.

Recycle in the Landscape

Fun Landscape Recycling

The photos in this post are some creative and fun ways to recycle in your landscape.

Other Ways to Recycle

Landscape maintenance activities — mowing, pruning, raking — generate yard waste that you can return to the soil, recycling valuable nutrients. It is easy to recycle yard waste. Try a few of these simple ideas to get started.

Compost or mulch with yard wastes to reduce the amount of solid waste to be hauled away. Florida Statutes prohibits disposing of yard trash in landfills.

Leaves and pine needles provide a source of mulch that is a real asset in the landscape, and it is virtually free! If your yard generates more leaf mulch than you can use, compost the material or share some with a neighbor.

After pruning trees and shrubs, toss small cuttings into a compost pile or behind a shrub.

Never dump grass clippings or other yard waste into storm drains or waterways. Such activities are illegal and can pollute water systems and clog drains. Grass clippings are a significant source of nitrogen, so keep them on the lawn and out of the water.

Deciduous trees reduce energy costs by shading a house in summer and, after leaves fall, by allowing sunshine to heat a house in winter. Many new Floridians avoid having deciduous trees in their yards because they believe that fallen leaves require raking. If you desire high-quality turf under trees, then you should rake leaves to improve light penetration to the turf. If you do not want turf, permit leaves to remain under trees to form a self mulching area. Leaves add nutrients to soil as they decompose. If aesthetics are an issue, plant shrubs under trees to avoid raking. They will benefit from decomposing plant litter and help to hold leaves in place so they won’t clutter the landscape.


Composting
A common misconception about plant care is that plants require fertilizer. Plants need nutrients, but they might not need added fertilizer. That is because as organic matter decomposes, nutrients are released into the soil in a form that plants can take up. Some key nutrients for plants include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron and manganese.


A great way to supply some of these key nutrients to plants while recycling yard waste is by adding compost, which you can make from yard or kitchen waste. As compost decomposes in soil, it releases essential nutrients. Add generous amounts of composted material frequently to soil and it can create the perfect medium for sustained plant health.

Manage Yard Pest Responsibly

Due to concerns about health, the environment, and pesticide resistance, pest control practices once taken for granted are now under scrutiny. Regular preventive pesticide applications are still common for some pests but are often unnecessary. Healthy plants can usually defend against or tolerate pest attacks, while beneficial insects, birds and other natural controls often suppress undesirable insects — which makes the preventive and indiscriminate use of pesticides ill-advised.

A better approach to managing pests — Integrated Pest Management (IPM) — emphasizes using a combination of environmentally friendly methods that focus on preventing pest problems.
What are the basic building blocks of IPM?

• IPM begins at planting time, with pest-free and pest-resistant plants and a landscape design that encourages natural controls.

Keeping your plants healthy is the best defense against pests.

Regular scouting, or keeping an eye on your yard’s plants, helps detect pest problems early, before significant damage occurs.

Plants with aesthetic damage don’t necessarily need to be treated.Consider the amount of aesthetic damage you are willing to accept.

If you see a pest outbreak, determine if a problem really exists or if natural enemies are already present and are working on your behalf.

If pest control proves necessary, try the safest alternatives first, such as handpicking insects or pruning infected parts of a plant. If pesticides become necessary, choose the least harmful materials. The “softest” insecticides on beneficials and other non-target organisms (people, pets and wildlife) include insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, and microbials (e.g., spinosad, abamectin, Bacillus thuringiensis ‘Kurstaki’).

Use pesticides only to spot-treat affected plants or lawn, not in blanket applications.

Also check out

http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/community/home_gardening/index.shtml http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/community/landscape/design/index.shtml http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_BOOK_Florida_Weeds

Consult the Manatee County UF/IFAS Extension office with questions at 941-722-4524 or email michelleatkinson@ufl.edu.

Get in the Know

Learn the Dirt on Summer Turf

July 8th 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Manatee County Extension Office

Workshop topics include summer lawn pests, diseases, and maintenance. Register online for this free workshop at http://manatee.ifas.ufl.edu or call the Manatee Office at 722‐4524.

Smart Landscape - Planning & Care

July 15th 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Manatee County Extension Office

The key to smart landscaping is to develop the Florida‐Friendly Landscaping™ plan to save water, time, & money. We’ll think through and solve intended uses of your landscapes plus the care required to maintain healthy plants. Register online for this free workshop at http://manatee.ifas.ufl.edu or call 722‐4524. This class will satisfy the educational requirements for the Landscape Retrofit portion of the Manatee County Water Conservation Rebate Program.

Consult the Manatee County UF/IFAS Extension office with questions at 941-722-4524 or email michelleatkinson@ufl.edu.

Florida-friendly Landscaping

Raised bed vegetable gardening. This is a beautifully designed area that houses efficient low volume irrigation on a separate zone than the rest of the landscape beds. This concept allows the homeowner to water the vegetable garden more often without wasting water on the landscape beds which do not require as much water.