Earth Day Count Down - Day 19

#19 Get Outside!
Getting outside is a fun, easy and low-cost way to spend time with your friends and family. The preserves of Manatee County offer a wonderful variety of animals and plants. Take a tour on foot or kayak. For more information go http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/natural-resources/resource-management/preserves.html or http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/ for regional information.

Earth Day Count Down - Day 20

#20 Buy Local!
Local food production can be thought of in concentric circles that start with growing food at home. The next ring out might be food grown in our immediate community - then state, region, and country. Buying local goes for more than just food, buying local saves on transportation costs and has a positive impact on our carbon footprint. For more information visit  http://farmlink.org/ to find local food & farms or the Bradenton Farmers Market.

Earth Day Count Down - Day 21

 

#21 Water efficiently!
Typically, up to 50% of water used by households is used outdoors. Efficient watering will not only help you save money and conserve water, but can also create a healthier landscape. Manatee County offers irrigation rebates and evaluations to residents. For more information visit http://manatee.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn_and_garden/water_wise/index.shtml

April is Water Conservation Month

April in Florida…
It’s an ideal time to enjoy a little fun in the sun and to remind Floridians about the importance of water conservation.
The state Legislature designated April as Water Conservation Month because April is in the dry season, typically the time when water needs are most acute and temperatures begin to climb. Although Florida receives an average of 52 inches of rainfall per year, 60 percent of that annual rainfall is from June through September.
If you haven’t thought about conserving water, now is a great time to start! On average, about 50 percent of home water use is for outdoor irrigation. One way to reduce your water consumption is by practicing Florida-friendly landscaping techniques. Florida-friendly landscaping, established by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences for the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program, is a commonsense way to landscape that conserves water and protects the environment. Florida-friendly landscaping emphasizes the following nine principles:

• Right Plant, Right Place — Plants selected to suit a specific site will require minimal amounts of water, fertilizers and pesticides. Group plants according to their maintenance needs.

• Water Efficiently — Irrigate only when your lawn and landscape need water. Efficient watering is the key to a healthy Florida yard and conservation of limited resources.

• Fertilize Appropriately — Less is often best. Over-utilization of fertilizers can be hazardous to your yard and the environment.

• Mulch — Maintaining a 3-inch layer of mulch will help retain soil moisture, prevent erosion and suppress weeds.

• Manage Yard Pests Responsibly — Unwise use of pesticides can harm people, pets, beneficial organisms and the environment.

• Recycle — Grass clippings, leaves and yard trimmings recycled on site provide nutrients to the soil and reduce waste disposal.

• Reduce Stormwater Runoff — Water running off your yard can carry pollutants such as soil, debris, fertilizer and pesticides that can adversely impact water quality. Reduction of this runoff will help prevent nonpoint-source pollution.

• Protect the Waterfront — Waterfront property, whether on a river, stream, pond, bay or beach, is very fragile and should be carefully protected to maintain freshwater and marine ecosystems.

• Attract Wildlife — Plants in your yard that provide food, water and shelter can sustain Florida’s diverse wildlife.

Incorporating these simple steps will not only save water, but will help protect the environment for future generations. For more information about how you can conserve water inside and outside your home, please visit the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s web site at WaterMatters.org.

Spring Irrigation Maintenance

Click on the photo above to view video.

Florida-Friendly Fertilizing

Sometimes Florida yards need fertilizer to help keep them healthy, but applying too much fertilizer, too often or at the wrong time can cause water pollution. 

Recent studies have shown that rising nitrate levels in many local water bodies can be traced to fertilizer. Nitrate is a form of nitrogen that is found in inorganic fertilizers. When fertilizer is needed and applied correctly, the lawn absorbs the nitrogen. However, fertilizers applied improperly can run off lawns and into local water bodies, harming water quality and threatening the plants and animals that depend on clean water for survival.

You can help protect water quality while having a beautiful lawn. Learn more with steps 1–5 or by ordering our free Do-It-Yourself Guide to Florida-Friendly Fertilizing. 

Fertilizer applications vary depending on grass species, your location in the state and your desired level of lawn care. For more detailed information, visit University of Florida/IFAS.

Know When to Apply Fertilizer

To prevent fertilizer from washing into water bodies, it’s important to know the right time to fertilize. Follow these tips before fertilizing:

• Consider the time of year, climate, soil type and, most important, type of grass and health or condition of the lawn before applying fertilizer.
• Fertilize only when the grass is actively growing. For instance, during the winter, grass is dormant in many areas of Florida; therefore, fertilizer is not necessary. Fertilizer applied when grass is not growing wastes your money and time, since it will not be beneficially used by the grass. Instead, it will leach through the soil or run off and pollute nearby water bodies.
• If your lawn has problem areas, find out if this is related to a pest, soil or environmental problem such as excess shade or the uneven distribution of irrigation water. These problems should be corrected and not just masked by fertilization.
• If your household uses reclaimed water, check with your utility to determine if your reclaimed water has nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which are also in fertilizer. If so, you may not need to fertilize as much.
• Do not fertilize if rain is predicted in the next 24–36 hours or when a heavy rain, tropical storm, hurricane or flood is predicted.

For more information check out http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/yards/fertilizing/