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Landscape to Reduce Waste

Landscape to Reduce Waste. Chuck Ingels, Farm & Horticulture Advisor UC Cooperative Extension, Sacramento County. Landscape to Reduce Waste Why?. Americans generate 4-6 lbs. of trash a day per person Avg. US household generates 650 lbs. of compostables each year

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Landscape to Reduce Waste

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  1. Landscape to Reduce Waste Chuck Ingels, Farm & Horticulture Advisor UC Cooperative Extension, Sacramento County

  2. Landscape to Reduce WasteWhy? • Americans generate 4-6 lbs. of trash a day per person • Avg. US household generates 650 lbs. of compostables each year • Garbage handling is 4th largest expense for many cities • CA goal: Divert 50% of organic matter

  3. Landscape to Reduce WasteWhy? • In CA, yard wastes are the largest component of municipal waste • Grass clippings = about half the yard trimmings deposited in state landfills • An average CA lawn produces 300 to 400 lbs. grass clippings / 1,000 sq. ft. annually

  4. Landscape to Reduce WasteHow? • Design and select plants to reduce pruning • Lawns: Reduce area, use alternative species, grasscycle • Prune properly, water & fertilize judiciously • Use plant debris for mulch or compost • Reduce, recycle, reuse & rebuy

  5. Landscape to Reduce WasteDesign and Select Plants to Reduce Pruning Select plants to match local conditions • Sun exposure • Temperatures • Rainfall • Soils • What plants are native or well adapted?

  6. Landscape to Reduce WasteDesign and Select Plants to Reduce Pruning

  7. Select Appropriate PlantsReplace High Maintenance Plantings

  8. Select Appropriate PlantsAvoid Invasive Species

  9. Landscape to Reduce WasteReduce Lawn Areas

  10. Landscape to Reduce WasteChoose Alternative Turf Species • Currently the most promising species: • ‘UC Verde’ buffalograss • -Buchloedactyloides • Sedge species • -Carexpansa,Carexpraegracilis, • Carextexensis

  11. Choose Alternative Turf Species ‘UC Verde’ Buffalograss Other varieties available too (‘Legacy’, ‘Prestige’) Unmowed Mowed

  12. ‘UC Verde’ BuffalograssCharacteristics • Buffalograss native to U.S. • UC Verde developed by UC, 2003 • Max. height: 4-8 inches • Infrequent mowing (2-3 wks.); can be mowed once a year • Highly drought resistant – “Up to 75% water use reduction” • Winter dormancy – Partial; shorter than bermudagrass

  13. ‘UC Verde’ BuffalograssApproximate Price (Florasource, Ltd.) • 1 plant per foot (avg.) • $0.535 per plug, 128 plugs per tray • 4 trays per box = 512 sq. ft. • 512 x $0.535 = $274 • Boxing = $7.50, Shipping = $20 • Total = $301.50 • (Tall fescue sod = ~$200-$250) • Savings? Less mowing & water

  14. Landscape to Reduce WasteChoose Alternative Turf Species Carexpansa Carexpraegracilis Carextexensis(shade)

  15. Choose Alternative Turf Species Carexpansaand C. praegracilis A web site said Carex pansa (left) & C. praegracilis (rt.), but natural variations occur C. praegracilis, mowed & unmowed

  16. Carex Species Used for Turf • C. praegracilis Clustered field sedge • C. pansa Sand-dune sedge • C. texensis Catlin sedge • -better for shade? • Sedge family (like • nutsedge) – triangular • Stems & seeds

  17. Carex Turf SpeciesCharacteristics • Native throughout U.S. and Calif. • Taxonomy is ambiguous; much variation • Most in hort. trade were collected from dunes in Central Calif. coast • Some say Greenlee Nursery C. pansamay be C. praegracilis • Very drought tolerant • Summer dormancy – Stays green with irrig.

  18. CarexpraegracilisApproximate Price (Native Sons Nursery) • 1 plant per 3-4 in. (up to 6 in.) • = 4-16 plugs/sq. ft. • Price = $0.35 per plug • 512 sq. ft. x 4 plugs = 2,048 plugs • 512 sq. ft. x 16 plugs = 8,192 plugs • Shipping = $25 (min. order; higher cost for shipping farther) • Total = $717 to $2,867

  19. Carex Turf SpeciesKey Nurseries & Info • Native Sons Nursery (Arroyo Grande) • Greenlee Nursery (Chino) • Clarification of C. pansavs. C. praegracilis: • Internet search: • “A Sedge by Another Name…Is Confusing”

  20. Landscape to Reduce WasteGrasscycle

  21. Landscape to Reduce Waste Prune Selectively and Properly NO! YES

  22. Landscape to Reduce WasteWater and Fertilize Judiciously

  23. Landscape to Reduce WasteProduce Mulch or Request from Tree Company

  24. Landscape to Reduce WasteComposting

  25. Making CompostBrowns High carbon materials such as: Leaves (30-80:1) Straw (40-100:1) Paper (150-200:1) Sawdust (100-500:1) Animal bedding mixed with manure (30-80:1)

  26. Making CompostGreens High nitrogen materials such as: • Vegetable scraps (12-20:1) • Coffee grounds (20:1) • Grass clippings (12-25:1) • Manure • Cow (20:1) • Horse (25:1) • Poultry (10:1), with litter (13-18:1) • Hog (5-7:1)

  27. Making CompostBrowns vs. Greens • Browns • Decay very slowly • Coarse browns can keep pile aerated • Tend to accumulate in the fall • Tie up nitrogen in soil if not fully composted • May need to stockpile until can mix with greens • Greens • Decay rapidly • Poor aeration – may have foul odors if used alone • Tend to accumulate in spring and summer • Supply nitrogen for composting • Best composting if mixed with browns

  28. Aerobic Composting • Composting with decomposers that need air (oxygen) • The fastest way to make high quality compost • Produces no foul odors • Aerobic decomposers produce heat (140F+)

  29. Is Shredding Necessary? • Smaller particles have greater surface area, decompose faster • Allows microbes to get at more of the food

  30. Many Types of Composters Tumblers Bins

  31. Landscape to Reduce WasteReduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy Reuse & relocate existing plants

  32. Landscape to Reduce WasteReduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy Reuse construction materials

  33. Landscape to Reduce WasteReduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy Reuse construction materials

  34. Landscape to Reduce WasteReduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy Reuse construction materials

  35. Landscape to Reduce WasteReduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy Rebuy • Use recycled products (e.g., “Trex”, “Rumber”) • 1 ton of source-reduced wood product = • 1.1 tons of timber saved from harvest • 4 tons of harvested trees is about 1 acre of forest • One of the largest tire piles in Calif. measured 40 acres in size and 6 stories deep

  36. Landscape to Reduce WasteReduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy Rebuy

  37. Landscape to Reduce WasteResources • StopWaste.org / Bay-Friendly Landscaping & Gardening www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=8 • River-Friendly Landscaping (Sacramento) www.msa.saccounty.net/sactostormwater/RFL/ • CalRecycle / Sustainable Landscaping (CIWMB) www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Organics/ • EcoLandscape.org www.ecolandscape.org • The Sustainable Sites Initiative www.sustainablesites.org

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