Ramsey Resident - 2001 - July/August

Home

ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND LANDSCAPING PRACTICES ENHANCES WATER QUALITY The following practices will not only save time, money, and beautify the landscape around your home, but also will contribute to better water quality and a healthier environment. Please take some time to review and consider implementing the following landscaping practices: Remember: Keep fertilizers, garden debris, and grass clippings off hard surfaces. Keep nutrients off impervious surfaces where they can easily be carried into storm sewers and local lakes and wetlands. Remember: Water entering storm sewers is not treated before entering local water bodies. Mulch flower beds, shrubs, and trees. Use ground covers or organic mulches, shredded wood, and compost to help retain moisture, reduce weeds, and prevent erosion. Use wood mulch or stepping stone paths in heavily traveled areas. Turn a foot worn path into a design element and prevent soil compaction and erosion. Select hardy plants that are relatively pest free and suited to your site. Consider soil type and condition, drainage, light, moisture needs, and ultimate plant size. Select varieties approved for USDAplant hardiness zone four. Also, place plants in suitable soils and locations. Mis- located plants are often unhealthy and require more care, including pesticides, fertilizers and supplemental watering to survive. Consider reducing the amount of maintained lawn area while increasing naturalized landscape areas. Once established, naturalized landscape areas require less time and money to maintain; reduce the need for mowing, pest control, and fertilizers; and attract wildlife. Provide 15' to 25' buffer strips of unmowed grass or plantings along water bodies. Buffer strips help slow water runoff, prevent soil erosion, and help keep nutrients from being carried into ponds and wetlands. Well - planned buffer strips can be used to frame good views or screen unsightly ones. They also provide areas for wildlife and attract birds, butterflies and small animals. Provide places to recycle yard waste. Not only will this reduce trash- hauling fees; it will provide free mulch in the future. Keep grass clippings off the street by mowing the grass clippings back onto the yard. Leave grass clippings on the lawn as a 9 natural, nitrogen -rich fertilizer. Dig weeds by hand. If you are using a weed killer, put it only on the weeds, not on the whole lawn. Let roof water soak into the ground. Planting beds provide an ideal location to direct downspout runoff. They also replace selected mowed areas with an attractive alternative. If more specific or detailed information is needed, the following is a list of resources: University of Minnesota Extension Service INFO -U and INFO -U FAXBACK: 612 - 624 -2200 Includes messages and fact sheets on lawn care and gardening topics. Catalog of topics available. Master Gardner Volunteer "GARDENLINE ": 651 - 480 -7700 Homeowners can leave a message and a Master Gardener will respond to the request for information. Center for Urban Ecology and sustainability, credit card order line: 612- 624 -4900, 800 - 876 -8636 Listing ofprint materials available. Anoka County Extension & Conservation Center, 550 Bunker Lake Boulevard NW, Andover, MN 55304: 763 - 755 -1280 Sample ofprint materials: - Planning Your Horne Landscape, Parts I and II - Native Trees That Can Be Used for Landscaping - Native Shrubs and Vines for Landscaping - Ornamental Grasses for Minnesota - Ground Covers for Rough Sites - Turf Management Practices for Protecting Water Quality Bulletins Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Woodland Stewardship Program: 651 - 772 -7929 Technical expertise available for individual landowner woodland stewardship, prairie, and wildlife habitat projects. Always be nice to people on the way up; because you'll meet the same people on the way down. Wilson Mizner