Landscape to Reduce Waste Chuck Ingels Farm Horticulture

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

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

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

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

Landscape to Reduce Waste Design and Select Plants to Reduce Pruning Select plants to match local conditions l l l Sun exposure Temperatures Rainfall Soils What plants are native or well adapted?

Landscape to Reduce Waste Design and Select Plants to Reduce Pruning

Select Appropriate Plants Replace High Maintenance Plantings

Select Appropriate Plants Avoid Invasive Species

Landscape to Reduce Waste Reduce Lawn Areas

Landscape to Reduce Waste Choose Alternative Turf Species Currently the most promising species: ‘UC Verde’ buffalograss -Buchloe dactyloides l Sedge species -Carex pansa, Carex praegracilis, Carex texensis l

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

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

‘UC Verde’ Buffalograss Approximate Price (Florasource, Ltd. ) 1 plant per foot (avg. ) l $0. 535 per plug, 128 plugs per tray l 4 trays per box = 512 sq. ft. l 512 x $0. 535 = $274 l Boxing = $7. 50, Shipping = $20 l Total = $301. 50 l (Tall fescue sod = ~$200 -$250) l Savings? Less mowing & water l

Landscape to Reduce Waste Choose Alternative Turf Species Carex pansa Carex praegracilis Carex texensis (shade)

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

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

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

Carex praegracilis Approximate Price (Native Sons Nursery) 1 plant per 3 -4 in. (up to 6 in. ) = 4 -16 plugs/sq. ft. l Price = $0. 35 per plug l 512 sq. ft. x 4 plugs = 2, 048 plugs l 512 sq. ft. x 16 plugs = 8, 192 plugs l Shipping = $25 (min. order; higher cost for shipping farther) l Total = $717 to $2, 867 l

Carex Turf Species Key Nurseries & Info Native Sons Nursery (Arroyo Grande) l Greenlee Nursery (Chino) l l Clarification of C. pansa vs. C. praegracilis: Internet search: “A Sedge by Another Name…Is Confusing”

Landscape to Reduce Waste Grasscycle

Landscape to Reduce Waste Prune Selectively and Properly NO! YES

Landscape to Reduce Waste Water and Fertilize Judiciously

Landscape to Reduce Waste Produce Mulch or Request from Tree Company

Landscape to Reduce Waste Composting

Making Compost Browns 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)

Making Compost Greens 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)

Making Compost Browns 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

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

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

Many Types of Composters Bins Tumblers

Landscape to Reduce Waste Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy Reuse & relocate existing plants

Landscape to Reduce Waste Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy Reuse construction materials

Landscape to Reduce Waste Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy Reuse construction materials

Landscape to Reduce Waste Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy Reuse construction materials

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

Landscape to Reduce Waste Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy

Landscape to Reduce Waste Resources l l l Stop. Waste. org / Bay-Friendly Landscaping & Gardening www. stopwaste. org/home/index. asp? page=8 River-Friendly Landscaping (Sacramento) www. msa. saccounty. net/sactostormwater/RFL/ Cal. Recycle / Sustainable Landscaping (CIWMB) www. calrecycle. ca. gov/Organics/ Eco. Landscape. org www. ecolandscape. org The Sustainable Sites Initiative www. sustainablesites. org