Urban Home*A*Syst - Runoff Management

Landscaping, gardening and lawn care can improve both the beauty and value of your home and be a part of a healthy lifestyle. On the other hand, over application or misuse of fertilizer and pesticides could affect the quality of local surface and groundwater supplies.

This chapter helps you identify, evaluate and reduce the pollution risks of yard and garden care on your health and the environment. This chapter covers:

Your lawn and garden might be the last places you would look for pollution problems. But, behind beautiful landscapes are activities that may threaten your health and the environment. On average, homeowners use 10 times more chemical fertilizers and pesticides per acre than farmers use on farmland. Especially if applied improperly, these chemicals can find their way into drinking water wells and pollute nearby lakes and streams. Closer to home, children are particularly vulnerable to pesticides that are stored or used without proper safety precautions.

On average, homeowners use 10 times more chemical fertilizers and pesticides per acre than farmers use on farmland. Overuse of fertilizers and pesticides could affect the quality of local surface and groundwater supplies.

Most residents want to have well-kept homes with attractive landscape plants and a green lawn. These residents may spend a lot of time and money to achieve this ideal. And the number of products and lawn-care services increases each year to meet the demand. Normal applications of lawn and garden products generally pose few problems. A properly maintained home landscape, in fact, can help reduce soil erosion, conserve water and improve soil fertility. Poor maintenance — either through neglect or excessive chemical applications — can lead to soil problems, polluted runoff and groundwater contamination.

	Low Risk Recommended	Medium Risk Potential Hazard	High Risk Unsafe Situation	Your Risk
Fertilizers	Apply 1 pound or less of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. feet, 2-3 times per year. Soil sample my yard annually.	Apply over 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 sq. feet 4 o 5 times per year. Soil Sample my yard every 3 or 4 years.	Apply unknown amounts of nitrogen over lawn four or more times per year. Have never soil sampled my yard.	High Medium Low
Pesticides	Nonchemical methods used to control pests	Low chemical methods used to control pests only when needed (IPM)	Chemicals used without regard to label instructions or conditions. Buy whatever is cheapest.	High Medium Low
Lawn (turf) type and maintenance	Turf grass suited to soil type, available sunlight and climate. Pest resistant grass preferred. Mowed to proper height.	Native unimproved grasses exist. Mowed to proper height, but not proper height, but not proper frequence.	Grass type not suited to available light, soil or climate. Grass type is pest-prone. Mowed to less than 1 inch in height.	High Medium Low
Ground cover and other plants	Ground cover, flowers, trees and shrubs planted to reduce soil erosion. Plants resist disease and insects.	Yard has small areas with soil erosion. Plants require chemical pest control to maintain good appearance.	Yard has large areas with soil erosion. Plants require insect and disease-fighting chemicals to survive.	High Medium Low
Composting	Compost pile well- maintained, contains yard waste, vegetable food scraps and nitrogen source (such as manure)	Compost pile poorly maintained (such as not aerated, or lacking the proper mix of materials). Dog, cat and other pet wastes added to pile.	Compost pile poorly maintained, contains excessive high- nitrogen material and located less than 50 feet from shallow well of surface water.	High Medium Low
Water requirements of plants	Grass, flowers, trees and shrubs able to survive with normal rainfall.	Landscape plants require light to moderate watering.	Heavy watering required to keep lawn and other plants alive.	High Medium Low
Watering methods	Watering done in early morning only as needed. Low water- use device used (like soaker hoses). Sprinkler systems on manual control.	Watering done in the evening with hose or hose sprinkler. Some water run down drive and street.	Watering done during heat of the day. Sprinkler system used without regard to weather conditions or lawn appearance.	High Medium Low

If you rated yourself as a “medium” or “high” risk in any of these categories, read the following sections for some tips to improve. If you only rated “Low” risks, congratulations and keep up the good work.

Nitrogen is the key plant nutrient for building a thick green lawn. Nitrogen is one nutrient that is extremely difficult to measure; therefore, homeowners need to use products with nitrogen judiciously. Never apply more than 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet and never apply more than three times a year. Applied at the right time and in the right amount, fertilizers supply the nitrogen your lawn needs. A basic fertilizer containing slow-release nitrogen and other essential nutrients is the most environmentally safe and cost effective. At least 30 percent of the nitrogen on the fertilizer package should be listed as slow release. This fertilizer usually costs more but you apply it less often.

If you apply fertilizer at the wrong time or in the wrong amount, insect and disease problems can get worse. For instance, chinch bugs, sod webworms, nematodes and brown patch may increase if you overstimulate your lawn with soluble nitrogen. Too much nitrogen also causes excessive growth that can increase maintenance costs. If you apply too much fertilizer it can also be washed away before the grass takes it up, thus polluting nearby streams, lakes and rivers.

If you hire a lawn and garden care service, insist that fertilizers only be applied when the weather is favorable — preferably when rain is not expected for at least 24 hours. Rainfall, however, can be tricky to predict. Be sure to keep children and pets away from treated lawns for at least 24 hours. Before rain washes away excess fertilizer, sweep it from walks, driveways and patios back onto the lawn. Lightly water in fertilizer applications. Nonchemical fertilizers, such as compost and fish meal, and other soil amendments also should be applied based on the needs of your lawn according to your soil test recommendation.

It will be easier to keep your lawn healthy if your grass is suited to local growing conditions including rainfall, temperature, soil type and available light. Contact the Washington County Extension office (444-1755) for a list of grasses recommended for Northwest Arkansas. Cutting the grass to the right height is important; lawns cut too short invite weeds. Mow often enough so that you remove no more than one-third of the grass blades per mowing. Keep your mower blades sharp. A dull mower blade makes a ripping cut, creating two or three large wounds on each grass blade. The larger the wounds, the greater chance of the grass becoming diseased.

Grass clippings should be left on the lawn – in many cases clippings supply enough natural fertilizer so that only minimal additional fertilizer is needed to keep your lawn green and healthy. You should collect clippings, however, if you are trying to prevent the spread of lawn diseases. Switching to a human-powered mower can cut down air and noise pollution. If you reduce your lawn size and grow plants that require little maintenance, such a mower can be practical.

Although hand-removal of weeds, insects and other pests is safest for the environment and your health, chemical pesticides — if properly used — may pose only a minimal risk. The key is doing your homework before you use them. Correctly identifying the pest is the first step. Many plant problems are not caused by insects or disease but are related to temperature extremes, water-logged soils or drought, lawn mower damage or overuse of chemicals. Learn when and where pesticides are needed. Apply them only where pests occur. Select chemicals that are the least toxic or that break down quickly into less harmful substances. Always read the label BEFORE mixing and applying pesticides. Check with the Washing County Extension office or local garden supply stores for information. Be sure to ask yourself, for the sake of clean groundwater and an environment with fewer chemical pollutants, if you can tolerate a few more weeds and “bugs” around your home.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is simply a systematic approach to controlling pests in your landscape. Although the use of nonchemical controls is preferred, chemicals may be used selectively if nothing else works.

Weeds can be controlled by hand-pulling or hoeing, and bugs can be removed by picking them off vegetables and garden plants. Clean up dead leaves and debris before they become a home to pests. The lady beetle (ladybug), green lynx spider, praying mantis and green lacewing feed on other insects. Pesticides are often used on pests which, if left alone, would never have become a problem. Not killing all of the destructive insects helps maintain a food source for beneficial insects and organisms that provide natural, biological control. Planting a variety of flowering plants in the landscape may also increase the population of beneficial insects.

When you have no other choice, try to find nontoxic or low-toxic chemicals such as insecticidal soaps. Follow directions carefully and mix only the amount you need. Some pesticide labels give directions only for mixing 1 or more gallons of spray. Use the conversions in the table below for mixing smaller quantities.

Be sure to treat just the affected plant(s). On lawns, spray the affected area and a 5-foot buffer area around it. Blanketing the lawn or landscape with pesticides is wasteful and could damage the environment. Pesticide overuse can kill beneficial organisms and insect predators. And the beneficials rebound slower than the pests! For IPM to work, you have to give more time and attention to your yard and garden. For instance, regular monitoring helps you detect pest problems early.

Like pesticides and fertilizers, soil washed away by rain can pollute streams and lakes. Even if you do not live near water, storm runoff can carry soil there. Remember, the storm drain system in town is a direct path to somebody else’s stream. Gardens, lawns and construction sites with areas of bare soil, especially on sloped land, are prone to soil erosion. You can protect soil and reduce erosion by planting ground-cover vegetation or using wood-chip mulch or landscape fabric. On steep slopes, plant a vigorous ground cover but avoid turf grass that requires mowing. Building terraces or retaining walls on slopes also can help prevent soil loss. Swales (small dips in the ground) and berms (raised earthen areas) can help divert runoff that rushes from your yard. Choose plants that are suited to the area and are insect and disease resistant.

The cost of collecting, hauling and handling yard trash is a large share of solid waste management expense. From an environmental point of view, yard trash accounts for up to 20 percent of the total municipal waste produced year-round. So composting is a cost-effective, natural way to handle leaves, clippings, vegetable scraps and other yard wastes. In the end, you get a high-quality, soil-enhancing material.

Composting takes advantage of nature’s recycling system for breaking down plant and other organic materials. You can simply put yard wastes in a pile, or install homemade or store-bought bins. In addition to yard waste, you can add vegetable trimmings and fruit peels from your kitchen. Your compost pile will remain relatively odor-free if you turn and water it regularly. Composting can take as little as 4 to 6 weeks or as long as 1 to 2 years, depending on the size and type of material in the pile and the amount of attention you give it.

Finished compost is valuable. lt can be mixed into garden soil or spread on lawns and landscape plants as a slow-release source of nutrients. Adding compost 1) improves soil structure, texture and aeration and increases the soil’s capacity to hold water; 2) helps loosen compacted soils; 3) promotes soil fertility and stimulates root development in plants; and 4) creates a favorable environment for microorganisms and larger creatures such as earthworms and insects that are nature’s “soil builders.”

One word of caution: Animal manures contain high levels of nitrogen, and different types of animals have different levels. If manure is left in piles exposed to the weather, nitrogen-rich runoff may result. If you mix manure from horses, sheep, cows or other plant-eating animals with your compost, be sure to add plenty of leaves, straw, rotted sawdust or pulled weeds to keep concentrations of nitrogen and other nutrients low. This will help prevent contamination of groundwater.

Do not put pet wastes (from cats and dogs) in compost piles because of potential parasite and disease problems. Also, never place meat, animal fat or dairy products in the compost pile. Try to locate piles at least 50 feet from drainage ditches, creeks and storm drains.

In Northwest Arkansas, you can receive more information and training on composting from the “Master Composters” program through the Washington County Cooperative Extension Service.

These volunteers are available to help you set up a compost bin and get you started.

There is also a composting demonstration facility located at the Washington County Cooperative Extension Service office at 2536 N. McConnell Avenue in Fayetteville (east of the Washington County Fairgrounds).

The average American uses around 200 gallons of water each day. About half of that water may be used for landscaping and gardening, depending on climate and time of year. This is an immense amount of clean water — and your plants need only a small portion. If you convert your landscape plants to ones adapted to the local climate, you will take the biggest step in conserving water. Fortunately, Arkansas’ climate supports countless plant varieties; local plant nurseries grow many of these. Once native and drought-tolerant plants are established in the right location, most require little, if any supplemental water, fertilizers and pesticides.

Perennial flowers conserve water because their roots grow deeper than annual plants and require little or no watering once established. A 2-inch layer of leaves, compost, wood or bark chip mulch over bare soil will reduce stormwater runoff and keep water from evaporating. (See Chapter 2, Runoff Management.)

Because most plants can tolerate at least short dry periods, watering should be timed to meet the biological needs of the plants. Watering slowly and deeply (1''-1 1/2'') helps develop deep roots; in the long run your plants will need less frequent watering. The plants that seem to benefit most from shallow watering are the ones you don’t want—weeds. Plants can absorb only so much water. Over-watering wastes water and can injure certain plants.

Drip irrigation systems and soaker hoses deliver their water to the intended plants efficiently. By choosing and operating a watering system correctly you can reduce water bills, fungal diseases and maintenance requirements.

If you have an automatic sprinkler system, install a rain shut-off device or sensor that will override the system when adequate rain has fallen.

For best results, water in the early morning (4 a.m.-7 a.m.) when temperature and wind speeds are at their lowest and evaporation is reduced. Grasses will be less susceptible to fungus if you apply water at the time dew normally forms. For grass watering, apply 1'' to 1 1/2'' of water when the grass shows signs of distress (bluish-gray color, folded leaf blades). Don’t water anymore until the symptoms reappear.

Gradually reduce watering to see if plants can tolerate less water. There is usually very little need for watering from fall through spring, and you should always turn off automatic systems if rainfall is consistent.

For more helpful tips on lawn care or for answers to specific lawn, garden or landscaping questions, feel free to contact the Washington County Cooperative Extension Service and speak to one of the staff or one of the “Master Gardeners” on call. The Master Gardeners are a group of volunteers who receive in-depth lawn and garden care training in return for community service such as helping answer lawn care questions for others in the public.

Lawn and Garden Care Fact Sheets
The following fact sheets on lawn and garden care are available for the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas.
EC 412	Roses
FSA 2046	Tall Fescue Lawn Calendar
FSA 2048	Zoysiagrass Lawn Calendar
FSA 2049	Common Bermuda Lawn Calendar
FSA 2060	Managing Problems Weeds in Turf
FSA 2087	Composting
FSA 6032	Worm Composting Bin
FSA 2096	Fall Bulbs
FSA 2097	Arkansas & U.S. Hardiness Zone
FSA 2114	Fertilize your Lawn - Keep it green
FSA 2121	Test Your Soil
FSA 6026	Conserving Water in the Home Landscape
FSA 6047	Common Landscape Plants
FSA 6048	Planting Trees and Scrubs
FSA 6037	Growing Strawberries in Arkansas
FSA 6022	Flowering Annuals

This chapter was written by Marc Teffeau and Ray Bosmans, University of Maryland Cooperative Extension; Sidney Park-Brown and Susan W. Williams, University of Florida Cooperative Extension. It was adapted for Urban Home*A*Syst by Merle Gross, Washington County Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas.

Pictures of chickens, flowers, wheat, a boy looking through a magnifying glass, irrigation pipe, soybean pods, and fruits and vegetables.	Cooperative Extension Service





Cooperative Extension Service	Agricultural Experiment Station
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Washington County Urban Home*A*Syst Runoff Management

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Urban HomeASyst
Runoff Management