Watering your lawn and garden: A healthy, green lawn needs no more than one inch of water per week. To measure, place empty tuna cans, or similar containers, around your lawn while your sprinkler is running. Time how long it takes to fill the cans one inch. This is the amount of time you should water your lawn each non-rainy week. Vegetate bare spots in your yard: Vegetation helps your lawn retain water and prevents erosion. Because grass, trees, and other plants are able to slow down and absorb water, they can reduce runoff from your land. Sediment carried into storm drains can cloud water (turbidity) and destroy aquatic habitats. Plant your garden with plants that are native to the Piedmont Triad area to avoid using extra water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Controlling pesky weeds and insects: Weeds and insects are a threat to beautiful lawns and gardens, but most people don't realize that the chemicals and pesticides used to control them are contributing to the pollution problems in our streams, creeks and rivers. In an effort to get rid of buggy pests, many gardeners use pesticides up to 20 times the rate of farmers. When it rains, these chemicals wash off the ground into storm drain sewer systems - which means they flow directly in to our streams, lakes, and rivers. Before planting, improve your soil by adding 3 to 6 inches of compost. Use natural fertilizers such as cotton seed meal, bone meal and fish fertilizer. Use less toxic alternatives for pests, such as beer traps for slugs. Avoid the use of "weed-and-feed" products. If an herbicide is necessary, spot spray just the weeds, not the entire lawn.
If you must use pesticides or fertilizer, REMEMBER: Rain or water from garden hoses and sprinklers wash pesticides, fertilizers, and other materials off yards, driveways, and streets and into gutters and storm drains. Here are some tips for reducing the amount of chemicals, pesticides and fertilizer that can make its way to our streams and rivers: Use pesticides, chemicals, and fertilizer sparingly. Never over-water. Avoid applying chemicals when rain is forecasted. Clean and rinse all equipment over the lawn or garden, but never on the sidewalk, driveway, or down the gutter or storm drain sewer. If you have excess chemicals, dilute them with water and apply to lawn or garden where the water will be absorbed and not carried into the storm drain sewer. Store chemicals carefully in airtight, labeled containers. Sweep up spills after absorbing the spill with sawdust. Place the used sawdust in a strong plastic bag and take to a household hazardous waste collection center. NEVER wash down spills with water!
Direct Downspouts Away from Paved Surfaces Allow the water from your gutters to drain into vegetation, rather than directly to pavement. This helps water filter through the soil and reduces runoff. Grass clippings, twigs, leaves and other yard waste When grass clippings, leaves, and other yard materials are blown onto streets, they will eventually be washed into stormwater systems. Leaves and debris either get caught in a drain or culvert causing local flooding, or flow through stormwater systems directly into rivers, streams or stormwater ponds. Yard debris is organic, so when it enters water bodies, it decays and eats up the oxygen in the water which will harm aquatic life.  Here are some points to remember and some alternatives:
Grass clippings do not cause thatch build-up in the lawn. Thatch is last year’s roots and stems, not clippings. When mowing the lawn, leave grass clippings on your lawn. Grass clippings will provide 1/3 to 1/4 of the nutrients your lawn needs in a year. This saves you one fertilizer application per year! If your local government provides curbside yard waste collection, keep the yard waste and leaves on the edge of your lawn - not on the road. Compost leaves and grass clippings at hom
Sweep grass clippings and other debris off the pavement and into your lawn, garbage, or compost pile. If it rains or you use a hose to clean off your pavement, the debris will be washed into your local stream, lake or river! Soil testing ( from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture) "Would you add oil to your car's engine without checking the level on the dipstick first? Of course not! That would be silly and possibly dangerous. However, many people do something similar every year when they apply lime and fertilizer to their soil without getting a soil test." Soil sample boxes are not available by mail. Soil sampling kits are available at County Cooperative Extension Centers. Simply stop by and ask for one. They are free of charge to any NC citizen. With the soil sampling kit you will also receive a Homeowner's Guide to Soil Sampling. This tells you how to take the soil sample and how to fill out the attached paper work. For more information on FREE Soil Sampling Kits contact your County Extension office: Alamance County Cooperative Extension: Directions; or phone: 336- 570-6740 Davidson County Cooperative Extension: Directions; or phone 336-242-2091. Guilford County Cooperative Extension Directions; or phone: 336-375-5876 Randolph County Cooperative Extension: Directions; or phone: 336-318-6000
| Leaves and Yard waste 
Red clay, leaves and yard waste runoff into storm drains flowing directly to a water supply lake! Never sweep yard waste into the street! 
If your city or town has a yard waste pick up service, pile leaves and other yard waste on the edge of your lawn. Keep the streets clear of debris. |
