University of Texas researchers have been testing out grasses hoping to find one that’s easy to grow and less work to maintain.
Although we don't grow these types of grasses here in Ontario, it's good to know that someone is working on grasses that will use less of our limited resources.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Low Maintenance Lawns
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Grasses at the Shops
Rainy day last Friday, but my wife needed to run into the store. I drove around the parking lot to look at the various ornamental grass plants that had been incorporated into the landscape. Quite a popular item these days. They have a certain architectural quality. Vertical lines, with various shades of green. In the fall, the grasses often change to a golden colour that fits in with the seasonal colours. In a breeze, the grasses sway to and fro, creating movement and attracting the eye.
Some ornamental grasses like the ones in the first picture tend to stay in clumps, spreading a little bit each year.
November garden calendar of chores
The weeds have stopped growing, the annuals no longer need deadheading and the bulbs likely have been planted. Soon, the holidays will envelop us completely, but before they do, bundle up for a few more end-of-season chores.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Weeds on Stones
Why Follow the Crowd?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Carbon foot prints
From Lawn & Landscape (see the full article here) Trees + Turf = Carbon Storage Homeowner Help
Plants grow by removing carbon dioxide from the air during photosynthesis and incorporating the carbon into above and below ground tissues. In the eastern and northwestern regions of the U.S., trees often are a major component of the urban landscape and the most obvious potential reservoirs for carbon storage. It has been estimated by the journal Oecologia that healthy trees store about 3,200 pounds of carbon per acre annually, or about 7.4 pounds per 100 square feet of space.
It has just recently been recognized that turfgrasses also play an important role in carbon sequestration. In many urban settings, turfgrasses are the major part of the landscape, particularly when recreation areas are considered. It is estimated that turfgrasses occupy about 165,000 square kilometers in the continental U.S, according to the Agronomy Journal and Environmental Management. Healthy turfgrass can store almost 800 pounds of carbon per acre below ground in soil each year, the Agronomy Journal also reports, which equates to almost 1.85 pounds per 100 square feet of lawn or about one-quarter the rate for trees.
Keeping plants in a healthy state is essential for carbon storage to occur, though. Photosynthesis and growth are the carbon generators. To operate at high efficiencies, they require plants to have minimal problems with diseases and have adequate fertility. With turfgrass, for example, maximal productivity has been linked with regular mowing and leaving clippings in place, reports J. Environ Quality. At the same time, it’s important to manage fungal diseases and insect pests because they can negatively impact the potential of turfgrass to sequester carbon. While less is currently known about the ability of horticultural landscape plants to store carbon, one can safely assume they too will contribute to the carbon storage pool but must be kept in a healthy condition.
Healthy, growing landscape plants can offset some of the carbon being generated by individual homeowners. Here is a hypothetical example: A typical gas-powered automobile driven 12,500 miles annually might be expected to release about 2,500 pounds of carbon a year, according to Environmental Protection Agency Emission Facts. A half-acre residence with roughly 50 percent covered in trees could store about 800 pounds of carbon a year. If the remainder of the landscape were turfgrass, it would store another 200 pounds. So, this hypothetical homeowner could offset 1,000 pounds of carbon – 40 percent of their automobile footprint – just by maintaining a healthy landscape.
A common question being posed about green spaces is whether the release of carbon dioxide during maintenance will negate the carbon storage advantages gained with landscapes. With turfgrasses, for example, would gas-powered mowers generate substantial amounts of carbon dioxide and compromise below ground carbon storage? Estimates of carbon use by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute indicate about 50 pounds of carbon dioxide would be released with frequent mowing over the span of a year. That is a quarter of the carbon being stored in the turfgrass, and a fifth of the total 1,000 pounds of carbon sequestered in the hypothetical lawn cited previously. Bottom line, the system stays positive on balance.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Fall Colours- are Cool, so is the Weather
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Do you carrot all?
Although we have had a couple of good killing frost here in Southern Ontario, there are still a few things that are still viable out in the garden.
Our garden still has a few leeks, some swiss chard, lettuce, beets and carrots.
Carrots don't seem to mind the cooler weather. Besides the part you are going to harvest is sitting in the ground where the temperatures are a little warmer than the air temperatures on a chilly night.
I don't think we are going to be much more size in these carrots although the leaves are still green and healthy.
Why pick them when the soil is just as good as a refrigerator for storage. I have kept carrots in the ground until quite late. Do dig them out before the ground gets frozen solid. One year I had to chop through the frozen soil. That's not recommended. The quality will deteriorate if left that long.
