clean water landscaping

Clean W aterLan d CareM ich aelTalbot,M CH ,ISA ,A SCA

Co-ow n er,TalbotEcologicalLan d Care,M ash pee,M A

P rin cipalCon sultan t,En viron m en talLan d scape Con sultan ts,LLC

Restoration Ecologist,A uth or,Ed ucatoran d P lan n er

M assach usettsCertified H orticulturistan d Lan d scape Design er

I.S.A .Certified A rborist,A m erican Society ofCon sultin g A rborists

2008 Recipien t,A ssociation to P reserve Cape Cod ’s

En viron m en talCh am pion A w ard

B uzzard sB ay CoalitionKeepin g Clean W aterin YourCom m un ity

UM A SS Cran berry Station ,W areh am M AW ed n esd ay,A pril30,2014

A N A LTERNA TIVE LA NDSCA P ECONCEP T FORB EST DESIGN/CA RE

EcologicalDesign an d Lan d Care seekscom m on groun d betw een con ven tion al

lan d scapin g an d orn am en talh orticulturean d protection of th e en viron m en tan d

con servation restoration .

Forexam ple,ecologicald esign seekstom in im ize th e ad verse im pactof law n s

an d lan d scapin g on groun d w ater,surface w aters,people an d w ild life.

TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

W H Y ECOLOGICA L LA ND CA RE inSOUTH COA STA L M A SSA CH USETTS?

Ourregion ten d sto be ecologicallyfragile.M an y people live on th eirw atersupply,m akin g itvuln erable tocon tam in ation .

W e h ave m an y pon d s,stream s,in lets,baysan d estuariesad versely im pactedby n utrien tpollution --particularlyn itrogen in estuariesan d ph osph orusin pon d san d stream s.



A typical professional lawn serviceprogram uses two to three times thefertilizer that the typical fine lawnrequires—applying as much as 5 poundsof total nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft of lawn. Homeowner 4-step programs apply 4 lb of

N per 1,000 sq ft, when most managedlawns would be fine with 1 to 2 lb. of N.What are the implications for the health of

our surface and ground waters?



Th e M assach usettsEstuariesP rogram(M EP )stud ied th e effectsof n itrogenload in g (pollution )of ourbays,in lets,h arborsan d estuariesin ourregion .

Nextto th e d am age caused by septicsystem s,th e lead in g causesofn itrogen pollution on Cape Cod an dsouth eastern M assach usettsw aslaw nfertilizersan d storm w aterrun off.



40% of m un icipalw aterin th e Un itedStatesgoesto w aterin g law n s.This isnot sustainable! A typicalprofession allaw n service

program usestw o to th ree tim esorm ore of th e pesticid esasth e m osth eavily sprayed food crop in th isstate— sw eetcorn . Is all this really necessary? What are the

implications for the health of our families,pets, wildlife and the environment?


ECOLOGICA L LA NDSCA P E DESIGNECOLOGICA L LA W N an d LA ND CA RE

ECOLOGICA L LA NDSCA P ING in clud esoth eraltern ative con ceptssuch as:

Organ ic an d Low Im pactLaw n Care

Sustain able Design (low m ain ten an ce)

Naturescapin g (lan d scapin g w ith n atives)

Xeriscapin g (lan d scapin g ford rough t)

Ed ible Lan d scapin g (usin g food plan ts)

LeastToxic W eed an d P estM an agem en t


ECOLOGICA L LA ND DESIGN

P reserve n aturally vegetated areas—especially buffersto surface w ater

Con serve resources— soil,w ater,airquality,w ild life h abitat,biod iversity

Design in h arm on y w ith th e site forsustain ability an d low m ain ten an ce

Use n ative plan tsan d pattern lan d scapeson region alplan tcom m un ities

Create in terestin g lan d scapesth atpeoplew illw an tto use an d en joy!


LO W IM P A CT DESIGN orDEVELOP M ENT (LID)

Urban ized lan d scapes,in clud in g turf,often h ave over100 tim esth estorm w atersurface run off (30%versus0.3% )of m in im ally d isturbedforest,sh rublan d orgrasslan d /m ead ow areas.Th isstorm w aterrun offcan carry a w id e ran ge of pollutan ts:n utrien ts,solid s,h eavy m etals,h yd rocarbon s,an im alscat,etc.


L a w n fertilizers,in p a rtic ula r,a reover-a p plied a nd a p pliedim properly.A sa result,they a rea lea d ing c a useofnutrientpollution (nitra tesa nd phospha tes)d egra d ing ourb a ys,estua ries,pond sa nd strea m s—a nd ourground w a ter.

LO W IM P A CT DESIGN orDEVELOP M ENT:A Key B M P

In filtratin g storm w ateralon g grasssw alesan d th rough m ultiple,d ecen tralized biological/bio-reten tionfilters,also kn ow n asrain gard en s,provid essuperiorpollution m itigationversusalloth ersystem s,w h ile alsoen h an cin g aesth etics,biod iversity an dw ild life h abitat— an d even red ucin gd evelopm en tcosts.


Conventional

An example of a poorly designed bioretention cell

T heb uild ertookouta llthetrees.Instea d ofla w n insta lled tothestreet,ourd esign w a stoinsta lla sc reen pla nting ofna tivepla nts,suc h a sthese

red c ed a rs,a sw ella sw hitepines,shrub a nd m ea d ow pla nts.

W ithin thena tura lvegeta tion a nd thesc reen pla nting isa priva te,sec lud ed G a rd enR oom —six yea rsa fterinsta lla tion a nd inc lud ing a sm a ll,org a nic a lly m a na ged la w n.

S a nd pla in G ra ssla nd -ara rem ea d ow ha b ita tof

ourregion

N ew E ngla ndb la zingsta r

L ittleb luestem

A portion ofthisc lient’sla w n w a srem oved a nd repla c ed w ith a pla nting ofna tivea nd a p propria tenon-na tivegra ssesa nd flow ering forb s.T hisnew

g a rd en isa b utterfly a nd hum m ing b ird m a g neta ttra c tivea llyea r.

Native grassland/shrubland buffer planting (15feet wide minimum) between a highly managed

lawn and Popponesset Creek; ConCom mandated

ENVIRONM ENTA LLY FRIENDLYLA NDSCA P E DESIGN an d LA ND CA RE

Assess the site thoroughly, especially soils

Design landscapes appropriate to the site

Design to reduce outside inputs, such aswater, fertilizer, pesticides, excess labor

Choose plants for drought tolerance andwater conservation, including turf mixtures

Choose plants resistant to pests and stress

Enhance natural pest control


SITE ASSESSMENT FOR:

• SUN VS. SHADE (DEGREE OF EACH)

• EXPOSURE TO WIND AND SALT

• SITE CHARACTERISTICS (SLOPES,MICROCLIMATES, POOR DRAINAGE)

• TYPES OF PLANTS (LAWNS, TREES,SHRUBS, PERENNIALS, NATURALAREAS—EVEN WEEDS TELL A STORYABOUT THE SITE CONDITIONS)

• CONDITION OF PLANTS (HEALTHY,DROUGHT OR WINTER STRESS, GOODOR POOR COLOR, DENSITY)

• KEY PEST PROBLEMS AND KEYPLANTS WITH SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

• SOILS (pH, COMPACTION, DEPTH ANDTEXTURE OF TOPSOIL, SUBSOIL,DRAINAGE, ORGANIC MATTER)

• MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (MOWINGPRACTICES, MULCHING, IRRIGATION,PEST MANAGEMENT, FERTILIZATION)

• SITE USE (PLAY, PETS, EQUIPMENT)

• CLIENT DESIRES AND CAPABILITIES(MANAGEMENT BUDGET, FUTURE USES)

SAMPLE AND TEST SOILSTO DETERMINE:

• D E P T H O F T O P S O IL• T E XT U R E O F T O P S O IL• S U B S O IL

C HA R A C T E R IS T IC S• D E G R E E O F C O M P A C T IO N• D R A IN A G E (Poorly D ra ined T o

E xc essively W ellD ra ined )• S O IL VA R IA T IO N S (From O ne

S ec tion O fT heL a nd sc a peT oA nother)

• S O IL T E S T IN G :G a therS a m ples;M ix;S iftO utR oc ks,C oa rseO rg a nic M a tterA ndD eb ris;P a c k;S E N D T O AG O O D S O IL T E S T L A B FO R– pH– N utrientlevels– O rg a nic m a tterc ontent– C a tion exc ha ngec a p a c ity

FO R S O ILpH &P la nts:• Turf:6.0–7.0isgood ;6.4–6.8isid ea l

• R hod od end rons,b lueb erriesa ndothera c id soillovingpla nts(hea thfa m ily):5.0–5.9isgood

• M ostvegeta b les,fruittreesa ndorna m enta lpla nts,inc lud ing m a nynon-na tives:6.0-6.8isgenera llypreferred

C hooseT urfgra ssB lend sHigh in Fesc ues,suc h a sT a llFesc uea ndS ha d eM ixesw ith FineFesc ues;

“E nd ophyteE nha nc ed ”T urfgra ssB lend sha veIm proved P la ntG row th,Persistenc e,a nd S tressT olera nc e,a sw ella sR esista nc etoM a nyInsec tPests(suc h a sC hinc h B ugs)a nd M a ny D isea ses.

E C O -B L E N D is specially designed for lawns managed organically, without the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers or chemicalpesticides. Eco- Blend is made with seed cultivars selected for their improved stress tolerance and reduced fertility needs.CONTAINS: 35% Blade Runner Tall Fescue, 15% Longfellow II Chewings Fescue, 15% Applaud Perennial Ryegrass, 15%Spartin II Hard Fescue, 9.5% (9.75% if no clover) Blue Sapphire Kentucky Bluegrass, 10% Navigator Red Fescue, 0.25%Highland Colonel bentgrass and 0.25% White Clover (optional).AREA FOR USE: North of the Mason Dixon line.RATE: 5-7 lbs. per 1,000 ft.2WHEN TO PLANT: Apr 1 - Jun 10 or Aug 1 - Oct 1.NOTES: Overseeding (slit seeding 2½#1000 sq ft) (top seeding 3¼# 1000 sq ft).

D E N S E S HA D E M IX is well adapted to areas of 60% or more daily shade in mature landscapes. Dense Shade Mix has low

maintenance requirements for water, fertilizer, and lime. Requires 2-3 hours of filtered sunshine per day.CONTAINS: 40% Longfellow II Chewings Fescue, 35% Titanium Tall Fescue, 15% Spartin II Hard Fescue, and 10% NavigatorRed Fescue.AREA FOR USE: North of the Mason Dixon line.RATE: 4-5 lbs. per 1,000 ft. 2WHEN TO PLANT: Apr 1 - Jun 10 or Aug 1 - Oct 1.

C H O O S E T H E R IG HT P L A N T FO R T H E R IG HTP L A C E :Pla ntsa d a pted tothesitec ond itions;

pla ntstha ta red roughta nd pestresista nt

These areexamples of plantstolerant of drysoils and droughtyconditions. Onceestablished, theywill also requirelittle or noirrigation, savingmoney andvaluablegroundwaterresources.Native plants arenoted with anasterisk.

USE ‘B EST M A INTENA NCEP RA CTICES’

Th e m ostseriouspestin ourlan d scapesisH om o sapien s

Learn an d use properm ow in g,prun in g an d oth erm ain ten an cepractices

Use n atural-based an d slow releasefertilizersw isely to en h an ce plan ts

Irrigate w h en n ecessary,butw aterlaw n san d oth erplan tin gsproperly


EcologicalLaw n Care:B estM ain ten an ce P ractices

• Mow lightly; mow often. Avoid cutting somuch turf leaf blade that your lawn is yellow.This can suppress root growth for a month!

• Mow high (3 inches; 3.5 inches is evenbetter). This has so many benefits.

• Leave clippings to recycle on the lawn; thisenhances lawns in 25 measurable ways.

• Be sure you are mowing (or your contractoris mowing) with sharp blades.


EcologicalLaw n an d P lan tCare:B estIrrigation P ractices

• If you ch oose to irrigate yourturf (n otvital),w aterd eeply on ce ortw ice a w eek,especially if you are also irrigatin g treesan dsh rubs.Law n sin very san d y soilsm ay n eedw aterin g 2 to 3tim esa w eek to rem aingreen — butin h ot,d ry w eath eron ly.

• Trees,sh rubs,peren n ialsan d oth ergard enareasare bestirrigated on ce a w eek to ad epth of 12 to 18 in ch es— asopposed to 4to6in ch esforturf;create separate zon estoirrigate th ese plan tin gs.Use d rip irrigation .


Lawn sprinklers poorly managed; waste and runoff

EcologicalLaw n & P lan tCare:B estFertility P ractices

M ostim portan tB M P sforw aterquality

Use soiltestresultsto en h an ce soilfertility (N,P ,K)w ith n atural-organ ican d /orslow release fertilizers,com post,liquid seaw eed an d rock m in erals.

Use soiltestresultsto apply th e properlim eston e,h orticulturalgypsum orgard en (elem en tal)sulfurto getth epropersoilpH foryourplan ts.


B RIEF H ISTORY OF FERTILIZERREGULA TION IN M A SS.

2012:Nan tucketad optslaw n fertilizerregulation sth attake effectin 2013 A ugust,2012:M ass.becom esth e 10th

state to regulate ph osph orusin fertilizer Novem ber,2012:Falm outh ad optsa

strictNitrogen FertilizerB ylaw M ay 2013:Orlean sad optssim ilarbylaw M ay 2013:A G rulesth atstate law

supersed esth e localbylaw s— butCapeCod could ad optregsun d erth e CCC A ct


B RIEF H ISTORY OF FERTILIZERREGULA TION IN M A SS.

M ass.State Sen ate in clud esrid erin th eB ud getA ctth atallow sth e Falm outhan d Orlean sbylaw sto rem ain in effect;th e H ouse agreesan d th e Govern orsign sitin to law ;th e bylaw sn ow law 2013:Th e Cape Cod Com m ission ad opts

a Nitrogen FertilizerDCP C d espite h eavyin d ustry opposition ;w ritesd raftN fertregs,w h ich Cape tow n sm ay n ow en act M arch 2013:M DA Rissuesitsd raft

regulation sun d erth e 2012 law .TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

B RIEF REVIEW OF KEY FEA TURESOF TH E M DA RDRA FT REGS

M DA Rd raftregulation slim itapplication sof n utrien tsto turfto protectw aters H elpsm un icipalitiesm axim ize cred its

provid ed in NP DES perm itsissued by EP A A lso regulate agriculturaln utrien ts No fertw ith over0.67 % ph osph orus(K)

can be applied to turfw /outa soiltestin d icatin g a n eed forK in th atturfsoil P erm itsK forn ew oroverseed ed law n s Exem ptsn atural-organ ic fert& com post


B RIEF REVIEW OF KEY FEA TURESOF TH E M DA RDRA FT REGS

No application of plan tn utrien tson turf: B etw een Decem ber1 an d M arch 15 To frozen ,sn ow -covered orsaturated soils

or24h oursbefore a h eavy rain orflood in g W ith in 20 ftof surface w atersw ith spread er

or10 ftw ith d eflectorord rop spread er W ith in Zon e 1 of a public w atersupply w ell W ith in 100 ftof surface public w atersupply In am oun tin con sisten tw ith UM assTurf B M P

No application on im pervioussurfaces Req.profession alsto keep 3yrof record s


EcologicalLaw n Care:B estP estM an agem en tP ractices

En d allpreven tative in secticid e apps,in clud in g grub an d sum m erin sectappsw h ich killben eficialsforn aturalcon trol

Determ in e w eed toleran ce of clien ts

Spottreaton ly th ose w eed sth ataretruly un w an ted ;th isgreatly red ucesh erbicid e use even forfussy clien t

Use th e leasttoxic prod uctth atw orks,w h ich could be h an d pullin g/pickin g,etc.


THANK YOU FOR INVITING US;CLEAN WATER STARTS AT HOME

If you wish more information onEcological Lawns and Landscapes,please do not hesitate to contact us:

M IC HA E L TA L B O T,E nvironm enta lL a nd sc a peC onsulta nts,L L C ;T a lb otE c ologic a lL a nd C a re

M ic ha el.T @T a lb otE c oL a nd C a re.c omw w w .E L C N ew E ngla nd .c om

w w w .T a lb otE c oL a nd C a re.c om

clean water landscaping

Environment