Earth-Kind Landscape Demonstrations

Selecting and Preparing Demonstrators Earth-Kind Training/Seminars/Conference Sample Agenda Principles of Earth-Kind Landscape Design for Water Conservation Plant Selection Soil Preparation Irrigation Efficiency Lawn Care Water Conserving Landscape Practices Optional Speakers Mengmeng Gu Dotty Woodson Steve Chaney Greg Church

Demonstration Site Selection No or few water conservation practices in place Demonstrator very interested in conserving water Spend money to save money Willing to adopt all or many water conserving practices Willing to collect and submit data Willing to share information with others, allow pictures, interviews, etc.

Initial Site Visit Landscape Evaluation Identify elements of the landscape that can be improved with Earth-Kind practices Poor Design Poor plant selection No soil preparation No mulch in beds Lawn performance poor Lawn cut too short Lawn on compacted soils

Before and After

Initial Site Visit Irrigation Evaluation Poor performance Clogged nozzles Misdirected heads Mismatched heads Leaking or Broken pipes/heads/valves Too high or too low water pressure Irrigation head too low Grass too high Tree, shrubs, groundcover grown to block irrigation Bad Design Poor coverage Water bubbling, dripping or gushing all the time or just during run time Runoff occurs before adequate water applied Area along road, driveway or sidewalk stays too dry

Water Conservation Services Upgrade Irrigation System Set irrigation controller to comply with water restrictions – Day of week – Time of day Install/check Rain and Freeze Sensor Upgrade Controller – Seasonal Adjustment – Cycle and Soak – Smart Controller Check irrigation system for efficiency – Make any repairs Correct irrigation design if necessary Replace spray emitters with water conserving emitters Convert to Drip Irrigation

Charge to Water Conserving Nozzles

Up Grade Controller

Change to Drip Irrigation

Fix Problems

Other Water Conserving Practices Maintain 2 to 4 inches Mulch in all planted beds - shrubs, groundcover, flowers Cut lawn 1/3 taller during hot summer Do not fertilize in heat of summer Aerate compacted lawns – Add ½” compost to increase infiltration rate Don’t Bag It

Long Term Investments in Landscapes Add shade – Plant tree – Shade cloth – Trellis Use Alternative Water fro Irrigation – Rainwater harvesting – Air conditioner condensate – Graywater Rain Garden for stormwater protection – Prevent Erosion