Drought? Water rationing? Some Folks Are Painting Their Lawns Green

[tomm2thumbs]

Run time: 04:45 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C3OZyyT9wM   Posted on YouTube: March 31, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: March 31, 2009 By DU Member: tomm2thumbs Views on DU: 683

 

I guess if you can get a spray tan, you can also get a spray lawn.
Thought it was interesting. No need to post on the main page.

[Ilsa]

1. Oh brother. They say the dye is non-toxic. What about

when it wears off and runs into the storm sewers and out to the bays? Is it bad for the fish? Does it change the acidity of bay water where it is concentrated?

Maybe homeowners need to get realistic about the dream image of their homestead. Maybe we need more zeriscaping.

[kentauros]

2. We definitely need to encourage more xeriscaping

and educate the media about that kind of thing. One question neither reporter thought to ask was: how does this dye affect the health of the plant, the soil, earthworms, birds and all the rest of the critters in and around the lawn? They say "non-toxic" but how about a reporter that knows what a MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) is and how to interpret it for the average viewer in order to inform just now "non-toxic" that spray truly is. Or how about asking a botanist to explain why it's not a good idea to cover up the pores and cut back on the light getting to the plant, however miniscule it may seem with a dye.

I'm also surprised neither of those reporters does any gardening or lawnwork. However, I am not surprised that they don't seem to have heard of a weep or drip hose. Most people I have talked to that have heard of them also don't seem to know how to use them, so I guess it's not surprising they aren't as popular. (Fill the weep hose, shut the water off, then just barely crack open the faucet so you get a literal drip over the full surface of the hose. No evaporation and the water seeps down into the soil and roots deeply and more thoroughly.)

But, definitely someone needs to be promoting xeriscaping, and I would think the city of Tampa would be hammering that point every chance they could get.

[tomm2thumbs]

4. I was thinking the same thing - I know of very few sprays that one would want to breath

not to mention play in, kick up, touch your fingers to, roll in and wash into the oceans.
But they do dye the river for St. Patrick's Day and claim that is safe, so who knows.

[Ilsa]

5. Yes, and using grey water when possible. nt

[Kali]

3. probably not as bad as the fertilizers and other chems used on a live lawn

still...lawns - fake prairies, falsly grazed by machines - I don't get them

[Ilsa]

6. I've forbidden my husband from fertilizing the yard. Told him it was bad for the

fishing in the bays near here. HE knows it, but wants his yard to not look bad to the neighbors. I understand his concern, but have stated that less grass and more xeriscaping would be better for the environment. He's coming around to it.

[kentauros]

7. If y'all have St. Augustine grass

the best thing to do with it would be to remove it and put in some less-thirsty grass. If that's not an option for costs, he could still "fertilize" it, only use alfalfa pellets (sheep feed.) I've never had a lawn to care for, but that was a trick an older gardener once told me about as an organic method. Also, use a mulching mower (a reel-type mower is great for that) compost tea and compost to build up a healthy soil. Once your soil is healthy, it takes less watering as it retains more moisture. This is one of the primary benefits of organic farming, too :)