New Year Resolutions for your Landscape
New Year Resolutions for your Landscape
By Jennifer Pelham, UF/IFAS Osceola County Extension
Have you made a New Year’s resolution for 2012 yet? Of course, there are always the usual resolutions – lose weight, exercise more, and save money, but did you ever think of making a New Year’s resolution for your landscape and the environment? Here are a few that you may want to consider.
Landscape Resolution No. 1: Conserve water in the landscape.
Although we have had an abundance of rainfall this summer and fall, it does not mean that we should forget about conserving water. With Florida's growing population and the unpredictable nature of weather, who knows when we may face a drought again? Saving water in the landscape is easy and can be accomplished in a number of ways. One way is to use drought-tolerant plants. Once established, these plants require less water than others, usually surviving on rainfall alone.
A rain sensor on your automatic irrigation system is also important. It's an inexpensive devise that shuts off your irrigation system when it rains. A rain sensor will also save you money. Why not allow Mother Nature do the watering for you?
Landscape Resolution No. 2: Visit your landscape on a regular basis.
This resolution may sound a little odd, but doing so may save a lot of grief in the long run. Problems, such as insect and disease infestations are much easier controlled when caught in the early stages of development. You need to manage these problems before they become uncontrollable. Visiting your landscape on a regular basis will help you with this.
Landscape Resolution No. 3: Use fertilizers and pesticides appropriately.
The unnecessary use of fertilizers and pesticides not only wastes time and money, but it can also cause harm to the health of the environment. Plants can only use so much fertilizer. The fertilizer not used by the plants washes away, usually into our lakes and rivers. Excess fertilizer pollutes the water and also feeds the invasive plants, like hydrilla and water hyacinth, which infest our lakes and rivers.
Apply pesticides sparingly. Most pesticides only kill insects “on contact”. This means they have to have come in contact with the insect to kill it. Therefore, using pesticides without insects present is a waste of time and money. They do not prevent pests from invading a landscape. The correct identification of the pest is important in deciding the best method to controlling it. Remember “more is not better” when it comes to fertilizers and pesticides.
Landscape Resolution No. 4: Contact your local county extension office.
The Osceola County Extension Service is a cooperative between Osceola County and the University of Florida. Information provided by this free service is backed by research conducted at the university. Call 321-697-3000, with your plant and insect questions. Osceola County Master Gardeners are available to take phone calls Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm.