Gene's Green Scene

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Row of Fern trees at S Andrews and Davies Blvd (Fort Lauderdale)

Tree Thursday - Fern Tree

Japanese Fern Tree

Filicium decipiens

There are a few Japanese Fern Trees scattered around the City of Fort Lauderdale. The most notable ones are at a bank on the south west corner of South Andrews Avenue and Davie Boulevard. In the next few months, I may be planting a few in the Harbordale and Lake Ridge neighborhoods to see how they work out. They appear to be a great small to medium size tree that actually gives a nice canopy. The photographs below were taken on October 2, 2013 in the Poinsettia Heights neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale.

While called Japanese Fern Tree, it is originally from India and Tropical East Africa. Even though it is not a native of South Florida, for the more than 20 years I’ve been aware of them, I have not seen any invasive qualities. The Japanese Fern Tree keeps a nice shaped dark green canopy naturally that may become too thick at times and require a little thinning. The scientific name literally means “deceiving fern.” In one article I read, these trees survived Hurricane Andrew in areas where ficus trees toppled so that may be reason to believe they are fairly wind tolerant. Hawaii has used them as street trees for years and they seem to handle the exhaust and heat just fine.

I can’t find much information concerning the below characteristics, but here’s what I could find:

Moderate Drought tolerance once established, but I found many admonitions not to overwater.

Slow growth to 25 feet

Not very cold tolerant so it needs to be planted where there are no freezing temperatures

I could find no information on the salt tolerance.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

People avoid recycling damaged products

This was a very interesting article. Remember, just because it’s torn, broken or damaged, it can still be recycled!

August 28, 2013

Conservation This Week

Take a sheet of paper and rip it into pieces. Will you throw those scraps in the recycling bin or the garbage?

Researchers have found that people tend to trash products that have been somehow modified during use — for example, torn or dented. If the product still looks relatively untouched, they’re more likely to recycle it.

To reach this conclusion, the team first analyzed the contents of recycling and garbage bins in 22 faculty assistant offices at a university. On average, assistants threw 1.95 small scraps of paper but only 1.27 large sheets of paper in the garbage. In contrast, they recycled 5.27 large pieces of paper and only 1.18 small pieces.

The team then gave paper to 150 undergraduate students. Some students were asked to cut the paper into pieces, while others left the paper whole. Then the researchers recorded whether the participants recycled or threw out the paper at the end of the exercise. More than 80 percent of the students with whole sheets recycled the paper, while only about 45 percent of the students with cut-up sheets recycled the scraps.

In a similar experiment with aluminum cans, the researchers found that students were more likely to recycle a regular-sized soda can than a small one. And they were more likely to recycle cans that had not been dented.

People may throw out modified items because the changes make the product seem less useful, the researchers say in the Journal of Consumer Research. But the team did find a way to counteract this effect. When students were asked to list possible ways to use scraps of paper — such as doodling or making origami — the percentage of participants who later recycled the fragments nearly doubled. — Roberta Kwok | 28 August 2013

Source: R. Trudel and J.J. Argo. 2103. The effect of product size and form distortion on consumer recycling behavior. Journal of Consumer Research doi: 10.1086/671475.

http://conservationmagazine.org/2013/08/people-are-less-likely-to-recycle-damaged-products/

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

5 Commonsense Lawn Watering Tips for Healthy Grass

Keep your grass healthy and green -- and use 75% to 100% less water, with these five simple lawn watering tips. See all 21 organic lawn care tips

By Paul Tukey / SafeLawns.org

Lawns are water guzzlers, requiring about an inch of water per week during the growing season to remain green and vibrant. Many arid regions of the nation don’t get anywhere near that much average rainfall and many municipalities have restrictions on how much you can apply.

To conserve water and get the best results for your lawns, gardens, trees and shrubs, remember these tips. Together, they can reduce lawn watering by 75% to 100%.

1. Water in the morning so that the surface of the lawn and garden dries off during the day.

2. Water deeply and infrequently so the roots of the plants learn to grow down into the soil to get the water they need.

3. Use a timer, if you’re in a rush in the morning, to automatically shut-off the sprinkler. New-age "evapotranspiration" monitors will communicate with the local weather bureau and tell your sprinkler system when to turn on.

4. Use organic fertilizers and soil amendments such as leaf mulch or compost increase soil's water-holding capacity, allowing the lawn and garden to stay greener longer.

5. Choose the right plant for the right place. Instead of growing bluegrass in the North or Bermudagrass in the South, both of which require copious amounts of water, try Buffalograss (out west). It survives on about 75% less water and only requires mowing about once a month. For more on drought tolerance of soil, visit the San Antonio Botanic Garden's Website at and check out the exhibit for WaterSaver Lane. It provides loads of great landscaping ideas. (In South Florida, reduce the amount of turf you have by creating beds of drought-tolerant shrubs and groundcovers. Gene)

Paul Tukey is the founder of Safelawns.org. See all his Organic Lawn Care Tips.

Monday, September 30, 2013

Water Plants in the Morning

Save water, and make plants stronger and healthier, by watering in the morning.

By Brian Clark Howard

The best time to water plants is usually in the early morning, both to maximize the efficiency of water used and to promote healthy flora.

Mornings tend to be cool and without strong winds, so the amount of water lost to evaporation is much less than during the middle of the day. Yes, evenings are typically similar, but if plants stay damp overnight they are more likely to be damaged by fungal and bacterial diseases. Ideally, use a drip or soak system instead of a regular sprinkler, which wastes a lot of water and drenches the leaves, which are prone to damage as well as disease.

Most experts recommend substantial, infrequent watering for established plants, typically a total of about one inch of water per week (including rain). One or two applications a week encourages deeper rooting, which promotes stronger plants. To avoid shocking tender greenery, try to use water at or near air temperature (collected rainwater is best).

With population growth and climate change putting increasing pressure on freshwater supplies, it is becoming more important than ever to save water.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Friday Funny

http://media.rd.com/rd/images/rdc/slideshows/8-insect-cartoons/8-insect-cartoons-saving-energy-af.jpg

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Maintain Your Septic System

If you don't have public sewers where you live, you have work to do.

By Dan Shapley

It's SepticSmart Week, and you know what that means! Chances are, actually, that you don't. It's the first ever SepticSmart Week, designated by the Environmental Protection Agency, and the reason they've done it is because so many of us don't know what to do with our septics.

Some 26 million American homes--about a quarter overall--depend on septic systems to treat wastewater, where public sewers aren't available.

Failing to maintain septics can cause water pollution downstream, making streams, lakes and rivers unfit for swimming and unhealthy for wildlife; or backups upstream (that is, in your house). Both, we can all agree, are better avoided.

Septics often fail during the holiday season, when extra visitors increase the load on systems. That's why the EPA recommends having a professional inspection now, before the holiday season hits. Use these tips:

Homeowners should have their system inspected every three years by a licensed contractor and have their tank pumped when necessary, generally every three to five years.
Avoid pouring fats, grease, and solids down the drain, which can clog a system’s pipes and drainfield.
Ask guests to put only things in the drain or toilet that belong there. Coffee grounds, dental floss, disposable diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, cigarette butts and cat litter can all clog and potentially damage septic systems.
Be water efficient and spread out water use. Consider fixing plumbing leaks and installing faucet aerators and water-efficient products that bear the EPA WaterSense label, and spread out laundry and dishwasher loads throughout the day. Too much water at once can overload a system if it hasn’t been pumped recently. Remind guests not to park or drive on a system’s drainfield, where the vehicle’s weight could damage buried pipes or disrupt underground flow.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/cm/thedailygreen/images/EO/maintain-septic-system-graphic-600px.jpg