Waterwise Wednesday: Leafy Tips
Precautionary tips since the leaves are falling …
1. Check and clear the gutters for leaves, if you haven’t already. Leaves can clog both street and building gutters, quickly causing flooding and water damage.
2. Wet leaves can be a slipping or fall hazard on sidewalks and curbs, so move leaves back to the yard or garden from the gutter.
3. Piles of leaves are fun to jump in, but also great habitat for beetles, mites, and other insects – and the animals that feed on them. So look before leaping into the pile.
Photo © Janeh15 – Dreamstime.com
Pocket Wetlands
Trickle Down Thursdays, Slow It Down and Soak It In
Waterwise Wednesday: Preventative Pipe Protection
As temperatures start dipping into freezing range, use these tips to protect your pipes and pocket book from plumbing repairs.
1. Turn off and drain the sprinkler systems before the first hard freeze.
2. Disconnect hoses from outdoor faucets and turn off, or drain, the spigot.
3. Winterize unheated or vacant buildings to protect the pipes from freezing and bursting.
4. Insulate water pipes that are vulnerable to the cold.
5. Know the location of your water shut-off valve for your home to prevent water damage if a leak does occur.
Photo © Yury Kosourov
Trickle Down Thursdays, Slow It Down and Soak It In
Waterwise Wednesday: Showstopping Colors
The showcase of colors and texture – it’s one more reason to plant native. Over the next few weeks, the Panhandle will be transforming into a showcase of rich burgundy, reds, yellows, and tans among flowing seed heads, a sign of Fall in the high plains.
Photo: Milkweed seed head at East Overland Entryway by L. Sato
Pocket Wetlands
Trickle Down Thursdays, Slow It Down and Soak It In
Waterwise Wednesday: Wind Down Watering
A cooler forecast heralds the official start of Autumn. Take nature’s cue and wind down lawn watering to once a week. According the Panhandle Bluegrass Calendar, now is the time for broad leaf weed control (like bindweed) too. Since broad leaf weeds stockpile nutrients to their roots in the early Fall, the herbicide is absorbed there too and works more effectively to eradicate the plant.
For more info see: https://extension.unl.edu/stat…/panhandle/turfgrass_calendar
Photo © Creative Commons Zero (CC0)
