If you’re looking to reduce all the time and money spent trying to keep your lawn looking like a golf course, here’s some help to get started: Experts will discuss “Eco-Friendly Turfgrass and Turfgrass Alternatives” Thursday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the WSU Tree Fruit Research Center, 1100 N. Western Ave., Wenatchee. 

Chris Hilgert, urban horticulturist with WSU Spokane County Extension, will take on “Eco-Friendly Turf Management” at 9 a.m., looking at how we maintain our lawns and how all that mowing, fertilizing, watering, aerating, de-thatching and controlling of pests impacts growth. At 10 a.m., Hilgert moves to “Eco-Friendly Turfgrass and Turfgrass Alternatives,” focusing on 10 years of research on drought-tolerant and low-maintenance turf and alternative turf species such as yarrow and clover. This is not a traditional lawn mix but an alternative that saves time, money, and natural resources.

At 11 a.m., Dale Whaley, Integrated Pest Management specialist with WSU Douglas County Extension, will show how to calibrate equipment to deliver the accurate amount of chemicals to the target area for the job as specified on pesticide labels. After a break for lunch, he’ll follow up with a hands-on session at 1 p.m., using methods learned in the morning.

At 2 p.m., Paula Dinius, urban horticulturist with WSU Chelan County Extension, will work with participants on renovation of turf in plots at the WSU Master Gardener Community Education Garden, putting into practice what was discussed in the early-morning sessions.

The workshop is open to the public as well as landscape professionals. Cost is $10. Register online at www.ncw.wsu.edu/uh or call (509) 667-6540.

Local celebrities share their energy- and water-saving tips
We asked people active in our communities — local celebrities, if you will — to share their favorite conservation tips. Watch the video to learn what the mayor of Wenatchee, the Apple Blossom queen, the AppleSox Coyote and others are doing to save energy and water.

Do you have a favorite tip? Post a comment to share yours.

Spend an evening learning to love lavender in what the WSU Chelan County Master Gardeners are calling a “casual class” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 14 in the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden in Wenatchee’s Riverfront Park. Participants will exchange plant care tips, craft ideas and even recipes.

For more information, phone (509) 667-6540 or visit the Master Gardener website.

Mother Nature watered our lawns instead

Here’s more proof that May was an unusually wet month in Wenatchee: The regional water system pumped 96 million gallons less this May than in May 2009. That’s a drop in customer demand of about 26 percent.

“This is a good example of how irrigation can impact the system,” Steve King, Public Works director for the city of Wenatchee, said in an e-mail.

The regional system serves Wenatchee and East Wenatchee customers through three entities:  the city of Wenatchee, the East Wenatchee Water District and Chelan County PUD. Water comes from the Eastbank Aquifer just north of Rocky Reach Dam.

The regional system pumped 272,840,000 gallons in May 2010, compared to 369,193,000 gallons in May 2009.

Ron Slabaugh, Water Resources manager for Chelan PUD, said water use typically doubles in the summer as residents use domestic water to wash vehicles and to irrigate lawns, gardens and landscaping. Chelan County PUD encourages water conservation by promoting the use of Xeriscape (drought-tolerant) landscaping. Water conservation tips, games and trivia also are available on the Chelan PUD website and at Water Use It Wisely.

Are hot-water circulation systems worth the cost?

Two callers phoned Chelan County PUD’s Conservation Department in the last month to ask about installing equipment to help hot water get to their taps sooner. This is a fairly common problem: Water heaters are so far away from bathrooms and kitchens that customers have to let water run through their plumbing for a long time before it’s hot. That wastes water and energy, and tests one’s patience.

Mark Wiser, conservation program manager, referred customers to several Web sites that address this problem (see links below). One solution is installing equipment to circulate hot water. You’ll spend more on energy but less on water. The bottom line, Wiser says, is that “hot water recirculation will add additional costs which include pump operation, heat loss from pipes, extra insulation of pipes, and the equipment itself. It will save on water, since customers don’t run the water system as long to get to temperature, and is more convenient.”

One thing that isn’t mentioned in the Web articles is heat transfer from pipes. If the pipes are kept hot, Wiser notes, they will transfer heat into the house. The loss of hot water then needs to be replaced, causing the heater to run more. In the winter, this reduces the heating requirements of the home slightly, but in the summer this adds to the cooling requirements.

Here’s an article that discusses hot water recirculation systems: http://energyexperts.org/EnergySolutionsDatabase/ResourceDetail.aspx?id=4019

Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.grundfos.com/Web/HomeUs.nsf/Webopslag/76D6ABACA35052D986256AEE00555E40

Energy waste in hot water recirculation systems: http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/Recirc/RecircEnergy.htm

Inefficiencies common in many hot water circulators: http://www.redytemp.com/efficient_hot_water_circulation.html

In tough economic times, growing your own vegetables is a good way to save money. But not everybody knows how to raise their own radishes, raspberries and radicchio.

Enter the Chelan County Master Gardeners. They’ve started the Garden for Food project to encourage both new and experienced gardeners to plant and harvest vegetables from their backyards, patios and decks.  Our local experts can help you from hoeing to harvest. Gardening resources and a class list  are available on the project’s Web site.

There are many good reasons for growing your own. With commercial farming, a tremendous amount of energy goes into making fertilizers and pesticides; processing, packaging and storing produce; and transportating crops to markets. These costs and environmental impacts can be reduced through home gardening, or buying produce locally through groups such as Wenatchee’s Community Farm Connection.

More information:
Cascade Harvest Coalition
The Sustainable Table: Fossil Fuel and Energy Use
Gardening = Energy Savings

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Learn how to use less fertilizer, less water and do less work by “Gardening with Nature in Mind” from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, at the Chelan County PUD Auditorium, 327 N. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee.

Bonnie Orr, well-known local gardener and “The Dirt Diva” radio personality, and Ted Alway, owner of Derby Canyon Natives nursery in Peshastin, will lead the free workshop, sponsored by the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust.

Learn how to create a landscape that is aesthetically pleasing, requires little maintenance, and is environmentally sound. By choosing the correct plants for our climate and planting in the right locations, your yard will blossom while benefiting birds, butterflies and the “good” insects.

Speaking of which, the Land Trust also is planning the workshop “In Celebration of Insects” on June 3. For more information on locations and to register, call the Land Trust at (509) 667-9708.