Making a Difference
2013 - 2014
Horticulture Program Focus Team
Kansas Healthy Yards and Communities
Grand
Challenges
K-State Research
and Extension:
providing education
you can trust to help
people, businesses,
and communities
solve problems,
develop skills, and
build a better future.
Cheryl Boyer
Associate Professor
of Nursery Crops
785-532-3504
crboyer@ksu.edu
Megan Kennelly
Associate Professor
of Plant Pathology
785-532-1387
kennelly@ksu.edu
Situation
Ever-changing weather patterns make it challenging to grow plants in the Kansas
landscape. Gardeners and landowners struggle with managing soil and limited water
resources — attempting to balance the need to maintain environmentally responsible
landscapes that increase property values and community vitality while conserving
water and other resources. Kansans want to learn to conserve natural resources, use best
management practices, and select appropriate plant materials.
What We Did
K-State Research and Extension is the catalyst for community education focusing on water
issues, conservation, and quality. A team of agents and specialists from across the state
developed the Kansas Healthy Yards and Communities program. The program emphasizes
nine strategies: building healthy soil, choosing the right plant, mulching, reducing waste,
considering fertilizer use, managing pests, managing wildlife, maintaining water quality,
and conserving water. Support materials include a website, publications, how-to videos,
and other information to help citizens learn and use new skills and practices for an
attractive, environmentally friendly landscape.
Outcomes
Changes observed and reported include the selection of drought-resistant plant materials,
strategies that reduce water use, removal of high water-use landscapes, soil testing to
manage nutrient applications, implementation of filter strips along waterways, and
management practices to reduce the amount of organic debris reaching water sources.
Countless Kansans have saved money, reduced water usage, and improved water quality to
benefit all Kansas communities.
Success Story
Hays: Businesses replaced water-thirsty turf with drought-tolerant plant materials and
implemented strategies to prevent runoff, improving water quality.
Wichita: The city parks department followed the Healthy Yards recommendations to select
street trees that survive on natural rainfall, once established. In turn, the trees buffer
rainfall, preventing soil erosion that affects water quality.
Johnson County: The Healthy Yards Expo taught principles of the program. Seventy-nine
percent of participants indicated they had learned watering tips that result in reducing
water use.
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.