Landscape to Reduce Waste
Chuck Ingels, Farm & Horticulture Advisor
UC Cooperative Extension, Sacramento County
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Why?
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Americans generate 4-6 lbs. of
trash a day per person
Avg. US household generates
650 lbs. of compostables each
year
Garbage handling is 4th largest
expense for many cities
CA goal: Divert 50% of organic
matter
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Why?
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In CA, yard wastes are the largest
component of municipal waste
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Grass clippings = about half the yard
trimmings deposited in state landfills
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An average CA lawn produces 300 to 400
lbs. grass clippings / 1,000 sq. ft. annually
Landscape to Reduce Waste
How?
 Design
and select plants to reduce pruning
 Lawns: Reduce area, use alternative
species, grasscycle
 Prune properly, water & fertilize judiciously
 Use plant debris for mulch or compost
 Reduce, recycle, reuse & rebuy
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Design and Select Plants to Reduce Pruning
Select plants to match
local conditions
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Sun exposure
Temperatures
Rainfall
Soils
What plants are
native or well
adapted?
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Design and Select Plants to Reduce Pruning
Select Appropriate Plants
Replace High Maintenance Plantings
Select Appropriate Plants
Avoid Invasive Species
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Reduce Lawn Areas
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Choose Alternative Turf Species
Currently the most promising species:
‘UC Verde’ buffalograss
-Buchloe dactyloides
 Sedge species
-Carex pansa, Carex praegracilis,
Carex texensis
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Choose Alternative Turf Species
‘UC Verde’ Buffalograss
Other varieties
available too
(‘Legacy’, ‘Prestige’)
Unmowed
Mowed
‘UC Verde’ Buffalograss
Characteristics
Buffalograss native to U.S.
 UC Verde developed by UC, 2003
 Max. height: 4-8 inches
 Infrequent mowing (2-3 wks.); can be
mowed once a year
 Highly drought resistant – “Up to 75%
water use reduction”
 Winter dormancy – Partial; shorter than
bermudagrass
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‘UC Verde’ Buffalograss
Approximate Price (Florasource, Ltd.)
1 plant per foot (avg.)
 $0.535 per plug, 128 plugs per tray
 4 trays per box = 512 sq. ft.
 512 x $0.535 = $274
 Boxing = $7.50, Shipping = $20
 Total = $301.50
 (Tall fescue sod = ~$200-$250)
 Savings? Less mowing & water
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Landscape to Reduce Waste
Choose Alternative Turf Species
Carex pansa
Carex praegracilis
Carex texensis (shade)
Choose Alternative Turf Species
Carex pansa and C. praegracilis
A web site said Carex
pansa (left) & C.
praegracilis (rt.), but
natural variations occur
C. praegracilis,
mowed & unmowed
Carex Species Used for Turf
C. praegracilis Clustered field sedge
 C. pansa
Sand-dune sedge
 C. texensis
Catlin sedge
-better for shade?
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Sedge family (like
nutsedge) – triangular
Stems & seeds
Carex Turf Species
Characteristics
Native throughout U.S. and Calif.
 Taxonomy is ambiguous; much variation
 Most in hort. trade were collected from
dunes in Central Calif. coast
 Some say Greenlee Nursery C. pansa may
be C. praegracilis
 Very drought tolerant
 Summer dormancy – Stays green with irrig.
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Carex praegracilis
Approximate Price (Native Sons Nursery)
1 plant per 3-4 in. (up to 6 in.)
= 4-16 plugs/sq. ft.
 Price = $0.35 per plug
 512 sq. ft. x 4 plugs = 2,048 plugs
 512 sq. ft. x 16 plugs = 8,192 plugs
 Shipping = $25 (min. order; higher
cost for shipping farther)
 Total = $717 to $2,867
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Carex Turf Species
Key Nurseries & Info
Native Sons Nursery (Arroyo Grande)
 Greenlee Nursery (Chino)
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Clarification of C. pansa vs. C. praegracilis:
Internet search:
“A Sedge by Another Name…Is Confusing”
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Grasscycle
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Prune Selectively and Properly
NO!
YES
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Water and Fertilize Judiciously
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Produce Mulch or Request from Tree Company
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Composting
Making Compost
Browns
High carbon materials such as:
Leaves (30-80:1)
Straw (40-100:1)
Paper (150-200:1)
Sawdust (100-500:1)
Animal bedding mixed
with manure (30-80:1)
Making Compost
Greens
High nitrogen materials such as:
Vegetable scraps (12-20:1)
Coffee grounds (20:1)
Grass clippings (12-25:1)
Manure
– Cow (20:1)
– Horse (25:1)
– Poultry (10:1), with litter
(13-18:1)
– Hog (5-7:1)
Making Compost
Browns vs. Greens
Browns
• Decay very slowly
• Coarse browns can keep
pile aerated
• Tend to accumulate in the
fall
• Tie up nitrogen in soil if
not fully composted
• May need to stockpile
until can mix with greens
Greens
• Decay rapidly
• Poor aeration – may have
foul odors if used alone
• Tend to accumulate in
spring and summer
• Supply nitrogen for
composting
• Best composting if mixed
with browns
Aerobic Composting
Composting with
decomposers that need
air (oxygen)
 The fastest way to make
high quality compost
 Produces no foul odors
 Aerobic decomposers
produce heat (140F+)
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Is Shredding Necessary?
Smaller particles have
greater surface area,
decompose faster
 Allows microbes to get
at more of the food
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Many Types of
Composters
Tumblers
Bins
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy
Reuse & relocate
existing plants
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy
Reuse construction materials
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy
Reuse construction
materials
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy
Reuse
construction
materials
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy
Rebuy
Use recycled products (e.g., “Trex”, “Rumber”)
 1 ton of source-reduced wood product =
1.1 tons of timber saved from harvest
 4 tons of harvested trees is about 1 acre of
forest
 One of the largest tire piles in Calif. measured
40 acres in size and 6 stories deep
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Landscape to Reduce Waste
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rebuy
Rebuy
Landscape to Reduce Waste
Resources
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StopWaste.org / Bay-Friendly Landscaping & Gardening
www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=8
River-Friendly Landscaping (Sacramento)
www.msa.saccounty.net/sactostormwater/RFL/
CalRecycle / Sustainable Landscaping (CIWMB)
www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Organics/
EcoLandscape.org
www.ecolandscape.org
The Sustainable Sites Initiative
www.sustainablesites.org