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NORTHERN NEVADA SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
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MASTER GARDENER
Keeping your lawn green in the heat
10 GARDENS IN 10 WEEKS
By Heidi Kratsch University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
This is the time of year when many homeowners worry about keeping their lawns looking green. This year, especially, we’ve had to worry about unusually high temperatures and prolonged lack of precipitation. Since this is also the time of year we most love to use our lawns for family get-togethers and recreation, let’s look at some tips for keeping your lawn green and healthy. » Mow high. If you were to implement only one of these lawn care practices, this would be the one to remember because it provides multiple benefits to your lawn. Mowing your lawn to a height of no less than 3 inches, or at your mower’s highest setting, makes your lawn more tolerant of heat and drought, and reduces weed and pest infestations. The higher a grass is mowed, the deeper the roots penetrate the soil. Longer grass blades shade tender growing points protecting them from intense heat and light. They also shade the soil reducing germination of weed seeds. » Mow regularly. Mow often enough that you are removing no more than one-third of the grass blade at one time. This means you will mow more often when grass is actively growing in spring and fall, and less often in summer when high temperatures slow growth. Waiting too long between mowing times stresses your lawn by exposing it suddenly to excess light and heat. » Recycle grass clippings back to your lawn. It is a misconception that leaving grass clippings on your lawn causes excess thatch. Thatch consists of dead roots and stems of grass, not the clippings. If you are mowing your lawn properly, you will be able to recycle the clippings back to your lawn after you mow, where they add nutrients and organic matter. » Water early in the day or in the evening, when temperatures are lower and the wind is reduced. Make sure your sprinkler system is operating at peak efficiency and applying water evenly to your lawn. You can test this by placing straight-sided soup cans strategically within the lawn area and running the irrigation system for a cycle. Use a ruler to measure the depth of water in each can when the cycle is complete. Each can should contain approximately the same amount of water. If they don’t, you may have to adjust or replace sprinkler heads to achieve even water distribution. » Now is not the time to fertilize. The cool-season turfgrasses used in Northern Nevada enter dormancy when temperatures are high. Wait until September or October for that final season fertilization, and expect a quick green-up come spring. Heidi Kratsch is the horticulture specialist with University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. She can be reached at 775-784-4848 or by email at kratschh@unce.unr.edu.
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Top left, Jack and Jeanne Barrett sit on their deck. The seating area is blocked from the rest of the yard by wisteria. Top right, the fire pit. Bottom right, Jack and Jeanne Barrett in their backyard. PHOTOS BY DANNY DAMIANI/RGJ
A room of
North Reno home has a yard for entertaining
ONE’S OWN By Laura Longero llongero@rgj.com
Note: This is the third in a 10-part series highlighting beautiful local gardens and yards. To nominate a garden for our weekly summer series, email photos and a description to Laura Longero at llongero@rgj.com Jeanne Barrett’s enthusiasm is catching. She greets me with a hug, although we’ve never met, and offers iced tea and lemonade during our mid-morning interview. She cheerfully shows me around the spacious backyard of the home she and her husband, Jack Barrett, have lived in for 22 years. The Barretts’ niche is that they have eight to 10 different “rooms,” or seating areas, in their backyard. The swing built
for two in the corner of the yard is perfect for a rendezvous, stools around the bar are for those who want to be in the middle of the action, and a table for four on the deck off the master bedroom, made private by climbing vines of wisteria. When entertaining, Jeanne Barrett said guests enter through the gate on the left side of the house, where there is a ping-pong table set for beer pong (I had to have this game explained to me – apparently my college experience was lacking). Then, there is a lounge area with a built-in stone bar and grill, a rock water feature with a chair and built-in bench, a fire pit, a place set up to play bag toss and a long dining table and chairs for hosting dinner parties on the deck. Each different seating area has a different
ON RGJ.COM To see a photo gallery from the Barretts’ yard, click on this story at RGJ.com.
view and feels like the rooms of a home. The backyard is built for entertaining, which the Barretts do about twice a week. There are three refrigerators hidden throughout the yard, seating for 24 people on the deck for dinner without having to make accommodations and an outdoor buffet. Jeanne and Jack Barrett said the yard is carved so it looks like you’re walking in an English garden. They employed bark and shrubbery in their yard so it See 10 GARDENS IN 10 WEEKS, Page 3E
PLANT SALES
High Desert Iris Society holds sale this weekend
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Staff report
The High Desert Iris Society will hold their annual fundraising sale today and Sunday inside Moana Nursery, 1100 W. Moana Lane. A selection of iris will be available for purchase. Iris Society members will be on hand to answer questions about how to grow iris in our high desert climate and recommend which types grow best. They will also recommend fertilizers, tools, shovels and spades. They will explain when it is best to dig and separate iris for the very best blooms for years to come. All proceeds benefit the High Desert Iris Society. Since 1967, locally owned Moana Nursery has been serving the landscape and gardening needs of Northern Nevada and the high desert from three locations in Reno/Sparks. Moana Nursery also specializes in both
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Moana Nursery hosts the High Desert Iris Society sale today and Sunday at its Moana Lane location. Pictured is a photo of an iris germanica mixed. PROVIDED BY MOANA NURSERY
residential and commercial landscape design and installation at its Landscape & Design Center, 1190 W. Moana Lane. The Moana Lane garden center offers garden and home gifts, greenhouse plants and a fullservice florist. Details: www.moananursery.com.
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