by Melinda Myers

They’re cute, they’re furry and they love to eat – your landscape that is.  If you are battling with rabbits, deer, groundhogs or other wildlife, don’t give up.  And if you are lucky enough to be wildlife-free at the moment, be vigilant and prepared to prevent damage before these beautiful creatures move into your landscape to dine.

Anyone who has battled wildlife knows the frustration and difficulty involved in controlling them. Your best defense is a fence. A four-foot-high fence anchored tightly to the ground will keep out rabbits. Five-foot high fences around small garden areas will usually keep out deer. They seem to avoid these small confined spaces. The larger the area the more likely deer will enter. Woodchucks are more difficult. They will dig under or climb over the fence. You must place the fence at least 12 inches below the soil surface with 4 to 5 feet above the ground. Make sure gates are also secured from animals.

Some communities allow electric fences that provide a slight shock to help keep deer out of the landscape. Another option is the wireless deer fence. The system uses plastic posts with wire tips charged by AA batteries. The plastic tip is filled with a deer attractant.  When the deer nuzzles the tip it gets a light shock, encouraging it to move on to other feeding grounds.

Scare tactics have been used for many years. Motion sensitive sprinklers, blow up owls, clanging pans and rubber snakes strategically placed around a garden may help scare away unwanted critters. Unfortunately urban animals are used to noise and may not be alarmed. Move and alternate the various scare tactics for more effective control.  The animals won’t be afraid of an owl that hasn’t moved in two weeks.

Homemade and commercial repellents can also be used. Make sure they are safe to use on food crops if treating fruits and vegetables. You’ll have the best results if applied before the animals start feeding. It is easier to prevent damage than break old feeding patterns. Look for natural products like those found in Messina Wildlife’s Animal Stopper line. They are made of herbs and smell good, so they repel animals without repelling you and your guests.

Live trapping can be inhumane and should be a last option. Babies can be separated from their parents, animals can be released in unfamiliar territory, and trapped animals can suffer from heat and a lack of food and water. Plus, once you catch the animal, you need to find a place to release it. The nearby parks, farms and forests already have too many of their own animals and therefore they don’t want yours.

The key to success is variety, persistence, and adaptability. Watch for animal tracks, droppings and other signs that indicate wildlife have moved into your area. Apply repellents and install scare tactics and fencing before the animals begin feeding. Try a combination of tactics, continually monitor for damage and make changes as needed.  And when you feel discouraged, remember that gardeners have been battling animals in the garden long before us.

Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening. She hosts the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV and radio segments and is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers’ web site, www.melindamyers.com, features gardening videos, gardening tips, podcasts, and more.    

From yard work and pest control to cleaning and taking care of home systems, there’s a lot that goes into maintaining a house. Everything Home offers practical tips and expert know-how to help anyone take good care of their home.

(Family Features) A beautiful landscape doesn’t happen on its own. You can help your lawn, trees and shrubs get off to a healthy growing season.

“Trees and shrubs add tremendous appeal to our urban home environments, but to thrive, particularly out of their natural world, they require regular care with added nutrients and protection against invasive pests,” said Ben Hamza, Ph.D., director of technical operations at TruGreen.

Here are some lawn and landscape tips to help you take care of your yard this spring.

Clean Up: New spring growth can be hampered if it’s covered with debris. Clean out dead leaves, branches, trash or anything else that could impair your lawn’s growth.

Prune Properly: Corrective pruning of your trees and shrubs can make them not only look better, but help them grow better, too.

• Don’t top-shear overgrown shrubs or trees – thin them out to preserve their shape.

• Spring-blooming plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, forsythia and lilacs should only be pruned after they flower.

Put the Right Plants in the Right Place: When you’re ready to plant new plants, make sure you put them where they’ll thrive.

• Be sure you know the light requirements for a new plant.

• Fences or other structures can restrict air flow, which can interfere with growth.

• Make sure you have the right type of grass for your lawn. Wherever grass has a hard time growing, plant shady ground covers instead.

• If you’re considering sod, make sure the temperature is warm enough for grass growth. Firmly pack sod into the soil and water as needed to encourage deep root growth.

Nourish the Roots: Spring lawn, tree and shrub roots seek nourishment after the dormancy of winter.

• Make sure your early spring fertilizer has less nitrogen and more phosphorus to promote strong roots. Consider a professional company, such as TruGreen, which will design a custom plan to give your yard exactly what it needs.

• Be sure to keep fertilizer on target to prevent run-off, and sweep fertilizer granules that may reach pavement back onto your lawn.

Get Ready to Water: Give your lawn a slow, steady watering about once a week, but adjust depending upon rainfall, grass and soil type in your area.

• Follow the owner’s operating manual to take an automated sprinkler system out of hibernation. Ensure sprinkler heads and related water lines are working properly.

• Make sure the irrigation system covers your landscape efficiently. For example, you can place a one-inch deep, empty food can in the middle of the lawn area to measure the depth of water collected after each watering cycle to ensure uniformity.

Mulch the Right Way: Mulch can keep soil in place, reduce weeds and retain moisture. But you need to make sure you’re doing it right.

• When the soil has warmed up, apply three inches of organic mulch to base of shrubs and trees to help conserve soil moisture and to reduce weed pressure. But be mindful not to cover the flare of the tree base in mulch “volcanoes,” which can lead to rot.

• When your lawn is actively growing, return grass clippings back to the soil for added lawn nutrients and consider using composted materials to nourish plants.

For more tips, visit www.TruGreen.com.

(ARA) – You turn the faucet off when brushing your teeth and installed low-flow toilets and showerheads, but your outdated irrigation system could be undermining your efforts to save water.

The average American household uses 30 percent or more of its water outdoors in landscaping. Bigger users might be closer to 70 percent in some cases, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Some experts estimate that up to half of the water used to irrigate landscapes is wasted due to evaporation, wind or runoff caused by poorly adjusted sprinklers, improper design or overwatering.

Summer is the time when water use spikes the most and is the reason why the Irrigation Association created “Smart Irrigation Month.” Saving water doesn’t have to be complicated; you can find water efficient choices to accommodate any budget.

Smart products: water less, save more
Like cell phones, video games and cars, irrigation technology has advanced dramatically in the past 10 years. You can do more with the irrigation technologies of today. Consider adding these water-saving devices to your irrigation system:

* High-efficiency nozzles: Replace conventional spray heads with high-efficiency nozzles to apply water more evenly and reduce your landscape water use by 30 percent.

* Rain/moisture sensors: Sensors will override an irrigation controller to turn off the system at the first detection of rainfall or the presence of moisture in the soil.

* Low-volume drip irrigation: Drip irrigation systems reduce water use by applying only the required amount of water directly to the plant, minimizing evaporation and water waste.

* Smart controllers: These controllers take into account weather conditions, soil type, plant material and other factors to automatically adjust irrigation system run times to deliver only what is necessary, conserving thousands of gallons of water annually.

* Rainwater harvesting: The collection of just 1 inch of rainfall on an average roof is enough to provide more than  500 gallons of reusable water. Capturing and storing water for reuse in the landscape is easy using belowground catchments or aboveground cisterns or barrels.

* Pressure regulated valves or sprinkler heads: A five-point reduction in psi (a standard measure of water pressure in your irrigation system) can reduce water use by 6 to 8 percent. Proper system pressure also improves performance and life expectancy.

Don’t overlook the simple solutions that can help save water, such as watering in the early mornings when winds are calm and temperatures are cool, and properly adjusting your sprinklers to prevent sidewalk watering.

Getting started
It is important to ensure your choices are the right choices for your landscape. The right products, combined with proper management techniques, will help your landscape look its best while saving water and money. Before you run out and buy a new smart controller, you should consider a few things to help you get started:

* Check for leaks. The EPA reports that an irrigation system leak about the thickness of a dime can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month. Fixing leaks can reduce water use by more than 10 percent.

* Check for local rebate programs. Many water agencies offer rebate programs for water efficient products, so check with your local water provider to see if they offer product discounts or free products.

* Consult a professional. Hire a certified landscape irrigation auditor to visit your home and conduct a site inspection and water audit to determine water-wasting inefficiencies. An auditor will provide a results report that lists opportunities for irrigation system upgrades or repairs. Or, hire a certified irrigation contractor or designer to talk with you about the best water-saving technologies for your landscape.

* Plant choices. Know the water needs of the different plants in your landscape, and give each plant just the right amount; this is the key to a healthy landscape that uses less water. When possible, choose plants with low water use requirements. Check with your local water agency to obtain a recommended plant list for your region, or spend a few minutes on the Internet. You may be surprised by how many beautiful native plant choices are available.

For more tips on how you can use less water in your landscape all year long, visit the Irrigation Association’s Smart Irrigation Month website at www.irrigation.org/SIM.