A presentation about clean water landscaping. Presented by Robert Roseen of Geosyntec Consulting during the Buzzards Bay Coalition's 2014 Decision Makers Workshop series. Learn more at www.savebuzzardsbay.org/DecisionMakers

1. Clean W aterLan d Care
M ich aelTalbot,M CH ,ISA ,A SCA
Co-ow n er,TalbotEcologicalLan d Care,M ash pee,M A
P rin cipalCon sultan t,En viron m en talLan d scape Con sultan ts,LLC
Restoration Ecologist,A uth or,Ed ucatoran d P lan n er
M assach usettsCertified H orticulturistan d Lan d scape Design er
I.S.A .Certified A rborist,A m erican Society ofCon sultin g A rborists
2008 Recipien t,A ssociation to P reserve Cape Cod ’s
En viron m en talCh am pion A w ard
B uzzard sB ay Coalition
Keepin g Clean W aterin YourCom m un ity
UM A SS Cran berry Station ,W areh am M A
W ed n esd ay,A pril30,2014

2. A N A LTERNA TIVE LA NDSCA P E
CONCEP T FORB EST DESIGN/CA RE
EcologicalDesign an d Lan d Care seeks
com m on groun d betw een con ven tion al
lan d scapin g an d orn am en talh orticulture
an d protection ofth e en viron m en tan d
con servation restoration .
Forexam ple,ecologicald esign seeksto
m in im ize th e ad verse im pactof law n s
an d lan d scapin g on groun d w ater,
surface w aters,people an d w ild life.
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

3. W H Y ECOLOGICA L LA ND CA RE in
SOUTH COA STA L M A SSA CH USETTS?
 Ourregion ten d sto be ecologically
fragile.M an y people live on th eir
w atersupply,m akin g itvuln erable to
con tam in ation .
 W e h ave m an y pon d s,stream s,in lets,
baysan d estuariesad versely im pacted
by n utrien tpollution --particularly
n itrogen in estuariesan d ph osph orus
in pon d san d stream s.
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

4. W H Y ECOLOGICA L LA ND CA RE in
SOUTH COA STA L M A SSA CH USETTS?
 A typical professional lawn service
program uses two to three times the
fertilizer that the typical fine lawn
requires—applying as much as 5 pounds
of total nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft of lawn.
 Homeowner 4-step programs apply 4 lb of
N per 1,000 sq ft, when most managed
lawns would be fine with 1 to 2 lb. of N.
 What are the implications for the health of
our surface and ground waters?
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

5. W H Y ECOLOGICA L LA ND CA RE in
SOUTH COA STA L M A SSA CH USETTS?
 Th e M assach usettsEstuariesP rogram
(M EP )stud ied th e effectsof n itrogen
load in g (pollution )ofourbays,in lets,
h arborsan d estuariesin ourregion .
 Nextto th e d am age caused by septic
system s,th e lead in g causesof
n itrogen pollution on Cape Cod an d
south eastern M assach usettsw aslaw n
fertilizersan d storm w aterrun off.
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

6. W H Y ECOLOGICA L LA ND CA RE in
SOUTH COA STA L M A SSA CH USETTS?
 40% ofm un icipalw aterin th e Un ited
Statesgoesto w aterin g law n s.This is
not sustainable!
 A typicalprofession allaw n service
program usestw o to th ree tim esor
m ore of th e pesticid esasth e m ost
h eavily sprayed food crop in th is
state— sw eetcorn .
 Is all this really necessary? What are the
implications for the health of our families,
pets, wildlife and the environment?
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

7. ECOLOGICA L LA NDSCA P E DESIGN
ECOLOGICA L LA W N an d LA ND CA RE
ECOLOGICA L LA NDSCA P ING in clud es
oth eraltern ative con ceptssuch as:
 Organ ic an d Low Im pactLaw n Care
 Sustain able Design (low m ain ten an ce)
 Naturescapin g (lan d scapin g w ith n atives)
 Xeriscapin g (lan d scapin g ford rough t)
 Ed ible Lan d scapin g (usin g food plan ts)
 LeastToxic W eed an d P estM an agem en t
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

8. ECOLOGICA L LA ND DESIGN
 P reserve n aturally vegetated areas—
especially buffersto surface w ater
 Con serve resources— soil,w ater,air
quality,w ild life h abitat,biod iversity
 Design in h arm on y w ith th e site for
sustain ability an d low m ain ten an ce
 Use n ative plan tsan d pattern lan d scapes
on region alplan tcom m un ities
 Create in terestin g lan d scapesth atpeople
w illw an tto use an d en joy!
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

13. LOW IM P A CT DESIGN or
DEVELOP M ENT (LID)
Urban ized lan d scapes,in clud in g turf,
often h ave over100 tim esth e
storm w atersurface run off (30%
versus0.3% )ofm in im ally d isturbed
forest,sh rublan d orgrasslan d /
m ead ow areas.Th isstorm w aterrun off
can carry a w id e ran ge ofpollutan ts:
n utrien ts,solid s,h eavy m etals,
h yd rocarbon s,an im alscat,etc.
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

14. L a w n fertilizers,in pa rtic ula r,a reover-a pplied a nd a pplied
im properly.A sa result,they a rea lea d ing c a useofnutrient
pollution (nitra tesa nd phospha tes)d egra d ing ourb a ys,
estua ries,pond sa nd strea m s—a nd ourground w a ter.

15. LOW IM P A CT DESIGN or
DEVELOP M ENT:A Key B M P
In filtratin g storm w ateralon g grass
sw alesan d th rough m ultiple,
d ecen tralized biological/bio-reten tion
filters,also kn ow n asrain gard en s,
provid essuperiorpollution m itigation
versusalloth ersystem s,w h ile also
en h an cin g aesth etics,biod iversity an d
w ild life h abitat— an d even red ucin g
d evelopm en tcosts.
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

16. Conventional

17. An example of a poorly designed bioretention cell

21. T heb uild ertookouta llthetrees.Instea d ofla w n insta lled tothestreet,
ourd esign w a stoinsta lla sc reen pla nting ofna tivepla nts,suc h a sthese
red c ed a rs,a sw ella sw hitepines,shrub a nd m ea d ow pla nts.

23. W ithin thena tura lvegeta tion a nd thesc reen pla nting isa priva te,sec lud ed G a rd en
R oom —six yea rsa fterinsta lla tion a nd inc lud ing a sm a ll,orga nic a lly m a na ged la w n.

26. S a nd pla in G ra ssla nd -a
ra rem ea d ow ha b ita tof
ourregion
N ew E ngla nd
b la zingsta r
L ittleb luestem

27. A portion ofthisc lient’sla w n w a srem oved a nd repla c ed w ith a pla nting of
na tivea nd a ppropria tenon-na tivegra ssesa nd flow ering forb s.T hisnew
ga rd en isa b utterfly a nd hum m ingb ird m a gneta ttra c tivea llyea r.

32. Native grassland/shrubland buffer planting (15
feet wide minimum) between a highly managed
lawn and Popponesset Creek; ConCom mandated

34. ENVIRONM ENTA LLY FRIENDLY
LA NDSCA P E DESIGN an d LA ND CA RE
 Assess the site thoroughly, especially soils
 Design landscapes appropriate to the site
 Design to reduce outside inputs, such as
water, fertilizer, pesticides, excess labor
 Choose plants for drought tolerance and
water conservation, including turf mixtures
 Choose plants resistant to pests and stress
 Enhance natural pest control
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

35. SITE ASSESSMENT FOR:
• SUN VS. SHADE (DEGREE OF EACH)
• EXPOSURE TO WIND AND SALT
• SITE CHARACTERISTICS (SLOPES,
MICROCLIMATES, POOR DRAINAGE)
• TYPES OF PLANTS (LAWNS, TREES,
SHRUBS, PERENNIALS, NATURAL
AREAS—EVEN WEEDS TELLA STORY
ABOUT THE SITE CONDITIONS)
• CONDITION OF PLANTS (HEALTHY,
DROUGHT OR WINTER STRESS, GOOD
OR POOR COLOR, DENSITY)
• KEY PEST PROBLEMS AND KEY
PLANTS WITH SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
• SOILS (pH, COMPACTION, DEPTH AND
TEXTURE OF TOPSOIL, SUBSOIL,
DRAINAGE, ORGANIC MATTER)
• MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (MOWING
PRACTICES, MULCHING, IRRIGATION,
PEST MANAGEMENT, FERTILIZATION)
• SITE USE (PLAY, PETS, EQUIPMENT)
• CLIENT DESIRES AND CAPABILITIES
(MANAGEMENT BUDGET, FUTURE USES)

36. SAMPLE AND TEST SOILS
TO DETERMINE:
• D E P T H O F T O P S O IL
• T E XT U R E O F T O P S O IL
• S U B S O IL
C HA R A C T E R IS T IC S
• D E G R E E O F C O M P A C T IO N
• D R A IN A G E (P oorly D ra ined T o
E xc essively W ellD ra ined )
• S O IL VA R IA T IO N S (From O ne
S ec tion O fT heL a nd sc a peT o
A nother)
• S O IL T E S T IN G :G a ther
S a m ples;M ix;S iftO utR oc ks,
C oa rseO rga nic M a tterA nd
D eb ris;P a c k;S E N D T O A
G O O D S O IL T E S T L A B FO R
– pH
– N utrientlevels
– O rga nic m a tterc ontent
– C a tion exc ha ngec a pa c ity

37. FO R S O IL
pH &P la nts:
• Turf:6.0–7.0is
good ;6.4–6.8is
id ea l
• R hod od end rons,
b lueb erriesa nd
othera c id soilloving
pla nts(hea th
fa m ily):5.0–5.9is
good
• M ostvegeta b les,
fruittreesa nd
orna m enta lpla nts,
inc lud ing m a ny
non-na tives:6.0-
6.8isgenera lly
preferred

38. C hooseT urfgra ssB lend sHigh in Fesc ues,suc h a sT a llFesc uea nd
S ha d eM ixesw ith FineFesc ues;
“E nd ophyteE nha nc ed ”T urfgra ssB lend sha veIm proved P la ntG row th,
P ersistenc e,a nd S tressT olera nc e,a sw ella sR esista nc etoM a ny
Insec tP ests(suc h a sC hinc h B ugs)a nd M a ny D isea ses.
E C O -B L E N D is specially designed for lawns managed organically, without the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers or chemical
pesticides. Eco- Blend is made with seed cultivars selected for their improved stress tolerance and reduced fertility needs.
CONTAINS: 35% Blade Runner Tall Fescue, 15% Longfellow II Chewings Fescue, 15% Applaud Perennial Ryegrass, 15%
Spartin II Hard Fescue, 9.5% (9.75% if no clover) Blue Sapphire Kentucky Bluegrass, 10% Navigator Red Fescue, 0.25%
Highland Colonel bentgrass and 0.25% White Clover (optional).
AREA FOR USE: North of the Mason Dixon line.
RATE: 5-7 lbs. per 1,000 ft.2
WHEN TO PLANT: Apr 1 - Jun 10 or Aug 1 - Oct 1.
NOTES: Overseeding (slit seeding 2½#1000 sq ft) (top seeding 3¼# 1000 sq ft).
D E N S E S HA D E M IX is well adapted to areas of 60% or more daily shade in mature landscapes. Dense Shade Mix has low
maintenance requirements for water, fertilizer, and lime. Requires 2-3 hours of filtered sunshine per day.
CONTAINS: 40% Longfellow II Chewings Fescue, 35% Titanium Tall Fescue, 15% Spartin II Hard Fescue, and 10% Navigator
Red Fescue.
AREA FOR USE: North of the Mason Dixon line.
RATE: 4-5 lbs. per 1,000 ft. 2
WHEN TO PLANT: Apr 1 - Jun 10 or Aug 1 - Oct 1.

39. C HO O S E T HE R IG HT P L A N T FO R T HE R IG HT
P L A C E :P la ntsa d a pted tothesitec ond itions;
pla ntstha ta red roughta nd pestresista nt
These are
examples of plants
tolerant of dry
soils and droughty
conditions. Once
established, they
will also require
little or no
irrigation, saving
money and
valuable
groundwater
resources.
Native plants are
noted with an
asterisk.

46. USE ‘B EST M A INTENA NCE
P RA CTICES’
 Th e m ostseriouspestin our
lan d scapesisH om o sapien s
 Learn an d use properm ow in g,
prun in g an d oth erm ain ten an ce
practices
 Use n atural-based an d slow release
fertilizersw isely to en h an ce plan ts
 Irrigate w h en n ecessary,butw ater
law n san d oth erplan tin gsproperly
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

48. EcologicalLaw n Care:B est
M ain ten an ce P ractices
• Mow lightly; mow often. Avoid cutting so
much turf leaf blade that your lawn is yellow.
This can suppress root growth for a month!
• Mow high (3 inches; 3.5 inches is even
better). This has so many benefits.
• Leave clippings to recycle on the lawn; this
enhances lawns in 25 measurable ways.
• Be sure you are mowing (or your contractor
is mowing) with sharp blades.
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

50. EcologicalLaw n an d P lan tCare:
B estIrrigation P ractices
• Ifyou ch oose to irrigate yourturf(n otvital),
w aterd eeply on ce ortw ice a w eek,
especially ifyou are also irrigatin g treesan d
sh rubs.Law n sin very san d y soilsm ay n eed
w aterin g 2 to 3tim esa w eek to rem ain
green — butin h ot,d ry w eath eron ly.
• Trees,sh rubs,peren n ialsan d oth ergard en
areasare bestirrigated on ce a w eek to a
d epth of12 to 18 in ch es— asopposed to 4to
6in ch esforturf;create separate zon esto
irrigate th ese plan tin gs.Use d rip irrigation .
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

51. Lawn sprinklers poorly managed; waste and runoff

52. EcologicalLaw n & P lan tCare:
B estFertility P ractices
 M ostim portan tB M P sforw aterquality
 Use soiltestresultsto en h an ce soil
fertility (N,P ,K)w ith n atural-organ ic
an d /orslow release fertilizers,com post,
liquid seaw eed an d rock m in erals.
 Use soiltestresultsto apply th e proper
lim eston e,h orticulturalgypsum or
gard en (elem en tal)sulfurto getth e
propersoilpH foryourplan ts.
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

54. B RIEF H ISTORY OF FERTILIZER
REGULA TION IN M A SS.
 2012:Nan tucketad optslaw n fertilizer
regulation sth attake effectin 2013
 A ugust,2012:M ass.becom esth e 10th
state to regulate ph osph orusin fertilizer
 Novem ber,2012:Falm outh ad optsa
strictNitrogen FertilizerB ylaw
 M ay 2013:Orlean sad optssim ilarbylaw
 M ay 2013:A G rulesth atstate law
supersed esth e localbylaw s— butCape
Cod could ad optregsun d erth e CCC A ct
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

55. B RIEF H ISTORY OF FERTILIZER
REGULA TION IN M A SS.
 M ass.State Sen ate in clud esrid erin th e
B ud getA ctth atallow sth e Falm outh
an d Orlean sbylaw sto rem ain in effect;
th e H ouse agreesan d th e Govern or
sign sitin to law ;th e bylaw sn ow law
 2013:Th e Cape Cod Com m ission ad opts
a Nitrogen FertilizerDCP C d espite h eavy
in d ustry opposition ;w ritesd raftN fert
regs,w h ich Cape tow n sm ay n ow en act
 M arch 2013:M DA Rissuesitsd raft
regulation sun d erth e 2012 law .
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

56. B RIEF REVIEW OF KEY FEA TURES
OF TH E M DA RDRA FT REGS
 M DA Rd raftregulation slim itapplication s
ofn utrien tsto turfto protectw aters
 H elpsm un icipalitiesm axim ize cred its
provid ed in NP DES perm itsissued by EP A
 A lso regulate agriculturaln utrien ts
 No fertw ith over0.67 % ph osph orus(K)
can be applied to turfw /outa soiltest
in d icatin g a n eed forK in th atturfsoil
 P erm itsK forn ew oroverseed ed law n s
 Exem ptsn atural-organ ic fert& com post
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

57. B RIEF REVIEW OF KEY FEA TURES
OF TH E M DA RDRA FT REGS
 No application ofplan tn utrien tson turf:
 B etw een Decem ber1 an d M arch 15
 To frozen ,sn ow -covered orsaturated soils
or24h oursbefore a h eavy rain orflood in g
 W ith in 20 ftof surface w atersw ith spread er
or10 ftw ith d eflectorord rop spread er
 W ith in Zon e 1 of a public w atersupply w ell
 W ith in 100 ftof surface public w atersupply
 In am oun tin con sisten tw ith UM assTurf B M P
 No application on im pervioussurfaces
 Req.profession alsto keep 3yrofrecord s
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

59. EcologicalLaw n Care:B estP est
M an agem en tP ractices
 En d allpreven tative in secticid e apps,
in clud in g grub an d sum m erin sectapps
w h ich killben eficialsforn aturalcon trol
 Determ in e w eed toleran ce ofclien ts
 Spottreaton ly th ose w eed sth atare
truly un w an ted ;th isgreatly red uces
h erbicid e use even forfussy clien t
 Use th e leasttoxic prod uctth atw orks,
w h ich could be h an d pullin g/pickin g,etc.
TA L B O T E C O L O G IC A L L A N D C A R E

60. THANK YOU FOR INVITING US;
CLEAN WATER STARTS AT HOME
If you wish more information on
Ecological Lawns and Landscapes,
please do not hesitate to contact us:
M IC HA E L TA L B O T,E nvironm enta lL a nd sc a pe
C onsulta nts,L L C ;Ta lb otE c ologic a lL a nd C a re
M ic ha el.T @Ta lb otE c oL a nd C a re.c om
w w w .E L C N ew E ngla nd .c om
w w w .Ta lb otE c oL a nd C a re.c om