14 - Friday, July 5, 1991 - North Shore News HOME & GARDEN Dow t blame grass for water shortage GARDENING IN Canada is changing as conditions and lifestyles evolve. One trend the Canadian Garden Council notes is a move away from well-manicured lawns to other methods of ground covering. In many cases, par- ticularly in municipalities where water shortages have become common, water restrictions have led to the demise of the traditional bluegrass lawn kept green all! summer. But this may not neces- sarily be a good trend. Last year, James B. Beard, pro- fessor of turfgrass physiology and ecology at Texas A&M University, an internationally noted turf ex- pert, commented on this subject. He said that it was man's deci- sions and methods concerning specific cultural practices that create a high water use rate in turfgrasses such as the ones we use in most of Canada (cool season bluegrasses), not the plants themselves. “Contrary to what some people and groups may propose, grass can indeed be a conserver of water and energy. Perhaps one of the least recognized functional benefits of turfgrasses is the abili- ty to entrap and hold rainfall bet- ter than most surfaces, thereby reducing water loss by runoff and enhancing the potential for groundwater recharge. In a related dimension, turfgrasses are one of the most cost-effective means of trapping and holding surface water that may be carrying eroded soil and organic chemicals, there- by reducing the amount of silta- tion and organic chemicals that enter sewers, streams, rivers and fF Al Come and visit our 2 lakes. “Grass also offers a unique cooling capability that greatly enhances the comfort of people in highly populated urban areas. It accomplishes this at no cost of outside energy or the burning of carbon dioxide creating fossil fuels. “Studies now in their fourth year consistently demonstrate that actively growing turfgrass will reduce surface temperatures by 30-40° F in comparison to bare soil, Cement, asphalt and stone also act as heat sinks with surfaces much hotter than turf, “As an added benefit, turf’s growth process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere which has been identified as one of the potential factors that may cause global warming. By absorb- ing carbon dioxide and releasing clean oxygen, the grass plant is helping cool the earth, as well as our homes. “There are many other fune- tional benefits of turfgrasses typi- cally overlooked by the general public. These include: 1) soil ero- sion control, which protects a vital resource; 2) dust stabilization; 3) noise abatement: 4) glare reduc- tion: 5) safety in vehicie opera- tion; and 6) reduced fire hazard. “It should be noted that these functional benefits derived from turfgrasses are closely interrelated with water in a number of situa- tions. Furthermore, even turf- grasses that are tan to brown in color due to summer drought stress still retain many of the im- portant benefits discussed here. And, once regular rainfalls occur, the grass will generally bounce right back green!"* There are a number of steps that homeowners may take to help ease the burden on a diminishing water supply. Feequent, light CULTURED MARBLE PRODUCTS FACTORY DIRECT Custom-made, best quality, lowest price and more... * Bathtub * Sink * Shower Pan * Wall Surround * Threshold & Molding * Accessory Our products meet or exceed C.S.A. requirements. ELEGANT MARBLES INC. 229 Riverside Orive North Vancouver Tel. & Fax 929-2314 watering of lawns should be com- pletely avoided. It can do more harm than good, even for what may have once been very strong growing lawns. Applications that only moisten the surface of the Q el leaves and barely penetrate the soil will weaken the root structure because the grass plants will have little need to sink down deep roots See Height page 15 IDEAL POOL & PATIO SUPPLY Ltd. "3 Solar blankets 0/ = Pool Covers 0 of | Rollers 15% o Calcium Hypochlorite Chlorine (tablet & granular) Visit. our showroom to view our. selection of spas & pool accessories IDEAL POOL & PATIO SUPPLY Ltd. 340 Lynn Ave. North Vancouver 980-3467 Surrey Branch 16040 Fraser Hwy. 597-2381 nual Summer Sale! featuring Swivel Caster Group sale °1239 reg. $1439 Savings on all upholstered floor models plus many other in-store specials. Sale ends July 31/91 0,000 square feet of rattan, wicker and unique accessories! 1420 Fell Avenue, North Van 988-7328 (Corner of Fell & Marine Drive) STORE HOURS: Mon - Sat. 9:30 - 6:00 pm, Sunday 11:00 - 5:30 pm rantitnus