Green Your Holidays
Personal Activities

Personal Activities

Be a responsible gardener

  • Use fertilizers and pesticides wisely – test your soil, then use fertilizers and pesticides only as needed, when needed.
  • Use compost and mulch as much as possible to reduce your need for fertilizer.
  • Apply pesticides in the late afternoon to reduce the danger to bees and other pollinators.
  • Never apply fertilizer or pesticides to bare ground or eroded areas, just before a rainfall, or near a waterbody.
  • Buy more disease resistant plants to reduce your need for pesticides. Native plants are better adapted to the area and will require less maintenance.
  • Don’t cut your grass too short – it stresses the grass and increases the need for fertilizer. Only remove 1/3 or less of the blade height.
  • Leave grass clippings on the lawn to act as a natural fertilizer.
  • Keep your lawn mower blades sharp – dull blades will weaken the grass.
  • Excerpts from The Joy of Composting: A Complete Guide to Successful Backyard Composting

Save a drop of water…

  • Turn off the water when you are not using it. As much as three gallons per minute can escape while you are brushing your teeth or shaving.
  • Check for leaks in faucets or toilets.
  • Let your lawn tell you when to water. Water only when you see folded grass blades and a grayish cast to the lawn.
  • Adjust sprinkler heads to avoid watering driveways and sidewalks.
  • Consider using a more efficient drip or soaker-hose system.
  • Conservation is just as important when using well water, which draws from our ground water supplies.
  • More water conservation tips.

Only rain goes in the drain…

  • Dispose of waste properly. Never dump motor oil, paint, or chemicals into storm drains, gutters or sinks.
  • Leave nothing in the street – it will wash down the storm drain in the next heavy rain.
  • Sweep your driveway. Toxins and heavy metals will wash into the surface water if you hose the pavement. Sweep back into your grass, not out into the street.
  • Avoid blowing leaves and grass clippings into the street – they will wash down the drain with the next rain.
  • Place yard waste inside your curb for pickup, preferably bagged. Do not leave leaves, grass, or limbs in the street.
  • Wash your car on the grass instead of the driveway, or take it to a professional car wash where the runoff is captured.
  • Keep your car in tune so that it does not leak oil or other fluids.

Practice good pool management…

  • Don’t chlorinate your poll for several days before draining.
  • Drain your pool over a large area to allow water to filter slowly through the soil.
  • Never drain directly into waterways or storm drains.
  • Never drain directly into the street – it will run straight to the closest storm drain, carrying pollutants from the roadway with it.
  • Dispose of unused pool chemicals safely – check with your county landfill for times and places where they can be taken.

Be a smart boater…

  • Avoid driving your boat or personal watercraft through seagrasses to prevent damage to these sensitive marine nursery areas.
  • If you run aground, stop your motor, tilt it up, and pole or push your way free.
  • Dispose of trash properly. Plastics such as fishing line or six-pack rings are especially harmful to marine animals and coastal birds.
  • Keep your boat engine in tune to avoid oil leaks.
  • Take care not to spill gasoline when filling your boat.
  • Don’t’ top off your tank – small spills add up quickly.
  • Use phosphate-free soap when cleaning your boat.
  • Dispose of sewage from holding tanks at approved pump-out stations or marinas.

For more boating tips, go to www.PWIA.org.

Treat our wetlands and coastal areas with respect…

  • Never take plants or animals away from a wetland area. Take pictures instead.
  • Participate in a beach cleanup to help reduce litter on our shores.
  • Stay clear of bird or turtle nesting sites. The eggs and the young are very fragile.
  • Go to the library and read books about coastal plants and animals and the places they live. The best way to help them is to know them.

Shoreline landscaping tips

  • Avoid “hardening” the shoreline if possible. Seawalls, riprap, and other structures replace the natural shoreline and destroy important intertidal habitat.
  • Leave shoreline vegetation as a natural buffer zone.
  • Where seawalls already exist, consider softening the shoreline by planting natural vegetation in front of the wall.
  • Establish a zone of native plants between your grass and the shoreline. Native plants will require less maintenance, water and fertilizer, as they are well adapted to the area.
  • Remove exotic and invasive plants such as kudzu or Popcorn trees.

For a homeowner’s guide to shoreline restoration, go to www.state.fl.us/nwfwmd/pubs/shoreline/shoreline.htm.

Easy cleaning tips…

Use chemical free alternatives for household cleaning:

  • One cup of vinegar in a bucket of water makes a good all-purpose cleaner.
  • To disinfect, use one-half cup borax dissolved in a gallon of hot water.
  • Wash windows and mirrors with one part vinegar to every four parts of water, or add 3 TBS ammonia to the solution.
  • To deodorize carpets, sprinkle with baking soda and vacuum after 30 minutes.
  • To clean your oven without the toxic lye of commercial cleaners, mix two teaspoons borax and two tablespoons liquid soap in a spray bottle of water. Apply and allow to set for 20 minutes, then scrub vigorously.
  • Use phosphate-free laundry soaps.
  • Mix 1 cup each - baking soda, salt and white vinegar as a drain cleaner. Pour into drain, wait 15 minutes, flush with boiling water. Use this monthly to avoid drain clogs.

Drive Smart…

  • Drive less, especially during peak traffic periods or hot days.
  • Use public transportation, walk, or ride a bike.
  • Shop by phone, mail or Internet.
  • Telecommute.
  • Combine your errands into one trip.
  • Avoid revving or idling engine over 30 seconds.
  • Avoid long drive-through lines. Turn off your car and go in.
  • Accelerate gradually, maintain speed limit and use cruise control on the highway.
  • Use an energy-conserving (E.C.) grade of motor oil.
  • Minimize use of air conditioning if you can.
  • Use EPA-certified facilities for air conditioner repair.
  • Get regular oil changes, tune-ups and maintenance checks.
  • Keep your tires properly inflated and aligned.
  • Fill gas during cooler evening hours to cut down on evaporation. Avoid spilling gas.
  • Look for the most efficient, least polluting model of vehicle.
  • Park your car in the shade or a garage when possible to reduce fumes that escape from the gas tank.

At Home…

  • Use compact fluorescent lights.
  • Turn off appliances and lights when you leave a room.
  • Use the microwave to cook small meals.
  • Plant deciduous trees in locations providing shade in summer, but allowing light in winter.
  • Recycle paper, plastic, glass, cardboard, aluminum.
  • Reuse materials like paper bags and boxes.
  • Properly dispose of household paints and solvents.
  • Paint with a brush, not a sprayer.
  • Keep woodstoves and fireplaces well maintained.
  • Repair leaky air conditioning and refrigeration.
  • Turn thermostat down in winter and up in summer.
  • Insulate your home, water heater and pipes.
  • Check HVAC filters monthly.
  • Use natural cleansers and fertilizers.
  • More energy conservation tips.

Buy Smart

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