It is less expensive economically and environmentally to maintain landscape plants during a drought with minimal watering than to allow landscape plants to die and lose the benefits they provide. 

 Fertilizers contain one or more essential plant nutrients and can be applied to landscapes to improve plant growth and quality or to correct a nutrient deficiency. There are many fertilizers available to consumers at local lawn and garden centers. 

Soil pH is a measure of soil acidity or alkalinity. On the pH scale a value of 7 is neutral, pH values less than 7 are acidic, and pH values greater than 7 are alkaline. Homeowners and gardeners are interested in soil pH because soil pH directly affects the growth and quality of many landscape plants.

Gardening in Delaware can be challenging. While the state of Delaware is small, it is comprised of two different growing environments—the piedmont and coastal plane. The piedmont covers about 5% of the land area of Delaware and exists on only the northern most corner of the state.

The goal of the Delaware Livable Lawns initiative is simple - reduce fertilizer and pesticide runoff from lawns. Did you know that the EPA considers stormwater runoff from yards, streets, parking lots and other areas to be one of the most significant sources of contamination in our country’s waters?

Many traditional home landscapes feature vast areas of under-utilized space, such as large turf grass lawns. Sustainable sites feature spaces for human enjoyment, considering opportunities to design outdoor rooms that suit specific needs as well as promote the health of the environment.

Dollar spot is an economically important disease of both cool-season and warm-season turfgrass. Due to the persistent nature of this disease, more money is spent on managing dollar spot than any other turfgrass diseases. Dollar spot reduces the aesthetic and playing quality of turfgrass.

Proper fertilization will enhance plant growth without polluting the environment. However, misuse of fertilizer can harm the environment and injure landscape plants by causing fertilizer burn to leaves and/or roots.

A green roof is a specially-engineered rooftop that supports plant life. Green roofs have been utilized in Europe for 30 years and are quickly gaining popularity in the United States.

Plants that spread over time to cover the ground are referred to as groundcovers. Usually this term denotes low-growing plants, but groundcovers can also refer to taller, spreading shrubs or trees that grow together to create a dense cover of vegetation.

All living plants return some of this water back into the atmosphere through transpiration. Some groundwater also returns to the surface by flowing down grade to fill a pond, supply a stream or just bubble as a spring. Certain soils allow groundwater to infiltrate deeper into the soil and fill aquifers and deep wells. 

When designing a landscape, consider alternatives to turf. Use attractive, low-maintenance ground covers, tree and shrub plantings and water-permeable paving. A major benefit of turf is that it will take traffic. Take advantage of that and install turf where it will be used as a play area.

The benefits of a healthy, attractive lawn are many and diverse. Lawns prevent erosion, provide cooling, re­duce dust and mud, remove pollut­ants from the environment, absorb CO2 and produce 02 Lawns provide a safe, comfortable surface for many athletic and social activities. Ar­eas of lawn, whether large or small, help bring green to the urban envi­ronment.

This brochure provides plant suggestions that can help gardeners create diverse landscape plantings with native and non-invasive exotic plants. 

What is a suburban livable ecosystem? It’s a landscape that takes advantage of natural processes while providing tangible benefits to its owner. 

Native plants are indigenous to a particular region and provide an essential foundation to support wildlife habitats for native insects and birds. Well-adapted to the local habitat, native plants grow using less water and fewer pesticide applications growing with minimum maintenance. 

Both oakleaf and smooth hydrangeas evolved in and along the woodland landscape. They prefer moisture-retentive, slightly acidic soil high in organic matter. They perform well in full sun. Both species offer full-size and dwarf sizes.

A well-planned vegetable garden provides an economical and continuous supply of fresh, nutritious vegetables throughout the season. An urban gardener with a fairly small plot can expect to raise a substantial amount of fresh vegetables from a good garden.

Be sure to research the planting site’s soil chemistry, soil type, and drainage. Choose a tree or shrub compatible with your site and select an appropriate time of year to plant.

This series of brochures were developed to educate Delawareans about the problem of invasive plants in the landscape.  

Porcelain berry, Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata, is an aggressive weed in the Vitacea (grape) family of the eastern United States. This plant is a deciduous, woody, climbing vine or erect shrub native to Northeast Asia—China, Korea and Japan.

A crucial role of sustainable sites is to reduce erosion, the physical wear of soil and surface rocks by water and wind. Eroded soil, called sediment, is the number one pollutant of our waterways.

Pruning is an important maintenance practice. Although necessary, pruning can be kept to a minimum by the wise use and proper placement of plant materials in the landscape. Evergreen plants can be divided into two broad categories: (1) Narrowleaf (needled) evergreens such as pines, junipers, yews, and (2) Broadleaf evergreens like rhododendrons, hollies, boxwood.

Good pruning is necessary to preserve the general attractiveness of your landscape and to keep your ornamental plants healthy. Although forest trees grow quite well with only nature’s pruning, landscape trees require a higher level of care to maintain their safety and aesthetics.

What organic material is full of nutrients, essential for the natural processes of soil rejuvenation, and arrives absolutely free of cost to millions of homeowners every autumn? You guessed it— the colorful liberated leaves of deciduous trees. Recycling leaves offers a great alternative to the environmental and economic expense of removing this resource from your property.

A sustainable site incorporates renewable, local, and low-energy input landscape materials and avoids materials, products, and practices that are harmful to the environment.

Color, drought tolerance, disease and insect resistance  are just a few of the many factors to consider when selecting turfgrass. Decide which features are important to you, then speak with a turf specialist to select the best options for your unique situation.

Frequent and often costly maintenance is needed to keep turf grass looking its best. During peak growing months, a single lawn may require mowing more than once a week. During periods of drought, irrigation may be required to keep a lawn from going dormant. Yearly fertilizer is usually recommended for encouraging lush growth.

Turfgrasses are divided into two categories based on their climate adaptation.  Cool-season grasses grow best in the spring and fall, with optimum growth when the temperature is between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  Warm-season grasses grow best in the summer, with optimum growth at 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Your lawn may grow more than the beautiful grass you intended.  It may also grow weeds, which prevent your lawn from looking its best. In addition to reducing the aesthetics of your lawn, weeds compete with the desired turfgrass for water, nutrients, and light.  If you don’t control weeds, your lawn will deteriorate over time.

Leave grass clippings on the lawn -If you mow frequently enough (one of the best ways to improve lawn health is to mow frequently), the clippings will just sift into the lawn. They also provide a great source of nitrogen as they decompose, reducing the fertilizer requirement for your lawn by one-third.

Fruits, acidified tomatoes, pickled products, and fruit spreads may be processed safely in a boiling-water bath.

In the interest of food safety, vegetables must be processed in a pressure canner. Pressure for processing ranges between 5 pounds pressure to 15 pounds pressure, depending on the type of canner and food being processed. Processing time varies according to specific vegetable and size container.

Dietary fiber is the part of plants that humans cannot digest. Although fiber was once thought to be a very simple constituent of food, it is now divided into two types – soluble and insoluble.

For the best in frozen fruits: Choose fruits of top quality to freeze. Wash fruit in cold running water. If submerged in cold water, lift carefully from water. Drain thoroughly in wire basket. Do not let fruit stand in water.

How to freeze veggies: Choose vegetables of top quality to freeze. Frozen vegetables are no better than the initial product. Wash vegetables in cold running water. If submerged in cold water, lift carefully from water. Drain thoroughly in wire basket.

Choosing herbs and spices to go with foods. Bay leaf, cayenne, chili, curry, dill, ginger, mustard, paprika, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme.

Use the double hand wash method to reduce disease-causing (pathogenic) organisms on hands. The steps include: Wet hands under hot, flowing water (100° F to 120° F, 2 gallons per minute). Apply sufficient soap to develop a good lather. (Refrain from using antibacterial soaps.)

When storing foods in your refrigerator, use foil, plastic bags and wraps, or airtight containers. Clean refrigerators regularly to reduce food odors. Remove spoiled foods immediately so decay cannot pass to other foods.

Foodborne illness can be the result of biological, chemical, or physical hazards.  Chemical hazards (for example, pesticides, food additives, or environmental contaminants, such as lead or mercury) often receive considerable public attention. 

Foodborne Illness: Are You at Risk? When you experience diarrhea, vomiting, an upset stomach, fever or stomach cramps, you may think you have the flu.  But the real culprit may be harmful microorganisms called pathogens in the food you ate a few hours, a week, or even a month ago.

All poultry, including turkey, is highly perishable.  To ensure a safe product, proper handling and storage are important.  Buy poultry only from freezer, refrigerator or chill cases.  What are recommended ways of handling turkey?  Let’s consider some questions frequently asked about preparing, cooking and keeping turkeys.

Despite its bad reputation, some fat is needed in our diet.  Fats serve many functions in the body.  In addition to providing more than twice the energy supplied by carbohydrates and proteins and supplying essential fatty acids, fats serve as carriers for fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and as parts of cell membranes.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in cells of humans and animals.  It can come from the foods we eat, but the body also makes cholesterol.  Although we often hear about ways to reduce blood cholesterol levels, cholesterol is one of many chemicals created and used by the body. 

Since the late 1980’s we have been teaching that open kettle canning is no longer safe. Open kettle canning involves heating the food to boiling, pouring it into the jars, applying lids, and allowing the heat of the jar to cause the lid to seal. Many years ago, it was commonly used for pickles, jams and jellies, and sometimes used for tomatoes and applesauce.

These short but safe time limits will help keep refrigerated food held at 40°F or below from spoiling or becoming dangerous. Purchase the product before “sell-by” or expiration dates...

Use good sanitation and good personal hygiene when preparing food. Use special care with high protein, moist, and low-acid foods.

Foodborne illness is never pleasant, but it can be especially devastating for anyone with a weakened immune system. Special precautions should be taken to protect anyone who is susceptible to foodborne illness.

Although spices and herbs have been used since ancient times, they are playing a new and important role in modern food preparation.  They not only add unique flavors to our food, but contribute color and variety as well.  Certain spices and herbs used alone, or in blends, can replace or reduce salt and sugar in foods.

Bacteria that cause foodborne illness multiply rapidly on food kept at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Do not rely on the appearance or odor to determine if the food is safe. This guide tells you how long food stays cold when the power goes off to help you decide what to salvage and what to discard.

Eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables is healthy and adds color, texture and flavor to our diet.  Recent illnesses have been traced to eating raw fruits and vegetables containing harmful disease-causing microorganisms.