Shelby Shopper Shelby NC
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S pring and summer are synonymous with increased hours of sunlight, warm temperatures and, oftentimes, an increased reliance on water to feed recre- ational pursuits and lawn and garden needs. The Water Information Program states that 3.9 trillion gallons of water are consumed in the United States each month and the aver- age person uses 176 gallons of water per day. Water conservation may be essential when the risk for weather-related drought looms. Practicing year-round conservation efforts can help ensure smart usage of local watersheds, lakes and reservoirs and help maintain these water sources for years to come. It also helps the average person re- duce his or her carbon footprint while saving people a little money along the way. Explore these water-saving tips to make smart use of water. • Collect shower water in a bucket while you are waiting for the water to heat up. Use that water to irrigate plants around the house or even outdoors. • Check for leaks around the house. Put a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank and see if it spreads into the bowl within a half-hour. If it does, that means a leak is present and gallons of water may be being wasted. • Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the re- frigerator. This way, when you come inside from the heat you'll have a cold drink at the ready and will not have to run the tap to fi ll a glass. • Install a lawn irrigation system so that you can maximize the amount of water that gets to the roots. Arrange the sprinkler heads so surrounding driveways and sidewalks are not getting "watered" as well. • Apply the minimum amount of fertilizer re- quired, as fertilizers can increase water con- sumption. • Aerate lawns and garden beds so the wa- ter reaches the roots rather than running off the surface of the dirt. • Employ rain barrels to collect rain water runoff. Rain barrels can help to repurpose rain water rather than simply allowing it to wash into storm drains. • Reduce reliance on sprinklers and hoses for summer recreation. Instead, rely on pools and other devices that use recirculating pumps. • Homeowners with pools can limit how of- ten they backwash their pool fi lters. • Solar pool covers can warm up pool water naturally and also reduce the rate of water loss through evaporation. • Inedible plants can benefi t from the nutri- ent-rich water siphoned out of a home aquar- ium when cleaning the tank. • The conservation guide Earth Easy says one way to cut down on water use is to turn How to conserve water when temperatures rise Page 20 - shelby shopper & info - 704/484-1047 www.shelbyinfo.com Thursday, April 6-April 12, 2017 arolina Siding and Windows Serving The Carolina's For Over 40 Years! FOR FREE ESTIMATE CALL CONNIE SPARKS ©Community First Media ©Community First Media We Are Now Offering Shingle Roofing! If no answer call 704-472-3402 704-482-8229 In Forest City Call 828-286-0040 ANOTHER FINE JOB BY CAROLINA SIDING AND WINDOWS ANOTHER FINE JOB BY CAROLINA SIDING AND WINDOWS SC Area# 864-398-9961 C WE NOW TAKE WE INSTALL GUTTER CLEAN & METAL ROOFING LICENSED & INSURED WE OFFER ALL TYPES OF ROOFING WE NOW OFFER TRIPLE HUNG WINDOWS VINYL SIDING AND VINYL SIDING AND VINYL TRIM BY: VINYL TRIM BY: CALL FOR LOW SPRING PRICING! RIPLE HUNG WINDOWS You're not only our You're not only our customer..but also customer..but also our reputation! our reputation! SHELBY FARM & GARDEN Open Monday-Saturday YEAR ROUND 310 Market Street • Shelby 704-482 -3341 "On The Railroad Tracks" LARGE SELECTION •Seeds •Bedding Plants •Vegetable Plants •Herbicides •Fungicides •Insecticides ©CommunityFirstMedia We Have STRAW PINE NEEDLES POTTING SOIL • Blueberries • Muscadines • Grapes • Figs Serving Shelby Since 1965 Underground irrigation systems can be more effective and eco-friendly than hoses for homeowners who want to maintain lush lawns in spring and summer. off the shower after soaping up, then turn it back on to rinse. A four-minute shower can use between 20 and 40 gallons of water. • Add organic matter to the landscape to increase water absorption and retention. Top dress areas as needed throughout the sea- son. Water conservation efforts can help home- owners maintain their lawns and gardens during heat waves and even save them a little money while benefi tting the planet as well. C Composting is an eco- friendly activity that can also save home- owners money on fertilizer and pesticides. Organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow, compost reduces the amount of waste that would otherwise end up in landfi lls, re- ducing the amount of methane gas that such landfi lls produce. But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that not everything can be added to compost piles. The following are some items homeowners should not add to their compost piles or bins, courtesy of the EPA. • Black walnut tree leaves or twigs: Leaves or twigs from black walnut release substanc- es that might prove harmful to plants. • Coal or charcoal ash: Coal or ash from charcoal, such as the ash that builds up in the bottom of charcoal grills, may contain substances that are harmful to plants. • Dairy products: When added to compost piles, dairy products, including butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt and eggs, can be mal- odorous and may attract pests, including ro- dents and fl ies. • Diseased or insect-ridden plants: The diseases and in- sects that plague plants may survive being transferred to compost piles. When the com- post is ultimately distributed, these diseases and insects might then plague other plants. • Fats, grease, lard, or oils: Fats, grease, lard or oils also may attract rodents and fl ies, and that might be due to the un- pleasant odors such substanc- es can produce when added to compost piles. • Meat or fi sh bones and scraps: Like fats, grease, lard or oils, scraps from meat and fi sh and fi sh bones can smell unpleasant, po- tentially attracting rodents and fl ies. • Pet waste: Pet waste, including soiled cat litter, may contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses that can be harmful. • Grass trimmings treated with chemical pesticides: Trimmings from grass that was treated with chemical pesticides can negate the effects of composting by killing benefi cial organisms produced within compost piles or bins. OLIVER'S HARDWARE OLIVER'S HARDWARE and and GARDEN CENTER GARDEN CENTER 3712 Fallston Rd • Hwy 18 N 3712 Fallston Rd • Hwy 18 N Shelby, NC • Shelby, NC • 704-480-0830 704-480-0830 Not Just A Hardware Store! Not Just A Hardware Store! • Garden Seeds and Plants • Daddy Pete's Organic Products • Outdoor Furniture & Solar Lighting • Pet and Animal Feed • Hanging Baskets & Ferns • Mulch and Pine Needles • Pool Supplies and much more! COME BY & BROWSE COME BY & BROWSE WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING! OF EVERYTHING! ©CommunityFirstMedia Monday-Friday 7:30-6pm• Saturday 7:30-4pm Monday-Friday 7:30-6pm• Saturday 7:30-4pm Closed Sunday Closed Sunday