Green Ideas
Don’t trash that tree!
December 26, 2013When the holiday season is over and you’re taking down the decorations, make sure you dispose of that tree properly. First, ensure all garland, ornaments and hooks are removed. If you have room on your property, an evergreen can make a great bird feeder. Fasten it to the ground, and add suet balls, orange slices…
Turning Fog into Drinking Water
October 3, 2013We’ve written before about Star Wars-like technology that can pull water from the air. Now a team of MIT and Chilean scientists have found a way to efficiently harvest fog. The technique is based on plants and bugs that rely on air-borne water for their hydration needs. In most cases, these plants and bugs rely on…
Dry farming for a dry land
September 4, 2013There’s more than one way to grow a tomato. In arid, drought-stricken areas of the country, they’re using a technique called “dry farming,” which Merriam-Webster defines as “farming on nonirrigated land with little rainfall that relies on moisture-conserving tillage and drought-resistant crops.” According to the Oklahoma Encyclopedia of History and Culture, “Dry farming originated in the…
A river runs through it
August 29, 2013The Lehigh River is one of our region’s great natural treasures. It’s also a water source for some of our customers. It stretches more than 100 miles from Wayne County in the Poconos until it merges with the Delaware River in Easton. Its name comes from the Lenape word “Lechewuekink,” which meant “where there are forks”…
Scientists: Medications in water affecting fish behavior
August 5, 2013We’ve written before about the dangers of flushing medications down the toilet: A host of pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics, anticonvulsants and hormones have been found in the drinking water supplies of millions of Americans. And while some of these findings are surely the result of unwanted medications that had been flushed, experts are also aware…
A history of nitrogen pollution
July 22, 2013A University of Washington study of 36 lakes has found evidence of nitrogen from human activities in more than 75 percent of them. Some of the lakes, which range from the U.S. Rocky Mountains to northern Europe, are “thousands of miles from the nearest city, industrial area or farm.” And the pollution dates back to before the…
Scientists create a caffeine-loving bacteria to clean water
June 26, 2013Talk about a caffeine addiction: Scientists have genetically modified a strain of E. coli bacteria to live only on the stuff that puts the jolt in your cup of joe. Their idea was to create bacteria that could be used in wastewater treatment. It turns out that our nation’s love of all things caffeinated is…
Give your garden some culture: Hugelkultur!
June 14, 2013As you know, at LCA we’re all about saving water and keeping fertilizer use to a minimum. So when we heard about a gardening technique that can mitigate the need for feeding and watering plants — in some cases, for the entire season — we knew we had to share. It’s called hugelkultur, and it’s…
This soil amendment wiggles as it works
May 22, 2013Do you have worms? No, not the kind that calls for a visit to a vet or a doctor. The kind that crawl, mostly unseen, in the soil of your garden, lawn, and flowerbeds. They’re a wonder of nature; veritable living cultivators that churn through hard and soft soil alike, providing nutrients, breaking down organic…
Don’t bug out, it’s just a cicada swarm
May 8, 2013Get ready for a chitinous cacophony over the next several weeks. Billions of Brood II Magicicada cicadas will be emerging from the ground and striking up an amorous, clamorous chorus as the insects attempt to carry on their species. Have no fear; these cicadas are not interested in you or (for the most part) your plants….