Saving water saves money
By ROBERT KESSLER Penn State Cooperative Extension Franklin County office

COMING EVENTS

Feb. 23 - Natural and Organic Beef Production Meeting, 9 a.m., Lancaster Farm & Home Center, Call Lancaster Extension Office, 717-394-6851.

March 1 - Hands on Pruning Workshop, Sponsored by Franklin County Master Gardeners, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

March 10 - Franklin County Turf & Ornamental Meeting, 8:30 a.m., Penn State Mont Alto.

March 17 - Franklin County 4-H Pig Club re-organization Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Franklin County Extension office, 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg.

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SAVE ENERGY ON HOT

WATER

One of the best ways to save money on energy is to use less energy. A significant single cost in running your household is the cost of hot water. In addition to saving energy, there are ways you can save thousands of gallons of water per year too.

The Consumer's Guide to Home Energy Savings provides some tips on how to conserve hot water. First is to reduce how much hot water we use. If you have an older shower head that has been in place for 14 years, it probably uses more than the 2.5 gallons per minute that is recommended today. Replace your shower head with one that uses less water.

Change the aerator on your faucets with one that delivers one-half to one gallon of water per minute. Also change your faucets to a faucet that has a convenient shut off handle, so you don't let water run needlessly while you scrub a dish or wash your hands or brush your teeth. Even a small amount of warm or

hot water down the drain is a waste of money and water. By doing these changes, throughout your house, a family of four will save over

14,000 gallons

of water a year and the energy it took to heat it.

All hot water has to flow from the hot water heater, which is often stuck in the corner of the house through pipes to other parts of the house. In a large house that means running a lot of water down the drain before the hot water arrives at the faucet. It is recommended that you insulate your hot water pipes to reduce the heat loss as the water flows to the faucet and while it sits in the pipes until you need it again. If you have a hot water recirculation loop to be sure that water is always at the faucet, then it is critical that these pipes be insulated.

As we look for ways to save on higher energy costs, start with your hot water system. You can make a few simple changes such as new shower heads, new aerators and a little insulation and save money on energy and conserve your water usage too.

GARDENING WITH KIDS

If you love to garden, why not teach kids to enjoy gardening by starting seeds with them. You don't need a lot of fancy equipment. I have seen it done using an egg shell that has a small hole drilled in it for drainage. These are put in an egg carton and filled with a potting soil mix. You can use any other kind of containers you want as long as it has a drainage hole.

Use a seed potting soil mix in your container and fill the container almost to the top and wet the mix so it will settle. You should use the seed of something they will want to grow. Annual flowers like marigolds and zinnias can easily be started this way. You can also start vegetables like tomatoes in any container with kids and then transplant them when they get bigger.

The seed can be placed on the top of the potting mix and pressed lightly into the soil and then sprinkle a light covering of potting soil over the seed and water it again. Place it in a well-lit window sill or if you have a shop light or a desk lamp, the seeded containers can be placed under the light. The closer they can be to the light, the better quality of light the newly emerging plant will receive. As the plant grows, keep the light about one to two inches from the light. Explain to your children that light helps the plant produce food from the chlorophyll that makes a plant green. Without good light, the plant will grow too tall and have a weak stem.

When the seedlings have the first set of leaves, they can be transplanted into another container, such as peat pots. Continue to help them with their plants and show them how to tell if the seedlings need water. Once the danger of frost has passed, around mid-May, help them plant their new plant outside in a flower bed or in their garden. Encourage them to take care of the plant and fertilize, and water them as they need it. Gardening has been a traditional activity that has been passed down from one generation to the next. Be sure to pass your love of gardening by teaching some young people.

POISONOUS HOUSEPLANTS

You would not likely go around your house and eat your houseplants, but young children and pets might. Do you know if you have a poisonous houseplant in your home? It is important to know the names of the plants you purchase and bring into your home. But it is also important to know that even if a plant is considered poisonous, most plants may only cause a mild stomach ache or skin rash or swelling of the mouth, throat and for many, you need to eat a large quantity of the plant.

To review a few that you may bring into your home, let's start with Philodendron. Most people have this in their home. Others you might find include: Daffodil, Dumb Cane, Elephants Ear, English Ivy, Hyacinth or Mountain Laurel and Yew, which are often found in Christmas greens. This list is not a complete list of all poisonous houseplants.

One that people will often think is poisonous is Poinsettia, which is not poisonous, but its sap can cause irritation. This is also true of Weeping and Fiddle leaf Fig, Piggyback Plant and Wandering Jew.

It is important to mention that some people can be sensitive to a plant, even if it is not considered poisonous. If someone has a reaction to a plant, you should contact your local doctor. If you can't reach your doctor you can call the Poison Control Center at 1(800) 222-1222 and talk to them.

If you don't know the name of your plant which you are concerned about, it being a problem plant, go to a local shop that deals with houseplants and see if you can find one there with a label on it to identify it.

Poison Control Centers have 24 hour a day service, seven days a week. It is staffed with specialists that have access to poison Information. They are trained pharmacists, nurses and doctors and provide up-to-date information about potential hazards. If treatment is needed, they can suggest alternatives to you.