Chuck Ingels is trying to grow the lawn of the future.

At Florin Creek Park in south Sacramento, nine 12-by-12-foot plots hold a series of fescues, sedges and native grasses. They're getting a workout to test their tolerance for less water and turf toughness.

Part of a federally funded study, the turf test can be seen daily at the park, where master gardeners have been watching these mini-lawns develop since last fall.

"I've always wanted to do some sort of study on turf that requires less water and money," explained Ingels, farm adviser and county director of the UC Cooperative Extension's Sacramento County program.

The grass squares have been full of surprises and a few intriguing possibilities. The turf and Ingels' findings will be part of a River-Friendly Landscaping Workshop today at Florin Creek Park's Recreation Center.

Indoors, Cheryl Buckwalter of Landscape Liaisons will describe how home- owners can save money and water while sustaining a healthy landscape – the core of river-friendly landscaping.

Radio host Farmer Fred Hoffman will put his spin on spring gardening followed by presentations on the best of the UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars (as seen in The Bee) and "Irrigation Controller: Friend or Foe?"

At outdoor demonstrations, see composting tricks, smart irrigation and better ways to fight weeds.

With a tour at noon, the alternative turf demonstration project is a joint effort of the Sacramento County Department of Water Resources and the Sacramento County Cooperative Extension, with the help of an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant.

Three turfs – a typical tall fescue blend called UC Verde buffalo grass and a pair of sedges (Carex praegracilis and Carex pansa) – have been evaluated at three different levels of irrigation. In addition, several California native grasses are growing in another test strip. The plots were planted in late September.

The tall fescue had an advantage; it was planted as sod. The other grasses and sedges were planted as plugs, allowing weeds to get a head start. That created a lot of extra work.

But now the plugs are filling in, particularly the UC Verde buffalo grass, a hybrid developed by university researchers at Riverside and Davis. Commercially, it's sold through Florasource.

Because it's a summer-growing grass, UC Verde works best planted in late May or June. That gives it all summer to grow in. The downside: It goes dormant (and turns brown) in winter.

"It's sort of like Bermuda grass, but it has no rhizomes," Ingels said of the UC Verde. "It's very competitive (meaning it grows fast and crowds out weeds) but doesn't grow very tall, 4 to 6 inches max. That means it needs mowing only every two to three weeks."

Ingels wanted to cut down on both water use and labor. He hopes to find a slow-growing grass that needs less mowing as well as less irrigation. Less mowing means lower levels of greenhouse gases, the goal of the EPA grant.

"The California natives are actually looking really good," Ingels said. "What we hope to find is if these other species look good as turf. They're much more drought-tolerant; the tall fescue is getting pretty brown with half its normal water."

The clippings are weighed after each mowing so the researchers can judge each turf's growth.

The two sedges started slowly but are now growing better, Ingels noted.

"The Carex stay green in winter, but they actually don't do well in the hot summer sun. They're a cool-season turf; they liked May (because it was so cool).

"We're learning a lot – especially about the weeding. The tall fescue sod, no weeds. The other grasses were planted as plugs and really had to fight. We think they're best planted in May, June and July.

"It's really fascinating," he added. "It shows the real potential for people to how they can still have a good-looking lawn with less water and money."

Allethrin warning

Soil-testing expert Steven Zien, president of Living Resources and a Sacramento organic gardening adviser, took exception to the ThermaCell mosquito-fighting patio lantern reviewed May 28 in "We Tested It." The active ingredient in its bug screen is Allethrin, which the company billed as safe for humans and pets, and we termed nontoxic.

"Allethrin is anything but nontoxic!" Zien wrote in response. He pointed to the EPA's labeling for this pesticide, which reads in part, "Harmful if inhaled. Do not breathe vapors."

"I find it particularly interesting that these are lights that you put on your patio in close proximity to where people will be congregating and the product label clearly states 'Harmful if inhaled,' " Zien added. "How do you avoid breathing the vapor when you are walking, standing or sitting close to these toxic devices? … How do people avoid breathing the vapors when they are being blown into the air just a few feet from their faces? It can't be done."

Zien continued, "Allethrin is in the pyrethroid class of pesticides and there is a serious environmental problem with this group of pesticides."

So, the patio lantern does keep bugs away. But according to Zien, it should come with a warning.

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Call The Bee's Debbie Arrington, (916) 321-1075.

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