SATURDAY SCOOPS
Baby that lawn

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Staff Writer

Augusto Rivera, who lives in a subdivision on the 'Ewa Plain, cares enough about his lawn to maintain it every day. Besides daily waterings, he fertilizes the lawn monthly and cuts the grass every five days. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

If your lawn is compacted, now's the time to "get some pukas" as Cheryl Wong, a sales associate at Home Depot in Iwilei, put it. "You want nice, long roots to carry you through August and September."

Not everyone needs to run out to aerate, said Tom Staton of Quality Turfgrass of Waimanalo. In Kailua, those with a lot of sand in their soil may not need it.

Just don't ask Staton how often you should water. He'll tell you to ask your lawn.

"Your grass has to tell you," said Staton. "No one else can tell you."

If you have a "mature" lawn, never — EVER — let the sprinkler run a few minutes every evening.

"Turf grass roots need to breathe air," he said.

Better to water as needed. How do you know when it's needed? Look at it.

The most water-efficient way is to wait until it starts drying out. See a few dry areas where the grass looks thin and grayish? Water just those.

If it's dry in more than a few patches, take a screwdriver and poke it in about finger deep. If the soil is dry down below, it's time to water. Keep your eye on the clouds, too: After a rainfall, you may not need to water for a bit.

Water deeply: Run the irrigation system once for 40 to 60 minutes, or in two successive cycles of 20 to 30 minutes, Staton recommends. A break of an hour or two between cycles will give your soil a chance to thoroughly absorb the water and prevent runoff.

Wong suggests watering in the morning, which cuts down on pests and fungus.

Want to green up the lawn in a hurry for a party? Fertilize with sulfate of ammonium, or pick one with iron, said Wong.

"But don't do it often," she warns, adding that fish emulsion is a great natural fertilizer, but the yard will smell like gutted fish for a while.

• If your soil is thick and chunky, aerate to loosen it up and allow water to reach roots more effectively.
• Use mulch around plants and trees to reduce evaporation and maximize the use of water by the plantings.
• Replace a foot of turf along sidewalks and other paved areas with decorative mulch to reduce wind-drift from sprinklers.
• Convert lawn to a xeriscape: Group plants by water need, reduce lawn space (a water guzzler), use efficient watering system.
• Water in the cool of the day, so you don't scorch the tips of grass and leaves.
• Check automatic sprinklers: Malfunctioning or misdirected sprinklers can waste thousands of gallons of water.

Model planes fly Windward skies at weekend airshow

Bring the whole family, chat with the model-aircraft pilots, watch aerial maneuvers, even try your hand at a radio-controlled aircraft. There's even food, shave ice and cotton candy.

Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. today and tomorrow; admission is free. 383-7516.

Sunset on the Beach movies feature DiCaprio, DeNiro

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in "Catch Me If You Can," playing beachside tonight.

The sunset event begins at 4 p.m. each day at Queen's Surf Beach. Tonight's feature after the sun goes down is "Catch Me If You Can," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, below, and Tom Hanks. Tomorrow's is "Analyze This," with Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal.

Arts and crafts from the Hawaii Handcrafters and Artists Alliance are an added attraction. Admission is free. 523-2489.

A little craftiness transforms a tote into a work of art

Handmade bags are all the rage, but what's a girl to do if she's a clumsy seamstress?

I say cheat. Or let's just say there's no harm in getting a bit of a head start.

I've always wanted to dive into purse design but had so many ideas bouncing around my head I didn't know where to start. To zero in on one plan, I picked up a ready-to-paint tote bag at the craft store.

I opted for a Chinese stamp that represents luck, matching ribbon, beaded trim and a coordinating strap. These blank totes are so inexpensive that you can afford to buy several and experiment.

Transformable Totes

• 1 blank tote bag
• 1 yard of wide, decorative ribbon
• 1 chunky rubber stamp
• 1 bottle of acrylic paint in desired color
• 26 inches of beaded trim
• 1 yard of nylon band
• scissors
• extra-strength fabric glue or sewing machine

Directions: The first step to transforming a tote is to cut off the handles. Securely glue or sew the ends of the nylon band, two inches down, to the inner top of each side of the bag.

Lay the bag flat on a table. Cut the wide ribbon in four equal pieces. Arrange them in a perfect square on the front of the bag, then glue or sew them in place. Add paint to the rubber stamp and firmly press the stamp in the center of the square of ribbon.

Glue or sew a layer of the trim around the top of the bag. Repeat the process if you want both sides of the bag decorated.

Tips and variations: Instead of the nylon band, attach other kinds of purse handles using large grommets, wire, beads or decorative ribbon as the strap.

If you are an experienced sewer, create a front panel and attach it to the back side of the bag so it folds over the front.

Tan products offer bronze without burn

Pale is passé and sun-kissed skin is in, as evidenced on all the runways and in summer fashion magazines. But sun damage, wrinkles and skin cancer are definitely out, out, out. What to do?

Fake Bake, the L.A.-based sunless tanning company, offers these tips on achieving the best possible "sun-kissed" tan:

Exfoliate: For the most even application, start by exfoliating in the shower. After showering, spray a dry oil on to areas such as knees, elbows, feet and knuckles that may be prone to dryness. (This helps prevent over-absorption of the tanning product.)

Use gloves: Put on latex gloves before applying self-tanner. If you should get it on your hands, wash with fresh lemon juice. Keep some paper towels and a little dry oil handy. If you put too much product in one area, spritz a little oil on the paper towel and gently pass it over the area to even out application. Insider tip: Makeup artists dampen a cosmetic sponge with water to blend a small amount of product from wrists to hands and ankles to feet.

In the dark: For deep, long-lasting results, perform this regimen at night. Let the tanner dry before slipping into old sweats or pajamas and dark-colored socks. The self-tanner may rub off on the inside of clothing, but rinses out in the wash.

Words to the wise: Hawai'i summer days offer endless temptations to soak up the sun. Be sure to wear sunscreen every time you step outdoors, or skin cancer may be in your future.

Cross-cultural musical chords

The sounds of music come to the Pearl City Cultural Center (past Pearl City High School on Waimano Home Road) at 7 tonight as 125 students ages 13 to 18 perform classical, jazz and pop tunes in a free concert. The students, from Hawai'i and Japan, have been taking part in a week-long intensive music program as part of the Pacific Music Institute, a program of the Hawai'i Youth Symphony. 941-9706.

Hawai'i wrestlers take on Japan team at the water park

Gates open at 6 p.m. today, the gong sounds at 7 p.m. at Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park in Kapolei. Besides Chono, the team from Japan includes Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Tiger Mask IV and Yuji Nagata. HCW heavyweight champ Lopaka (right) goes up against Chono in the grand finale.

But this wrestling spectacle doesn't come cheap: It's $50 for just the match, $100 if you want a package that includes dinner, waterpark rides and the match. Kids under 5 get in free. Tickets are available at Tower Records. 841-2621.

Jazz Festival swings to Hawaiian beat at Maui concert finale

The Hawai'i International Jazz Festival, celebrating its 10th anniversary, wraps up with one last concert tonight on Maui.

The musical theme is "Hawaiian Jazz," and features saxophonist

Gabe Baltazar, vocalists Jimmy Borges and Keahi Conjugacion, and Gypsy Pacific and Ukulele Madness.

It all begins at 7 at Wailea Marriott Resort's Aulani Ballroom, followed by a jam session.

Tickets are $30 and $45. (877) 750-4400.