Living Jackson Magazine :: Green Gardening

Green Gardening

Options Abound for Environmentally Friendly Home-Grown Gardens

Story by P. Anne Fulgham

What makes gardening “green” and environmentally friendly? According to the experts, reducing the amount of chemicals used, following good environmental practices, seeking alternatives to man-made fertilizers and being conservation-wise about water use can turn a home-grown garden into a “green” masterpiece.

Start with the Basics

When was the last time you had your soil tested? This inexpensive—under $10—service, available through your local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, can set you on the right track, revealing the soil’s acidity or alkalinity, which influence how well plants absorb nutrients; evaluating its fertility and composition; and providing recommendations for the correct amendments needed to improve the soil for the particular kind of plants in the area.

“Soil sampling is the foundation for determining what fertility program to use and how to properly amend your growing area,” says Mark A. Shirley, county extension coordinator for the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension in Jackson County. “The testing is easy to do. We’ve got collection bags in the office with the instructions right on the back.” For $8, residents can receive a detailed report about soil conditions to set them on the right track to minimize the addition of artificial elements into the soil. Soil sampling information is available at www.caes.uga.edu. On this site, there’s a specific publication that explains the correct way to take samples.

Black Gold—Recycle and Reap Rewards

There’s no mystery to composting and it combines the best of both worlds—cutting down on garbage in the landfill by recycling non-meat kitchen scraps, grass clippings and leaves, and creating the very best, most nutrient-rich soil imaginable. Some experts call the dark composted earth “black gold” because it’s a precious commodity that produces large healthy plants with vigorous root systems and plenty of lush foliage.

“Compost helps provide many nutrients for plants,” Shirley says. “It’s a natural way to create a good growing medium.”

The secret of good composting is mixing the right balance of “brown” and “green” elements. Fallen leaves or horse manure in limited quantities are the “brown” while “green” items include vegetable and fruit scraps from the kitchen and yard trash such as plant trimmings. The combination is essential to making good compost and letting nature do its work. Experts remind that the smaller the pieces, the more quickly they will break down. You can use a food processor to chop fruit and vegetable scraps. Add tea bags, coffee grounds and even rinsed-out eggshells. Torn strips of newspaper without color make good fodder as well.

Select an out-of-the-way corner of your property and start the pile, alternating layers of green and brown. You can use a circle of chicken wire several feet in diameter or enclose the pile on three sides using wooden palettes wired together. The idea is to create accelerated decomposition. The pile actually generates a low level of heat as the microorganisms begin to break down the components.

Some people dump a bit of all-purpose fertilizer on the pile to speed up the process, and the pile needs to be aerated occasionally by using a shovel or open-pronged pitchfork to turn it.

Once the compost is ready, it can be used as a soil amendment or as a top dressing. It can help improve soil moisture retention, as well as reducing compaction, thus giving roots a more porous growing environment.

Go Natural

For the home gardener, true green/organic growing practices focus on techniques that include mulching to retain moisture and reduce weeds, crop rotation to add nutrients back into the soil and wise use of water.

“The idea is to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, or at the very least apply them strictly according to the label,” says Josh Hopkins, store manager of Braselton’s Outdoor Environments Inc. “One of the most common mistakes people make is over-application, using more than the label recommends. More is definitely not better.”

He explains that when too much of a product is applied, it could cause plant damage, such as burning the foliage or leaves. “There’s also a chance of contaminating the water supply when too much fertilizer or pesticide runs off and is absorbed into the ground water. It can cause pollution and even kill fish or other wildlife, especially if you’re near a stream or creek.”

Hopkins and fellow associate Matthew Wood, who is studying agricultural education at the University of Georgia, agree that soil testing holds the key.

“It’s crucial to start out with the best possible conditions with both healthy plants and the right growing conditions,” Wood says. “That way, you’re giving your plants the best possible situation.”

Mulching at the proper depth with the right materials can save water and reduce invasive weeds. Experts recommend two to three inches of pine needles, shredded bark or wood chips.

Water Reclamation, Conservation

There’s no doubt we’re in a drought, so water conservation is essential to create a sustainable green landscape. One of the most popular solutions is rainwater collection. Many area home improvement retailers and garden centers sell rain barrels. These can be placed to collect rainwater run-off from gutters.

Rain gardens, designed to help slow the flow of water across landscaped areas, are becoming a popular way to help conserve water, improve water quality and reduce erosion. They are used to capture and absorb storm water run-off and return it to groundwater reserves.

The University of Georgia’s on-line consumer information newsletter, Georgia FACES, (http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/) provides detailed information about how to create a rain garden. Here’s a summary:

Find a site for a rain garden in a natural depression in the landscape. It can be near solid surfaces such as patios and driveways, but not near a foundation.

Choose a size depending on the yard and soil type. Soils with a lot of clay take longer to absorb water than sandy soils, and the rain garden must be larger.

Start digging. Make the bottom of the rain garden 8-10 inches deep and as flat as possible. Use the extra dirt to build a berm, or barrier, on the lowest side to keep the water in.

Add compost. Mix a good amount into the existing soil.

Establish a grass or groundcover border around the garden to slow run-off water as it enters the garden.

Select drought- and wet-tolerant plants such as a mix of ornamental grasses, shrubs, trees and self-seeding perennials. When these are in place, cover the garden with a three-inch layer of mulch.

To maintain the garden, keep weeds pulled and replenish with mulch as needed.

“Another water-conservation method is to mass plants with similar watering and nutrient needs together,” says Shirley. “That way, you’re using water efficiently and you’ll be more effective in caring for your landscape.”

Research continues about ways to be environmentally sound around your landscape. Most of the suggestions are not large; but taken in little steps, they can help people become effective as stewards of the natural setting.

“If everyone did just a little something to further protect the environment through green practices,” says Hopkins, “what a difference we can all make.”

P. Anne Fulgham is a freelance writer living in Flowery Branch.