Gardener Advise

Planting a garden can harm the environment!

A new gardener may be unaware that the environment can be harmed by planting a garden. Tilling the soil can release carbon dioxide in large amounts thus contributing to global warming. Through the process of cultivating the soil there will be a certain amount of compacting of the soil, which actually destroys the good fungi. Chemical fertilizers such as nitrogen and non-composted manures more readily leaches form freshly tilled soil. This process of leaching can contribute to run off which pollutes local streams and eventually our drinking water.

Global warming

This is a fact, the carbon dioxide emitted into atmosphere from the ground is ten times greater than all other human activities! This is a normal process in nature. The lowly microbes, pill bugs, fungi and earth worms digest organic matter in the soil releasing carbon dioxide when they breathe. When there were more plants and trees and less tilling they were able to absorb this carbon dioxide and return it to the earth.

It appears our globe's temperature, on average, is increasing due to the increase of carbon dioxide. As a gardener there are ways we can do our part to decrease tilling and thus reduce carbon dioxide. The best ways to minimize tilling is as simple as mulching, sheet composting and lasagna gardening. When I, as an organic gardener, do my part in the care of my garden soil and my part of environment, it is a good thing. If you as a gardener will do the same it is twice as good.

Good VAM

In non-tilled earth, there exists beneficial fungi known as vesicular-arbuscular-mycorrhizae or VAM. VAM and  plants actually form a commensal relationship. The VAM filaments causes an increase in the plant root hairs which increases the amount of nutrients the plant absorbs. The VAM produce copper, phosphorus, zinc and potassium for the plants. Carbohydrates are produced by the plants which the the VAM needs to survive. This is a win, win situation, the VAM helps the plants and the plants help the VAM. This is why it is important to use no till practices, mulching, sheet composting and lasagna gardening, if at all possible. It is very easy to grow an organic garden using no till methods, such as heavy mulching, which makes the soil soft and crumbly.

Surplus Nitrogen

Almost all gardeners and farmers waste manures and nitrogen. Organic gardeners and farmers use no chemical fertilizers containing nitrogen which naturally reduces nitrogen run off. The horse, cow, chicken, rabbit and even elephant manures are composted with leaves and straw to make a more balanced natural fertilizer. The amount of compost applied to the garden depends on your garden. Generally an organic gardener can add about 2 or three inches of compost each year and the plants will love it. Good compost is hard to come by, don't waste it.

This is the best organic gardener advice that I can offer. If you are concerned about the environment, practice moderation in your organic garden. Keep this in mind, a little bit of a good thing can go a long way. The whole idea and practice of organic gardening is to have a healthier you and environment.