GreenScaping, as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency, is landscaping practices that promote the health and appearance of your lawn and garden while protecting and preserving natural resources. A great article by the EPA titled, “GreenScaping: The Easy Way to a Greener, Healthier Yard”, will be summarized here and will encompass five posts due to the length of the article.
By practicing these activities, you can:
- Save money by eliminating unnecessary water and chemical usage
- Save time by landscaping with plants that require less care
- Protect the environment by conserving water and by using chemicals responsibly so they don’t contaminate our waterways and drinking water sources.
How can this all be possible? Working with nature in five steps, the first post of this series will focus on:
Step 1: Build and Maintain Healthy Soil
In nature, soil recycles dead plants into nutrients used for new plant growth. This circle of life helps to maintain the approximately 4 billion organisms found in a teaspoon of healthy soil! These beneficial organisms help create a loose soil structure which allows for proper air and water circulation, as well as, aide in proper plant root growth. Other good deeds include: the storing of water until plants need it and protecting plants from pests and diseases.
Soil Test
A good starting point towards achieving healthy soil is a soil test. A soil test will give you a good baseline on determining the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and lime your soil contains or possibly needs. Contact your local Cooperative Extension office for more details.
Compost
Compost is a critical part of healthy soil. It helps to feed the beneficial soil life so that it can, in turn, feed and protect the plants. It also retains nutrients and water for sandy soils and helps to loosens clay soils. Every spring and fall is an ideal time to add between a quarter to half-inch of compost to your existing lawns or beds.
Mulch
Mulch is a layer of organic material, such as leaves, aged wood chips, or grass clippings. Mulch helps to stabilize the soil temperature, prevents weeds, and retains moisture. Spring and fall is an ideal time to assure mulch levels are adequate (no more than 3 inches).
Slow-Release or Organic Fertilizer
If needed, look for fertilizers that contain “natural organic” or “slow-release” ingredients. These will fertilize plants slowly and evenly and allow for strong root systems. “Slow-release” types will help to reduce nutrient run-off into the ground and surface waters.
Remember, healthy plants grow in healthy soil!
Next in the series: GreenScaping Part 2: Plant Right for Your Site
