Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint While
Gardening
What is carbon
gardening? Carbon gardening helps gardeners reduce the amount of carbon we
release back into the atmosphere through our gardening practices. Carbon
gardening starts with improving soil health and structure, garden design and
incorporating the aspects of carbon gardening into the design. The design will
include 80 percent natives to your region. Native plants to your region will
form communities of connected and beneficial organisms.
What’s so new
about carbon gardening? It focuses on how we can reduce carbon emissions
through our gardening practices. Some of the techniques we have already been
doing, now there is more emphasis on how to reduce carbon emissions while
gardening.
There are several
ways to carbon garden, growing your own food, don’t till the soil before you
plant, using native plants in your region, buy locally sourced plants, mulch, and
start using battery/cordless gardening equipment.
By growing as many
fruits and vegetables that you can reduces carbon emissions and reduces the
carbon footprint. The machinery used to grow the fruits and vegetables, the
transportation to get fruits and vegetables to retail stores, and the packaging
involved to get the fruits and vegetables to stores. The entire process
releases carbon back into our atmosphere. There are several organic soils and
fertilizers you can use for your fruits and vegetables and by purchasing
organic products also helps in the reduction of carbon emissions. The organic
soil should be peat free because peat comes from peat bogs which absorb carbon
from the air and store it in the soil. When peat is harvested the carbon that
is stored in the soil is released back into atmosphere. There are peatmoss
alternatives such as coconut coir, coco peat, and coir peat you may want to
try. Here are the names of peat-free soils you may want to try for your potted
plants and vegetable garden, “Back to the Roots” an all-purpose potting mix,
and “Pittmoss” Plentiful Organic Potting Mix. The fruits and vegetables can be
grown in containers, raised beds, or in the ground. When growing in the ground
don’t till the area before you plant, just dig the hole and plant. The action
of tilling the soil releases the carbon that is in the soil to be released and
this is why we suggest not to practice the method of tilling the soil.
When designing a
new garden or rejuvenating your existing garden use native plants and trees in
your region and group plants together in the design by the plant’s cultural
needs such as full sun, shade, water requirements, etc. Trees are excellent for
removing carbon from the air. By doing so, the plants begin to form plant
communities in your garden and begin to attract other wildlife into the
community. Your Cooperative Extension Service, Agriculture Extension Service,
and Native Plant Nurseries in your region should be able to recommend plants
for your area and project.
By purchasing
locally grown native plants and trees reduces the carbon footprint. The process
of plants grown locally and shipped locally reduces the carbon footprint verses
plants that are shipped and grown abroad.
After planting or
rejuvenating your garden, we need to mention about organic mulches and their
benefits. Some organic mulches are better to use on your vegetable garden beds,
while others are used for landscape beds and trees. Whichever the choice all
organic mulches do the job of suppressing weeds, moisture retention, regulate
soil temperatures, and soil erosion.
A mulch is
considered organic because it decomposes over time. As the mulch decomposes
nutrients are added to the soil, and the soil structure slowly improves.
When applied after
planting mulch suppress weeds. For established beds pull the weeds before
applying the mulch. By physically pulling the weeds you are reducing future
weed seeds from developing and also reduces using a chemical weed killer. Mulch
should be applied yearly.
By switching over
to cordless/battery operated lawn equipment you are helping in reducing your
carbon gardening footprint. Small gas-powered engines are the worst in air
pollution. These are the engines that run all your gas-powered gardening
equipment. The engines that run the garden equipment is very fuel inefficient
and pollute the air more than today’s cars. By switching over to battery/cordless
gardening equipment helps reduce your gardening footprint. There are several
different companies making battery/cordless mowers, hedge trimmers, and leaf
blowers to name a few. Nearly all companies design the equipment with
interchangeable batteries whereas you can use the same battery for all your
other gardening equipment.
These are just
some of the ways you can help in reducing your garden carbon footprint. Your
help as a gardener is needed to help reduce carbon emissions and become a
climate activist starting with your own yard. You don’t have to redesign your
entire garden. Start small by starting a small vegetable garden, purchase a
tree or native plant locally, start mulching garden beds and trees, make a
purchase for battery operated garden equipment. If each gardener around the
world practices just one gardening technique it will help.
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