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You, Too, Can Grow A Sustainable Garden - And Improve The Soil

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By MONICA BRANDIES

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 18, 2009

Last year, I was flown all the way to Philadelphia to give a talk on this subject.

When I suggested the topic "Water Saving Gardening," the person in charge said, "Oh, that would be good, sustainable gardening."

I found myself facing gardeners in a different climate to talk about a topic I strongly suspect means different things to different people.

To me, sustainable gardening means using methods that improve and conserve soil rather than let it wash away to use up all its nutrients.

We must do that here, because our soil is so sandy. But even in Iowa, where the soil was rich, farming methods over the last centuries have depleted it considerably. I met one man who remembered when you could dig a basement in Iowa and still not get below the topsoil line. Much of that rich soil had washed down the mighty Mississippi by the time my family got there.

I don't think we have anything we can call topsoil in Florida, at least in our area. But we still can grow great things if we use common sense and keep amending the soil — especially if we make the most of our earthworms.

I first started to learn about sustainable gardening methods, composting, mulching and the like, at the college where I gave my talk, Ambler College of Temple University in Ambler, Pa., north of Philadelphia. But I've learned much more since then and trust I will still be learning more as long as I live.

For instance, I just learned that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, yard trimmings and food residuals together constitute 24 percent of municipal solid waste in the United States. Almost all of that can be recycled in the garden.

In Florida during winter, many gardeners will face the challenge of removing fallen leaves and other backyard debris.

Removing leaves doesn't need to be a terrible chore. They contain nutrients taken from your soil. Don't give away your treasure. Rake the leaves, or blow them if you can, off the lawn and onto mulched areas around your trees and shrubs. They can help tree growth because they conserve moisture and keep the weed-eater from damaging tree trunks, especially on young trees.

Or, you can go a step further and turn them into compost. Composting offers many benefits. Modern gardeners face strict waste removal ordinances in many communities. Composting also helps minimize your eco-footprint while cleaning up the back yard. It's a cost-effective, eco-friendly way to convert your yard debris into "black gold" — a nutrient rich, all-natural, safe fertilizer for amending your soil.

Any time is good to compost, but right now is exceptional. Dry leaves, grass clippings and woody materials represent a large percentage of total yard waste. Each offers the carbon or nitrogen components necessary for the decomposition process that takes place during composting. Add air and water, and you're well on your way to rich, loamy compost.

The trick to successful composting is to maintain a working balance between carbon and nitrogen. A simple rule of thumb is to use one-third green and two-thirds brown materials in alternating layers. This allows oxygen to penetrate and nourish the organisms that reside within the material.
You don't have to live with an unsightly, foul-smelling compost heap to do your part for the environment. Compost bins and tumblers are a hassle-free way to create compost. Bins are basic, but tumblers add motion — something that can enhance the quality of your compost.

Or you can build your own compost bin with fencing or concrete blocks. The hotter the pile gets the better, because it will burn off most weed seeds, insect eggs and disease spores and decompose faster. You can't make compost wrong, only faster or slower. And in the bin or under the bush, the final result will assure that your garden will grow better every year.

For more information on composting, visit www.cleanairgardening.com.

Today's Pick

Snapdragons, Antirrhinum majus, are among the hardiest of winter annuals. It's still early enough to buy and enjoy bedding plants that will last until summer. They like full sun and improved soil. The seeds are very small, and it takes patience — and more time than we have this winter — to get them as large as plants you can now buy reasonably. But you could start seeds in late summer for next year. I started them from seed and grew them for market when I had a greenhouse years ago, but now I only buy plants. Snapdragons come in all colors except blue, and in many sizes, from dwarf to 4 feet tall.

Choose the small ones for edging or use in containers, the taller ones for bouquets. Cut them when half of the flower spike is open. You can cut stems as far back as 6 inches from the ground. If you buy a plant now and pick all the flowers for indoors, it will explode with blooms when warm weather returns. Be sure to snip off dead flowers so they won't go to seed and stop blooming.

Now's The Time To ...

• Feed vegetables and annuals, but at a reduced rate, because they are growing more slowly during these shorter days. But they soon will be taking off on their spring growth.

• Go the to nursery and buy some blooming annuals, or whatever else you can. Plants are much cheaper than therapy, and great for lifting your spirits. Fill containers and empty spaces with winter annuals such as petunias, pansies, snapdragons, ornamental cabbage and nasturtiums. Even my Johnny jump-ups looked bad the morning after the latest freeze, but they look great now. Many of the nasturtiums got nipped by the cold weather, but they also will soon be back again.

Upcoming Events

• The Suncoast Native Plant Society will meet at 7 p.m. tonight, Feb. 18 at the Hillsborough Extension Office, 5339 County Road 579 in Seffner. Juliet Rynear from Bok Tower Gardens will talk about "The Rare Plant Conservation Program" at the gardens. The meeting is free. For details, contact Bob Upcavage at (813) 317-5497.

• The Tampa African Violet Society will meet at 10 a.m. Feb. 20, 2009 at the Ragan Community Center, 1200 East Lake Ave., Tampa. Jim Boyer, award-winning African Violet grower, will discuss the importance of lighting for plant growth. Visitors are always welcome. Admission and parking is free. Contact Mary Lou Harden, president, at (813) 689-8700, or Mina Menish, publicity chairwoman, at (813) 681-1910.

• The Tampa African Violet Society will have its annual show and sale from noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 27 and from noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Farm Bureau, 100 Mulrennan Road, Valrico. "Love At First Sight" is the theme. African violets, gesneriads and supplies will be available for sale. Parking and admission are free. Contact Mary Lou Harden at mlhard@verizon.net or (813) 689-8700, or Mina Menish (813) 681-1910.

Monica Brandies can be reached at monicabrandies@yahoo.com.

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