Sustainable Gardening Practices
Jayesh Samtani Assistant Professor and Small Fruit Extension Specialist Outline
• Define sustainability • Elements of sustainable gardening • Overview of Hampton Roads Small Fruit Program Goal of Sustainability To meet the society needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC Stewardship b. Land and natural resources a. Human resources
- Human health - Sanitary and safe working conditions - Fair pay Small Fruit in the Home Garden Grower stewardship for management of land and natural resources 1. Promote soil health
2. Minimize use of water
3. Lower pollution levels at farm Healthy soils
Sustains Provides life food
Provides Provides clean clean air water
Cycles nutrients Filters pollutants Promote soil health
- Less soil disturbance (reduced tillage, overgrazing etc.) - Improve plant biodiversity - Keep a living root - Mulch - Composting - Soil tests - Less use of plastic
To understand soil health, we need to assess and manage soils so that it functions optimally now and is not degraded for future use.
NRCS NRCS Managing water Rain barrels Xeriscaping Or right plant for the right place Listen to your plants Symptoms, Finger test Companion plants Group plants with similar needs Replace water when possible Driveway Water at right time of the day a.m. versus noon or p.m. Mulch, mulch and mulch Fix leaks Reasons for grouping plants Nitrogen fixation Crop rotation, companion plants, cover crops
Pest control • Pest traps • Flavor/odor
Shelter plants and level interaction • Hedge rows, three-sisters Garden economics is an important part of sustainability
$ Save your own seeds $ Compost your green waste $ Mulching $ Ditch the gas powered lawn mower $ Integrating natural predators $ Plant trees $ Wooden plant tags $ Organic fencing
Sustainability X Consumers and retailers
Value-based food
Farmworker wellbeing
Environmentally friendly approaches
Strengthen local economy Achieving sustainability isn’t easy
Once you develop a mindset you will find several ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. Researcher
Biology, Economics, Engineering, Chemistry, Community development, and many others. Hampton Roads Small Fruit Program
Small steps toward sustainability New Products (Varieties) Camino Real • UC Davis variety. Released in 2001. • Compact growth habit. • Resistant to Verticillium (Verticillium dahliae) and Phytophthora(Phytophthora cactorum). Relatively resistant to Anthracnose crown rot (Colletotrichum acutatum). • Attractive, mostly symmetrical conic fruit. • ‘Camino Real’ has good flavor and is suitable for fresh market and processing. • Darker color (internal and external) compared to ‘Camarosa’. Ruby June
• Lassen Canyon variety. Released in 2014. • Plants have moderate to high vigor. • High disease tolerance especially against Fusarium wilt • Fruit is large and good firmness and taste. Enhanced Soil Solarization Lolium perenne L. (Italian ryegrass), Trifolium spp. (clover species), Stellaria media (L.) Vill. (common chickweed) Veronica L. (speedwell species), Gnaphalium L. (cudweed)
Feb. 20, 2014
Teaching the next generation is………
23 Teaching the community is part of sustainability
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References - Creative commons