The Carbon Sequestering Garden Gardening for the Planet While Growing Some of the Best Food Possible By Allison Houghton Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter, Inc. www.nofamass.org The Carbon Sequestering Garden Gardening for the Planet While Growing Some of the Best Food Possible Introduction: Gardening for the Planet, p. 3 Chapter Four: Capture Every Drop of Water, p. 22 Rain Barrels, p. 22 Mulches and Ground Covers, p. 23 Chapter One: Getting Started, p. 5 Rain Gardens, p. 23 Practice Organic Management, p. 5 Lawn Diversity, p. 24 Get a Soil Test, p. 5 Hugelkultur, p. 24 Correct Nutrient Deficiencies, p. 6 Swales and Check Dams, p. 24 Actively Build Soil Structure, p. 9 French Drains, p. 25 Consider Your Weeds, p. 9 Soil Amendments, p. 25 Super Efficient Irrigation Systems, p. 26 Permeable Surfaces, p. 26 Chapter Two: Add Life in the Soil, p. 10 Nitrogen-Fixing Inoculants, p. 11 Microbial & Mycorrhizal Inoculants, p. 11 Chapter Five: Working Within An Ecosystem, p. 27 Indigenous Microorganisms, p. 11 Working with Plants and Fungi, p. 27 Ramial Wood Chips, p. 12 Consider Perennial Crops, p. 27 Compost Tea, p. 12 Work with Deeper Roots, p. 28 Incorporate Mushrooms, p. 29 Consider Agroforestry in the Backyard, p. 29 Chapter Three: Building Up Soil Organic Working with Animals, p. 31 Matter, p. 13 Work with Beneficial Bugs, p. 31 Work with Small-Scale Livestock, p. 33 Compost, p. 13 Create Habitat, p. 34 Use a Diversity of Materials, p. 13 Use Principles of Agroecology, p. 35 Boost Your Compost’s Nutrient-Holding Observe, p. 35 Capacity, p. 14 Optimize Edge, p. 35 Add Trace Minerals, p. 15 Identify and Reinvest Flows, Resources, Add Finished Compost or Manure, p. 14 and Waste Streams, p. 35 Build Compost with a Diverse Soil Food Turn Problems into Solutions, p. 35 Web, p. 14 Mulch, p. 15 Wood Chips, p. 15 Chapter Six: Measuring Success Straw and Hay, p. 15 Topsoil Depth, p. 36 Leaves, p. 16 Aggregate Stability, p. 37 Other Mulch Options, p. 16 Earthworm Count, p. 37 Sheet Mulching, p. 16 Water Infiltration, p. 38 Materials to Avoid, p. 16 Soil Hardness, p. 38 Cover Crops, p. 17 Soil Surface Biology, p. 39 How to Plant, Maintain, and Kill Your Biodiversity Count, p. 39 Cover Crops, p. 17 Laboratory Testing for Soil Carbon, p. 39 Profiles of Common Cover Crops, p. 17-20 Other Tests and Observations, p. 40 Creative Ways to Use Cover Crops in the Backyard, p. 20 Biochar, p. 20 Conclusion: A Bigger Impact Than You Can Ensure Enough Moisture, p. 21 Possibly Imagine, p. 41 Use a Variety of Particle Sizes, p. 21 Add Minerals, p. 21 Add Soil Life, p. 21 Resources, p. 42-47 2 Introduction Every plant, growing slowly and steadily from the soil, is an active participant in Gardening for the Planet the soil ecosystem, fueling much of the biological activity happening underground. Plants actively capture carbon from the air Whatever takes place each day in this as CO2 through photosynthesis to produce world beneath our feet has wide-ranging sugars for themselves, and pump a portion influences on some of the great issues of our of these sugars (liquid carbon) out through time – pollution, nutrition and health, global their roots in a symbiotic relationship with warming, and preservation of biodiversity. the microbiology. Some of this liquid carbon — James B. Nardi, goes on to become the glues that build soil author of Life in the Soil structure, creates humus (the substance that makes the soil dark, crumbly and rich), and Minding your own patch of this planet by builds the soil’s water-holding capacity. nurturing your soil and building humus (sequestering atmospheric carbon) is the When you look out at your garden, what ultimate win/win. It benefits the gardener, do you see? You might see soil or exposed the garden and this practice regenerates the dirt, grass, garden vegetables, mulch, weeds, precious medium that sustains us all. In fact, maybe some trees or shrubs. You might see it may be your most powerful contribution to insects (or hear them buzzing to and fro), or the greatest challenge we will ever face. see evidence of them in holes in the leaves of your trees and veggies. Take a look. Take a — Graeme Sait moment to observe what’s out there. In the course of history, there comes a time Now take another look, specifically at when humanity is called to shift to a new the soil. Is it dark and crumbly, dusty and level of consciousness, to reach a higher tan, or compacted and grey? Would you moral ground. A time when we have to shed describe the soil in your garden as alive, our fear and give hope to each other. That sweet-smelling, and healthy? Or is it inert, time is now. compacted, and tired? Soil health is defined — Wangari Maathai by the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as “the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans”. The impact of climate change is daunting, Soil, in this context, is so much more than but we have a strong ally in the world a growing medium for your plants. When beneath our feet. The soil, quiet as it might we make the shift to thinking of soil as a seem from the surface, is full of organisms living ecosystem full of life, we understand living and dying, unlocking and storing it has a measure of health that can change. nutrients and carbon, breaking down As gardeners, we have the unique capacity pollutants, and purifying water. These to work with the health of this ecosystem, microorganisms are producing slimes and and actively build the soil, capture carbon, glues and residues that create soil structure hold more water and air, all while growing and help it resist extremes, such as flooding some of the best tasting, nutritious food we or drought or compaction. When the soil possibly can. is functioning at its full capacity, it is like a carbon-rich sponge that rebounds from The many relationships and processes stress, resists erosion, and buffers extremes. happening in the soil are complex and incredible, but the principles for building soil health (and consequently soil carbon) are 3 relatively simple. NRCS’s Soil Health division 3. Keep living roots in the soil year round broke them down to four general principles to feed your soil. Maintain living plant roots in the soil year round or for as much of the Although there are many creative ways year as possible. Remember that plant roots gardeners can build up the soil and sequester provide the fuel that soil microbes need to carbon (which we’ll explore in this booklet), thrive. Perennial plants (those that remain these overarching principles can be helpful alive for several years without having to be to keep in mind as a guide for better land reseeded) are an excellent choice for doing health. this. Planting groundcovers, cover crops, or strips of grass at the edges or pathways, or 1. Minimize or avoid chemical, physical in between annual vegetable plants can also and biological stressors. Completely be creative ways to feed the soil microbial eliminate or avoid the use of artificial community and maintain the flow of root pesticides and fertilizers, which are chemical exudates (liquid carbon) into the soil for as stressors that can actively destroy soil life, much of the year as possible. destabilize and degrade soil structure, and halt soil carbon building processes. Manual 4. Keep the soil covered as much as tilling and breaking up the soil is an example possible. Even if you can’t cover the soil of a physical stress that (especially when with living plants, try to cover any bare soil done regularly and deeply) will destroy to protect it from loss of carbon to oxidation, microbial communities including the long temperature extremes, erosion, rainstorms, fragile strands of fungi, which take a long and drying out. Mulches such as shredded time to rebuild. Drought, wind, and extreme leaves, hay, cardboard, compost, and wood cold or hot temperatures can also stress soils chips are all ways to keep the soil covered and soil life, especially if the surface of the while also adding organic matter to the soil is exposed to the elements. Protect your garden. soil, and manage it more by disturbing it less. In this book we will explore the many ways 2. Use plant diversity to increase soil you can garden for the planet and work diversity. Plants have the unique ability within an ecosystem to create a thriving to influence and direct soil biodiversity and productive garden that sequesters through the soil biodiversity at their roots. carbon. But remember climate change is In fact each type or family of plant can not just about rising carbon levels in the influence a separate, unique community atmosphere. It is about land health, water, of microorganisms. With one type of plant and life on all levels. It is about social in the garden, you will get a specialized justice, human health, security, sea level microbial community associated with that rise, the fate of biodiversity of the planet plant. Add 14 different types of plants to (including ourselves), affordable food and your garden, and the diversity increases water access, the stability of communities dramatically. Using both annuals and and governments as well as economies and perennials, rotating annuals, interseeding ecosystems – climate change affects them or undersowing a variety of plants in your all. And although, no one garden on its own garden: these are all ways to improve can tackle the mighty forces at play in our diversity aboveground that in turn promote world today, each garden does exist within diversity and resilience belowground.