Gardening's Most Valuable Advice
Many people may not be aware that gardening can actually harm
the environment. A large amount of carbon dioxide can be
released through tilling the soil. This contributes to global
warming. When you cultivating and compacting the soil, destroys
good fungi. Fertilizers like nitrogen and manure often leach out
of the soil and pollute the water you drink.
Global warming
Did you know that the earth's soil gives out carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere 10 times more than all human activity? This comes
from the pill bugs, microbes, fungi and worms when they breathe,
digest food and then die. Although in the past plants have been
capable of absorbing carbon dioxide caused by small-scale
tillages, this isn't the case nowadays.
The increase of the globe's average temperature is because of
the carbon dioxide the soil emits when tilled. The good news is
that tilling can be minimized by mulching or sheet composting.
Good Fungi
In untilled soil, there is beneficial fungi known as the
vesicular-arbuscular-mycorrhizae or VAM for short. VAM actually
forms a symbiotic relationship with plants. Their filaments
increase root hairs and provide nutrients to the plant. They
give out zinc, copper, potassium and phosphorus. Plants provide
carbohydrates for the fungi in return. It is possible to grow a
garden without tilling the sooiil at all by mulching heavily
until the soil is soft and friable.
Surplus Nitrogen
Many gardeners waste nitrogen and manures; farmers do otherwise.
Farmers only need a quarter to a third of nitrogen to mix with
an inch of compost, horse, or cow manure. Kate Burroughs of
Sebastopol California, uses the same rule for her home-grown
lettuce and sweet corns. When it comes to broccoli and pear
trees, farmers only need a small amount. Notice that gardeners
apply larger amounts of compost and manure than farmers.
Obviously, they are not only wasting their fertilizer but also
their money.
The best gardening advice that can be given to those concerned
is to do all things with moderation. Keep in mind that too
little and too much of something is not healthy. This is the
most valuable advice one can have in gardening.