Soil-Friendly Maintenance
Take care of your soil!
We’ve learned how much difference a landscape can make in dealing with both global and local environmental issues. But to do this a landscape needs to be cared for in a way that allows nature to work.
To keep the soil healthy we need to shepherd its organic matter. We want to make sure that too much of it doesn’t become lost back into the atmosphere as CO2. Abundantly healthy soil can hold more and more carbon while keeping your plants healthy and resilient.
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The basics of soil-friendly maintenance are fairly simple. The goal is to do no harm to soil microbes and fungi, who work constantly to improve the soil.
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Minimize disturbing the soil: Breaking up the soil damages aggregates and other biological structures that keep the soil healthy.
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Keep the soil covered: Bare soil is more affected by weather, which makes life harder for both plants and soil life. The best way to cover soil is with plants. But until your densely planted landscape grows to cover all the bed spaces, the soil should be covered with mulch or compost.
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Avoid chemicals: Studies have shown that even small amounts of herbicides and salt-based fertilizers are detrimental to the biology that is vital to healthy soil and plants.
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Avoid over-fertilizing: If plants are too dependent on fertilizer -- even organic fertilizer -- they can get “lazy”. Lazy plants don’t feed soil life as much. When plants work in conjunction with soil life, they give back to the soil.
We can work with you to develop a maintenance strategy that protects your soil, keeps your yard looking great, and keeps your plants healthy.
For more information contact us at 541-754-1439 or info@gaia-landscapes.com