Thursday, May 15, 2008

GARDENING`S MOST VALUABLE TIPS

The more seeds you plant, the more you love the earth. There are certainly a lot of people who may not be aware that gardening can even do harm to the environment. A large amount of carbon dioxide can be released through tilling the soil. This contributes to global warming. When you cultivate and compact the soil, you are destroying good fungi in the soil. Fertilizers like nitrogen and manure obviously contaminate the water you drink.

Global warming

Did you know that the earth's soil give 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. Sadly, this already isn't the case nowadays. Actually, the increase of the globe's average temperature is because of the carbon dioxide the soil emits. Even if the global carbon cycle is capable of absorbing it, soil cultivation can lead to a warmer climate. The good news is that tilling can be minimized by mulching or sheet composting.

Good Fungi

In untilled soil, there is a presence of a beneficial fungus known as the vesicular-arbuscular-mycorrhizae or VAM for short. This can be seen through fruiting bodies above ground. 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. They get carbohydrates for the fungus in return. You can leave the soil undisturbed by not tilling it. Repeatedly, mulching or sheet composing can reduce soil tillage.

Surplus Nitrogen

Gardeners waste nitrogen and manures while farmers do otherwise. When it comes to farming, the farmer only needs a quarter to a third of nitrogen to mix with an inch with compost, horse manure or steer. According to Kate Burroughs of Sebastopol California, she uses the same rule for her home-grown lettuce and sweet corns. When it comes to broccoli and pear trees, farmers only need a little amount. Notice that gardeners apply larger amounts of compost and manure than farmers. Obviously, they are not only wasting their fertilizers but also their money.

The best gardening advice that can be given to those concerned is to do all things with moderation. We should thank the Ancient Greeks for that. 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.

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