Regenerative Gardening
REGENERATIVE GARDENING
Did we lose you with that headline? Stick with us! Regenerative gardening sounds like a chore but actually it is a huge boon to gardening that makes your job easier as a gardener and even more importantly: regenerative gardening makes an abundant life possible for the animals and plants dwelling and growing in and around it.
Let’s get down to business.
What is regenerative gardening?
Regenerative gardening stems from the agricultural practice that, in definition, is this: a holistic land-management practice that uses the power of photosynthesis in plants to sequester carbon in the soil while improving soil health, crop yields, water resilience and nutrient density.
In other words, regenerative practices work with what plants already contain in order to make their own lives better (and fringe benefit: the lives of the soil and water are also improved). In essence, over the years, our soil has been depleted through the traditional agricultural and gardening practices of tilling, carbon mining, and the use of chemicals and fertilizers.
Regenerative agricultural practices aim to reverse these negative effects. This amazing holistic land management technique focuses on gardening techniques that reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity.
Regenerative gardening practices
Compost. Compost. Compost. No matter how small your garden, compost will do wonders. All your kitchen scraps (from banana peels to egg shells) should be composted to return nutrients to the soil in a massively affordable way.
Weeds Are Plants, Too. Don’t go wild on the weeding front, especially since some weeds are beneficial. Of course clear away weeds that threaten to encroach or overtake a plant, but otherwise, let them be unless they’re bothersome.
Bring It in. Plants don’t necessarily need vast spaces between them. Sometimes seed packet instructions call for equal spacing of plants to grow but plants growing closer together create more shade (fewer weeds!) and protect the soil more, keeping it moist in the shade.
Embrace the Cover Crop. Cover crops or “living mulch” are planted outside of the primary growing season that help rebuild the soil. Typically they are plants you grow for the soil instead of for your plate. Some cover crops return nutrients to the soil while others simply help the soil retain water and prevent erosion of uncovered soil to increase the health of the soil for the next growing season. Red clover is a favorite because it helps return nitrogen to the soil after certain vegetable plants utilize the nitrogen for growth and development.
Rotate + Reimagine. Different plants draw different elements from the soil. Planting the same plants in the same place in your garden year after year strips that spot’s soil of valuable nutrients. Rotate where you plan to plant your garden each year and reimagine how it will look and grow.
Perennial Foods FTW: Artichokes, asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries and garlic are among many perennial foods which means you plant them one season and they come back every year. They require minimal to no soil disturbance which is key to protecting the soil. More than 100 different varieties of edible perennial vegetables and fruits grow well in North America.
Two’s Company: Compost is what you mix into your soil, mulch is what you lay on top of your soil. Just as it’s important to apply compost and mulch when getting your garden beds ready for planting, it’s important to replenish these layers with every planting season. Both compost and mulch help keep moisture in the ground by increasing the amount of carbon-rich organic matter. Enriched soil offers plenty of nutrients to support plant growth and holds more water than mere dirt thanks to an open structure with plenty of space between soil particles to let in air and water.
Regenerative gardening is really the most important pivot you can make for the health of your soil, your plants, the water systems and the planet. Perhaps not every regenerative gardening practice is doable right away. Choose one this year and really take it on. By adding these practices to your gardening routine, you are committing to a healthier world.