So as the summer heat is upon us and your garden is winding down for the season, now is the perfect time to solarize you garden beds. Many gardeners are looking for ways to reduce pests and disease without the use of chemicals and summer solarization is one of the organic gardener’s best tools.
What is solarization?
Simply put, solarization harnesses the power of sunlight to reduce many gardening problems. A clear plastic sheet is used to cover a garden bed. The heat generated from the sunlight will be trapped under the plastic. This greenhouse effect will increase soil temperatures to a degree that will dramatically reduce harmful garden pests such as nematodes, fungi and weed seeds. 30 days of soil solarization can reduce the incidence of disease and pests by up to 80% all without the use of chemicals.
How to:
Remove spent plants and weeds and till the soil gently to loosen it. Cover with clear plastic sheeting and weight edges to secure in place. (Clear plastic creates higher soil temperatures than black plastic.) To be effective, the soils must start out moist and maintain a fairly high soil moisture content. Moisture increases the heat sensitivity of many soil-borne pests. Leave plastic in place for at least 30 days. Make sure that your beds are raised slightly in the center so that water does not pool up in the center of the plastic following rains and contribute to mosquito breeding.
Solarizing is particularly effective for areas that will be planted with tomatoes as solarization is the most effective organic treatment for nematodes and other tomato pests.
Just about every gardener knows how wonderful mulch can be for your yard and garden. It helps the soil retain moisture (which is great for low water situations), helps feed your garden by breaking down in to valuable compost, and acts as a chemical-free weed suppressant…and the list goes on and on.
However, one question I get repeatedly is “What kind of mulch should we buy?” When it comes to mulch there are definitely some more environmentally friendly options out there for the eco-savvy consumer.
Good:
FloriMulch- This fantastic mulch is made from 100% non-native Melaleuca. Melaleuca is an invasive tree species which is strangling Florida’s wetlands, most notably the everglades. The mulch is cured to prevent seed germination and burrowing nematodes. FloriMulch has some added benefits. It is naturally termite resistant, the fibers interlock to provide excellent weed suppression and it provides an economic incentive to remove non-native Meleleuca trees from natural areas. (a big plus) FloriMulch is endorsed by the Friends of the Everglades and many other environmental groups.
FloriMulch is available at these local retailers:
http://www.floridanativeplants.com/http://www.hibbsfarmandgarden.com/hibbs_welcome/index.htmSarasota Lowe’s
Other good options include pine straw (available at most landscaping supply stores) and leaves and yard waste from your own yard. Using leaves and clippings from your own yard is definitely a cost-effective method for adding mulch to your landscape. Why take all those great nutrients to the curb? Leaves and other materials can often be used as a base layer for other mulches to provide greater water retention and weed suppression.
Avoid Cypress Mulch:
Native Cypress trees have been mined for decades in Florida to provide building materials and other products. However, recent demands for attractive landscaping mulch have resulted in a renewed demand for Cypress logging and deforestation. Mature trees are often harvested and ground down to provide mulch for new developments and landscaping projects. This creates an economic incentive for landowners to log previously pristine tracts of cypress trees. Cypress trees provide important habitat for wildlife and are one of the most impressive and important tree species in Florida’ river corridors. The picture at the beginning of this post is of a mature cypress tree that has been scaled by Spartacus, our feline hiking partner.
