A TRULY GREEN GARDEN

By Leslie Pennycock

Steve Diver, a nationally recognized organic researcher, spoke at the Organic Horticulture Business-Education Alliance (OHBA) meeting last week. I was fascinated.

For openers, Driver talked about the environmental imperative for organic horticulture. He described the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico, which is caused by fertilizer run-off from farms. These chemicals make their way to the Gulf by way of the Mississippi River and create a New Jersey-sized area that has too little oxygen to support life. Driver also reported that nutrient levels in the US food supply have been eroded.

Diver then discussed three pillars of horticulture: soil fertility, weed control, and pest control; and about a variety of exciting organic alternatives to conventional horticulture in those areas.

I enjoyed hearing about one particular alternative to spending a Saturday the day weeding and spraying the garden with chemicals. I’d love to tell my friends, “I incinerated those leafy pests by exploding the plants’ cells and stopping photosynthesis within a few seconds.” It sounds like something from the Terminator, but it’s the process used in thermal weed control like with the Forevergreen Eco-weeder. According to Forevergreenâ„¢, the infrared radiation penetrates only 1 to 2 mm into the soil, and therefore causes little to no damage to soil micro-organisms while eliminating weeds, pathogenic agents, and molds on the soil surface. It can also be very specifically applied to a certain type of plant without disturbing other varieties.

I also found an answer to my question about the purpose of fungus in the world. Athlete’s foot makes me wonder if fungus is created simply to make me miserable. However, one of the newest waves in organic disease management is biocontrol – using one organism (like fungus) to control a pest that’s bothering your plants. In humans, the organisms that use the body as an ecosystem keep each other in check by vying for nutrients – a form of biocontrol. So, the idea of biocontrol isn’t new, but using it in horticulture is a revolutionary use of a timeless process, especially in our current chemical-loving world.

OHBA promotes environmentally conscious horticultural practices for the landscape professionals in the metro Houston area. It is the only organization of its kind in Texas. Its web site is http://www.ohbaonline.org.

If you’d like to find our more about sustainable gardening, several opportunities are coming up this month.

Chris LaChance and Brenda Beust Smith will be talking about habitat highways on KPFT (90.1 FM), on Tuesday, February 12 at noon. Chris coined the phrase “Habitat Highways” to help gardeners counteract the damage urban sprawl has wreaked on traditional migration routes and territories for animals and birds. Brenda is The Lazy Gardener, the well-known author and Chronicle columnist. To call in with your questions and comments, call (713) 526-KPFT.

John Ferguson will give a free talk on the soil food web” at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, 4501 Woodway, on Monday, February 11, at 2 pm. Ferguson is a soil scientist and owner of Nature’s Way resources. A healthy living soil is home to microbes and earthworms that play a role in making nutrients available to plants. By nurturing this below-ground soil food web, gardeners can ensure that their plants have a healthy diet.

Discover how to make your home a garden oasis in an environmentally friendly way at a green home and garden workshop on Saturday, February 16, from 9 am to 3 pm at the Harris County Extension Office, 3033 Bear Creek Drive. The fee is $20. To register, contact Sarah Smith at sarahbethsmith1@aol.com or Linda at (281) 558-3710

If you’re interested in eating home grown food, check out Urban Harvest’s “Finding The Road From Farm To Market” workshop on Tuesday, February 19 at the United Way Building, 50 Waugh Drive. The workshop runs from 9 am to 4 pm, and has demonstrations, lectures, and information for everyone from those planning to buy a farm to the seasoned veteran looking to try something new. The fee is $25 for early registration and $35 at the door. For information, or to register, call (713) 880-5540 or mail Mark@UrbanHarvest.org.

Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center will have a program on wild edibles on Saturday, February 23 at 10 am. Discover the abundance of edible plants nature provides on a walk with a naturalist. The workshop is free, but reservations are required. Call (281) 446-8588.