CARLO CRIVELLI (1435 - 1495) Detail - St. Augustine
Tortured Garden Society founder Terry Karpen is the last person you would want to be trapped in a car with during a drive through residential neighborhoods. This is because you would have to endure listening to a relentless commentary on the subject of distressing and improper gardening practices in the landscape. As the founder and sole member of a small secret society of a professionally trained gardener, she knows firsthand the distress she experiences.
Here are some improper gardening practices that torture her the most -
Fallen leaves blown away - Bare, scorched earth left behind after overly ambitious fall and spring cleanups. What’s left behind is an invitation for every opportunistic weed and invasive plant looking for a new home.
“The annual ritual of raking, blowing, piling, bagging and removing leaves costs each homeowner – or their landscaper – hours of time each fall. It also robs the yards of one of nature’s greatest resources: rich, natural compost.”
- https://www.leaveleavesalone.org
Bad pruning - A common belief is that it is mandatory for boxwoods and other shrubs to be drastically sheared into balls or flat-topped hedges for optimum maintenance. This is actually incorrect. Incorrect pruning accounts for most work done by homeowners and professionals alike. There are so many things to consider, from pruning time, the amount of pruning, to the correct cuts that need to be done. Correct pruning is a science and an art.
Tree topping - This torturous landscape practice is not only bad for the long-term health of a tree, it’s unattractive! Tree topping is the practice of removing whole tops of trees or large branches. The tree’s ability to photosynthesize becomes compromised, and in an effort to survive, the tree grows new shoots and foliage as quickly as possible. This new growth, called water sprouts, is usually weak and regrows every time they are cut off. Lamentably, the tree becomes deformed and no longer provides beauty to the landscape.
Volcano mulching - “Mulch volcanoes" are extremely harmful to the health of trees. Over-mulching in the shape of a mound around the trunk of the tree is pejoratively referred to as a mulch volcano. Mulch is piled up so high that the trunk flare is buried. The trunk flare is the base of the tree which tapers out just above where the root system begins. A buried trunk flare will lead to disease, decay, root rot and the eventual death of the tree.
Why mulch can be beneficial - Mulch conserves soil moisture, moderates soil temperature, reduces growth of weeds, helps protect soil from erosion, prevents frost heaving in winter and adds organic matter to the soil as it breaks down. Mulch makes garden beds and landscapes look more tidy and attractive. Apply the mulch around the tree to a depth of two to four inches, making sure there is no mulch within four to six inches of the base of the tree. The mulch should be spread out almost flat. All of this applies for shrubs and perennials as well.
Bad soil - Topsoil and loam soil (garden soil) are not the same. Loam soil is topsoil that has been enriched to make it better suited for plant growth. This is a mix of local topsoil and organic matter. This is the healthy soil that is the foundation of a healthy garden.
Poor Planting Practices - Incorrect planting examples are choosing the wrong planting site, low quality plant, the planting hole is too small, planting too deep, planting too high.
Cutting wet lawns - Cutting wet grass can damage the roots and soil, or spread fungal disease. Mowers can compact saturated soil or cause ruts to form.
Landscape fabric - Some of the cons of using landscaping fabric include:
Landscape fabric is not a permanent solution. Over time, it will degrade, break down, poke through the soil/mulch, and become unsightly. Soil and mulch installed on top of the fabric prohibit adequate amounts of water and air to reach plant roots, leading to the plant’s decline. In fact, pulled up landscape fabric after a deep soaking rain, can reveal dry soil beneath. The fabric also acts as a barrier to decomposing soil and mulch that cannot be incorporated because of the fabric, which leads to unhealthy soil. And the worst offense of landscape fabric is that weeds can still grow in the soil or mulch on top of the fabric, and some weeds succeed in growing through the fabric.
Loud leaf blowers - Some produce as much noise as a plane taking off. The majority of leaf blowers emit pollutants linked to cancers, heart disease, and asthma, and blast air many miles per hour, eroding topsoil and sending pollen, fertilizers, and herbicides adrift. U.S. cities and towns are taking action to limit gas-powered blowers.
Unskilled landscapers - Many landscaping companies offer services
beyond their expertise and they are ignorant about their lack of knowledge.
Cookie cutter garden design - There exists a “paint-by-number” approach to gardens and landscapes due to lack of knowledge on the elements of design. And there is an enormous variety of plants to choose from at the present time, making it unnecessary to rely on overused selections.
Outdoor lighting - If you lived in Redding twenty years ago it was uncommon to encounter outdoor lighting beyond a light fixture by the front door, or a lamp post in the driveway, and even more rare for any lights to remain on all night. With almost zero crimes, safety was not in question. Observing the night sky was a treasured feature of living in Redding. Very gradually, the trend has grown to all-night lighting, even though Redding has significantly lower rates of crime than the national average. And currently outdoor lighting is not just low wattage front door light fixtures, now there are floodlights and spotlights. Many of these high-output fixtures beam the light far distances.
Light pollution, an excess of artificial light is a global issue affecting human health, wildlife behavior, and plant life. Artificial light can disrupt natural body rhythms in both humans and animals. It disrupts the migration pattern of birds by disorienting them. In recent studies scientific reports show that insects are attracted to lights which interferes with their natural way of knowing what direction is “up” while flying. A 2019 study released by Biological Conversation shows excess outdoor light is impacting how insects hunt, mate and makes them more vulnerable to predators. While impacts are still being studied, scientists do know exactly how light pollution is affecting the ways plants grow and reproduce. It disrupts their seasonal rhythms and the ability to sense and react to natural light, as well as the fragile relationship with pollinators.
Plant labels not removed from plants - Would you go out in public with labels still attached to your clothes?
“Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.” - St. Augustine
To learn more: www.healthyyards.org