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When most people think about helping the environment, the words recycling and carpooling often come to mind. But you can help improve the local ecosystem from your backyard. Whether it’s planting native trees or setting up a rain garden, Summit Soil and Water Conservation District Education Specialist Sandy Barbic offers easy tips on how to make your land more sustainable and do your part in helping Mother Earth.
PLANT TREES
Adding more trees to your property is one of the best actions you can take for the environment. “Trees provide so many benefits that we don’t realize,” says Barbic.
One of the biggest impacts of trees is they prevent runoff, which occurs during rainfall when harmful chemicals from fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides flow into storm drains and contaminate creeks or rivers. Even trees small in diameter can soak up hundreds of gallons of stormwater a year, so pollutants don’t get into our waterways. “It will [intercept] a lot of water and also suck up carbon dioxide,” Barbic says. “They’re not just good for water quality, they’re good for air quality too.”
Trees also support pollinators, especially if they’re native to the area. Native Ohio trees you can plant include serviceberry, flowering dogwood or oak. “One oak tree can provide a habitat and food for some 500 species of insects and birds,” she says. Before digging in, research if it’s suitable for your backyard, how big the tree will get and where you should plant it. You don’t want your tree to eventually block the driveway or cast a huge shadow over a garden with plants that need full sun.
TEST YOUR SOIL
If your garden is limp, your soil might be the issue. A soil test can identify the problem. Soil testing kits can be bought for under $15. Barbic recommends using ones in which you send a soil sample to a professional lab. Certain types of soil have too little or too much of certain nutrients, so knowing can help you better care for it.
“If people want to fertilize, they should get a soil test to see if they need to,” Barbic says. In this area, there’s a lot of clay soil that’s high in phosphorus, so you wouldn’t need to use a harsh fertilizer that contains phosphorus. “When you have synthetic fertilizers, plants only take up what they need and the rest runs off with the next rain,” she says.
To boost your soil’s health, increase your plant diversity and pick plants that grow year-round. When possible, cover it with a tarp or plant cover crops, like crimson clover, to retain soil and reduce erosion. Healthy soil reduces pest problems, improves plant health and holds more water, in turn saving you resources.
SHRINK YOUR LAWN
It might be the American dream, but having a ton of open space planted with nonnative grasses like Kentucky bluegrass isn’t great for the environment.
“All that turfgrass provides no services for wildlife or anything else,” says Barbic. “You can decrease the size of your lawn by putting in native plant gardens, pollinator gardens, rain gardens, trees, shrubs.”
Plants native to Ohio are well-adjusted to our climate and grow in the wild, so they are low maintenance. Incorporating those naturally occurring plants, such as buttonbush or buffalo grass, also means less fertilizer and fewer pesticides — making it the eco-friendlier option. “Native plants have long roots. They suck up the pollutants,” Barbic says.
Filling your garden with native flowers that attract pollinators, like black-eyed Susans that bring honeybees, helps wildlife and other plants thrive. “Pollinators pollinate like 90 percent of our crops,” she says.
COLLECT RAIN
Installing a rain garden filters pollutants and reduces runoff. “Every rain garden will help save a lot of stormwater,” Barbic says.
It’s best to plant a rain garden near a downspout or a low spot where rainwater collects. Build a berm to keep water in the garden, and fill it with eye-catching native plants.
You can also get a rain barrel to collect additional water — some even go up to 55 gallons. “Every time it rains, it’ll fill up fast, and then you can run some kind of pipe so it goes into the rain garden too,” she says.
REPURPOSE WASTE
After you cut grass, rake leaves or eat a watermelon, you can dump waste into a compost bin, so it can turn into nutrient-rich soil.
Most people put their compostable items in a bin with holes for aeration that is placed near their garden. For the best results, you need organic matter high in carbon (like leaves or papers) and organic matter high in nitrogen (like vegetable peels or grass clippings).
Turn the matter with a pitchfork frequently, and the more you turn it, the faster the soil will be produced.
All it takes is a little patience, and you’ll end up with enough composted soil to plant a whole garden.
3 Native Plants to Add
- Garden Phlox: The vibrant perennial flowering plant comes in many colors, including bright purples and pinks.
- Spicebush: Vivid red berries on this tree attract birds and some butterflies.
- Eastern Hemlock: These evergreens produce small cones perfect for sprucing up a shady corner of your backyard.
