Fight Pollution In The Landscape
by Dr. Robert Black, Consumer Horticultural Specialist

The home gardener can make more of a contribution than he thinks to the fight against pollution. Plantings of trees and shrubs contribute to reducing pollution around the home. When plantings are properly used as screens and ground covers, they significantly reduce noise pollution and air pollution since they control dust by limiting wind erosion. Plants also help purify the air by producing oxygen. Flowers, shrubs, trees and turfgrasses have been used for years to improve and beautify unattractive surroundings, thus reducing visual pollution. The home gardener can also make his contribution by following these guidelines:

• Don't over irrigate. Too much water floods an area and promotes run-off of soil minerals and topsoil. Apply water at a rate that can be absorbed by the soil. Watering with a garden hose is one of the poorest methods of supplying water to plants. The fast flowing water from a hose runs off quickly carrying soil and exposing roots. Sprinklers, drip irrigation and soaker hoses apply water at a slow rate and therefore more water is absorbed and very little soil is lost by run-off.
   
• Don't over fertilize. A soil sampling of yard and garden soils should be a guide to how much fertilizer to add. Excessive applications are wasteful and usually ends up in the storm drain and adds to stream pollution. Avoid throwing fertilizer on walks and driveways. That's money down the drain, too.
   
• Use mulches. Mulches of all types maintain soil moisture and prevent soil erosion. Mulches protect the soil from the pounding of rain droplets that loosen soil particles and promote their loss in run-off water. Mulches also prevent crusting of soil that increases the absorptive capacity of soil resulting in less soil loss in run-off water. Good mulching materials include pine bark, pine needles and others.
   
• Cover bare spots of soil. This prevents erosion by wind and water. In areas where growing grass is difficult, try growing various ground covers. Some of the more popular ground covers are: liriope, mondo grass, Asiatic jasmine and English Ivy. In areas were even ground covers will not survive use organic or inorganic mulches.
   
• Use garden chemicals only as directed on the label and don't add more than recommended, even for "good measure". Excess chemicals may injure plants and cause unnecessary pollution. Do not spray pesticides on windy days. It is very likely that spray droplets will be carried to your neighbors yard by high winds. Be extremely careful when applying herbicides (weed-killers) along fencerows. Many of these herbicides can be carried in surface run-off water to your neighbor's trees and shrubs.
   
• Utilize plant residues. Grass clippings, leaves and other dead plant materials make good soil amendments. Composted for a while, they return nutrients to the soil and add to the overall quality of the growing medium. Home gardeners should continually strive to improve environmental quality by the use of plants and sound horticultural practices.