RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—The borders of your lawn may be unnoticed spaces covered in turfgrass or weeds. But key points of a new program targeted to help farmers increase biodiversity while earning cash through better land management could also benefit everyday homeowners looking to create a sustainable landscape with native plants.
THE DETAILS: Rodale Inc., the nonprofit Rodale Institute, NewPage (the paper company that supplies Rodale magazines), and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy have teamed up for the Tree as a Crop partnership project that will help farmers earn more money by growing and harvesting timber, while also benefiting the environment. "Farmers currently have areas on the farm that are undermanaged. Existing fencerows or buffers between farms and fields are often brush and brambles," explains Jeff Moyer, farm manager at the Rodale Institute and chair of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Standards Board. "If you manage that land, plant trees, and harvest them responsibly, you can get an economic return." Planting native trees, which typically possess traits that help them resist disease and pests without needing chemical pesticides, will enhance the biodiversity of the farm, attracting beneficial insects and birds that will help take care of insect pest populations. Plus, trees take carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming, out of the atmosphere.
WHAT IT MEANS: While growing and selling timber is mainly an option for farm owners, or homeowners with lots of land, some suburban or city dwellers can gain other benefits. The right native trees can yield healthy snacks and attract bird and wildlife. Planting a few trees along your yard's border will also help increase air quality in your neighborhood and put a small dent in atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Here's how you can started planning a tree planting:
• Pick the right healthy-snack -producing trees. Certainly, planting any native tree will benefit your health and the environment's, and you'll reap entertainment and educational value as you watch the biodiversity in your yard flourish. But you can plant native trees that could also—after a few years—provide some healthy snacks for your family.
Doug Tallamy, PhD, author of Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, Updated and Expanded
• NEVER use pesticides. While native species are much less fussy than exotic ornamental species, requiring less water and maintenance, and are generally more naturally resistant to bugs and disease, it's important that you never use synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers on your trees. This will crush any biodiversity you’ve created and expose your family to unhealthy chemicals. Pesticides have been tied to Parkinson's disease, some cancers, diabetes, birth defects, miscarriages, learning disabilities, and many other disorders. It's not worth spraying this stuff ever, especially in your yard. Read up on organic yard care from sources like Organic Gardening magazine.
• Fertilize the green way. Spring is the best time to plant all trees, but with higher temperatures, newly planted trees will also require more watering and pampering. Oak trees, red maples, and tulip poplars are great trees to plant in the fall. You can sow red clover around the tree to act as nontoxic fertilizer that will help your tree grow. The clover will take nitrogen out of the air and transfer it into the soil, where it will benefit your tree. Unlike grass, you'll only have to mow red clover twice a year.
• Go foraging. If you're a city dweller who's not sure what kind of edible-producing tree can survive in your area, a little urban foraging may turn up some inspiration. Walk around your neighborhood with a guide to trees and shrubs, and you may be surprised to see what's flourishing (and, this time of year, ready to harvest). Check online for sites like the Seattle-based urbanedibles.org, which offers guides to local edible foliage. But don't eat anything unless you're certain it hasn't been treated with chemical pesticides.