Maximize Free Ecosystem Services in Your Garden

By adopting certain practices you can maximize numerous free “services” to create a healthy and thriving garden, courtesy of Mother Nature. All you have to do is make a safe home for her critters. A healthy garden doesn’t need extensive and expensive inputs such as pesticides, herbicides or even large amounts of fertilizers. In fact, you have to avoid using these toxic products.

I’m referring to ecosystem services, and what I mean is this:

 If your garden is a healthy ecosystem it is easier and less expensive to maintain, plus healthier for you and the environment.

What are Ecosystem Services?

In a nutshell they are things that nature provides when the right conditions exist. The ecosystem services most important for home gardeners include: pollination, pest control, fertility through decomposition of organic matter, healthy soil leading to healthy plants, ambient climate control, food production, and even remediation (breakdown) of harmful soil contaminants.

 Here’s more on these points:

Pollination

Some edibles depend entirely on pollination to produce any crop at all, while others produce a better crop when pollinated. For example, include flowering plants that attract pollinators when you plant your vegetable garden and they will pollinate your crops for an optimal harvest. This is especially important for squashes and cucumbers which rely on pollination. Many fruit and nut trees also depend on pollination, including certain varieties of apples, most plums, pluots, pears, cherries (except sour cherry) and nuts. To learn more about attracting pollinators visit the Xerces Society's web page.

Pest Control

Birds, wasps, and other predatory insects will keep the “bad” bugs under control. They will also kill a certain amount of ”good bugs”, but a balance will eventually be established.  Efficient predators such as wasps prey on many insects and their larvae that feed on plants. It's critical that you don't use any toxic chemicals if you want to establish beneficial insects in your garden. Birds forage on the ground for insects and they also pick them off of foliage. Set out bird baths with water to attract them, and make sure they have shrubs and trees for their nests. For more on biological control of pests visit this web page at UC Davis.

To read the rest of this article please go to Urban Artichoke

In my next post: Tips and strategies for creating a garden ecosystem.

Event: Patricia Larenas will give a presentation "The Modern Kitchen Garden: Eat What You Grow" on August 14th, 6PM, at the Mountain View Public Library, sponsored by the MVPL Seed Library (more information here).

Photo credit: Patricia Larenas, Urban Artichoke