What exactly is Regenerative Gardening?
Regenerative gardening is an environmentally conscientious approach to managing and planting gardens. Simply put, it means growing plants with the environment in mind, vs solely on your consumption needs. This way, you nourish the soil naturally instead of depleting it and attempting to fix it with fertilizers.
Is Regenerative Gardening a New Concept?
While the term “regenerative” has gained recognition in recent years, this approach is not new. Indigenous communities have pioneered methods for regenerative food production for thousands of years, developing ways of gathering and growing food in alignment with ecological conditions. Cover crops or “green manures” were documented by the Chinese over 2000 years ago, and the Roman poet, Virgil, in 29 BC.
Why is Regenerative Gardening so Important?
Cover crops naturally re-enrich soil, protect it from erosion due to rain and wind, improve its texture, and feed soil organisms, which maintain a healthy ecosystem in the soil, breaking down minerals and nutrients that feed plants. Currently, global agriculture practices threaten over 24,000 species in danger of extinction. Regenerative farming/gardening at scale can also help counter climate change. At the individual level, it enables you to live a sustainable, self-sufficient life while increasing soil fertility for healthier crops.
How Can I Practice Regenerative Gardening?
Soil regeneration starts with understanding your soil’s chemical composition and specific needs. It also depends on climate patterns, your resources, and how committed you are to making this a long-term practice.
You can use the following gardening techniques to ensure soil regeneration and better crops:
- Cover Crops
- Crop Rotation
- Composting
- Mulching
You can send a sample of your soil to Texas A&M for analysis
Benefits of Regenerative Gardening
Regenerative food production is one of the most powerful solutions we have to help reverse the crises of climate change and species loss.
- Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Supports Habitat and Species Diversity
- Reduces Nutrient Pollution (Fertilizers)
- Prevents Soil Erosion
While the promise of regenerative food systems is significant, it is important to recognize that no one practice can achieve all of these outcomes. Local conditions influence the effectiveness of different practices, and there can be real tradeoffs that need to be thoughtfully navigated.
Personally, I have not had a chance to implement the “cover crops” technique yet. I have cover crop seeds (peas and oats) and I’m very excited to experiment in the late Fall/Winter at the Evelyn Meador Branch garden. Will keep you updated with the results.
A wise gardener once explained to me that “there are never gardening mistakes, only experiments."
Happy Gardening!
If you have further questions, feel free to submit them to a Harris County Master Gardener
This month on the “Green Thumb” Program, Chevvy Tang (Master Gardener Vegetable Specialist, Master Naturalist, Texas Water Specialist, Certified Permaculture Teacher) answers any questions you might have and breaks down all you need to know on Cover Crops & Living Mulch. The “Green Thumb” program is a monthly video lecture series led by a Harris County Master Gardener and hosted by the Harris County Public Library.
The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil
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