The Sustainable Home Gardener

"The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul." —Alfred Austin 

Sustainability relates to the proper management of soil, composting to enhance the soil, responsible water use, managing invasive species, and the proper selection of native and diverse plants to support a healthy, functional and low-maintenance landscape. Sustainable gardening is important for the same reason as living a more sustainable lifestyle is. The impact humans have made on the environment proves that conservation, preservation, reducing water usage, is essential to our future.  

• Did You Know?
  • The library has a Community Garden, and all of the harvest goes directly to Long Island Cares? So far this summer, over 40lbs of fresh tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers and peppers have been donated.   

  • The library has a Garden Club that meets once a month to share ideas, resources, and garden expertise. Check the library’s website for the monthly meeting dates. 

  • Monday, August 28, 6:30pm – Garden Club Tomato Tasting and Contest. Email sfiorenzo@lindenhurstlibrary.org to enter your tomatoes or come to taste and vote!     

• How Does Your Garden Grow?

  • Keep your summer garden looking fantastic with a few key tricks to keep that midsummer gardening going full tilt! By now, you should have harvested some goodies. To keep your vegetables and plants healthy, finish your harvest strong, and prepare to start new plantings for fall. Here are August garden chores: 

    • Spreading a 2-inch thick layer of mulch over your soil is one of the best things you can do for your garden. The mulch blankets the ground, shielding the soil from the sun, keeping it cooler and putting less stress on plant roots.  

    • Anything made from organic matter –shredded wood, pine straw, a mix of grass clippings and shredded leaves will all do the trick. As it decomposes, the mulch will help improve the soil structure and add nutrients.  

  • Perennials with fleshy roots such as peonies (Paeonia spp.), Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) and Siberian iris (Iris siberica) are best divided in the fall. This process allows: 

    • More space for roots to grow and absorb nutrients and water 

    • More plants of the same kind to add to your garden 

    • More vigorous blooming 

    • There is less gardening work to do in the fall compared with spring. 

    • It is easy to locate the plants that need dividing. 

    • When dividing plants in the fall, time it for four to six weeks before the ground freezes for the plants roots to become established.  

    • Long Island is zone 7A: Average First Frost Date is from October 29-November 15.  

  • Keep Weeds in Check

    •  Weed species related to crops or ornamental plants are hosts or food sources for pest insects. Once they exhaust their food, they often migrate to your more valued plants.

    • Avoid using chemicals. Quick fixes that disrupt nature's sensitive ecological systems results in long-term damage. 

    • Compost and mulch can suppress weed growth.

    • Every action has a consequence. Many synthesized chemical products indiscriminately kill your beneficial insect populations as well as pest insects. They can also harm bees, lizards, soil microorganisms, birds and aquatic life. 

    • Biological non-chemical pest and weed control methods are safer.   

• Cool Weather Seeds

  • Did you know the library still has cool weather seeds available? Pick up yours today at the Customer Service Desk!

  •   Prolong the growing season by planting quick–maturing vegetables such as beets, bush beans, carrots, radishes, spinach, and Swiss chard for a fall harvest. The following will help you use your garden space longer and more efficiently, and produce even more homegrown vegetables.  

    • Know your Hardiness Zone and First Frost date 

    • Choose crops wisely: those that mature quickly and those that tolerate frost. 

    • Pay attention to maturation dates because crops planted in the summer months take longer to mature than those planted in the spring.

    • Although cooler air and shorter days slow plant growth, they will face fewer threats from pests.  

    • Kale and Brussels sprouts taste better when grown in cool weather as they react to cold by producing sugars, which sweeten them.

    • Pull out early season plants that appear close to bolting (lettuce, cilantro, or other greens) and replant a different crop in that space.

    • Cool and enrich the soil by mulching, and shading from a trellis or tall plant, and mixing in compost and organic fertilizer.

In the face of extraordinary challenges, it is up to us to make a difference. Being a sustainable gardener is just one of them!