fall 2004 the ecological landscaper newsletter

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harvest and a lush landscape.Not long ago, manure from aneighboring farm was the sourceof a soil’s biological diversity.Now manure is more likely tocome dehydrated in a plasticbag.

Soil Organic MatterBut, even from plastic bags,

the addition of manure, leaf-based compost, bark mulch, or

wood chips will increase yourSoil Organic Matter (SOM)level, the amount of organicmatter in the soil. Higher SOMlevels attract a multitude of arthropods, insects, and animals(both invertebrate and verte-brate), bacteria and fungi. In-creased biological activityimproves soil quality, which, in

The Newsletter of The Ecological Landscaping Association Vol. 11, No. 3 Fall 2004

Soil

Nature shows no partiality. Wherever there is bare ground,

she plants a garden.She cares not whether the soil is

rich or poor,moist or dry,

in dense shade or full sun,

sheltered or fully exposedto wind and storm.Everywhere she grows plants

—beautiful plants—that flourish and increase

and become pleasing featuresof the landscape.

—Herbert Durand, 1923

In our increasingly paved-overcivilization, soil is a woefully

under-appreciated asset. Just think what an amazing re-source it is! Soil naturally filtersall of our water. Soil enables usto grow all of our food, fiber,and flowers. Soil is home to mil-lions of life forms. And it wasdropped here, free of charge, bythe last glacier that camethrough, 12,000 years ago.

Biological properties o f soilSoil quality is intercon-

nected by biological, physi-cal, and chemical factors.All three can be improvedby adding or ganic matter.

The astute gardener knowsthat a healthy, biologically di-verse soil promotes a bountiful

Don’t Treat Soil L ike DirtTom Akin

Continued

Whenth e sun r i s e s ,

I go t o w o r k ,

When t h e sun go e s d own , I t a k e m y r e s t ,

I d i g t h e w e l l f r om w h i c h I d r in k , f a rm t h e so i l t h a t y i e l d s m y f o o d ,

I shar e c r e a t i on . King s c an d o n o m o r e .

—Chinese Proverb (circa 2500 B.C.)

Because land doesn’t come with a manual...

within:

Don’t Treat So il Like Dirt.....1

Compost: For Land’s S ake! ....4Gleanings ..............................6

Tea Party in the Garden:

Aerated Compost Tea......... ...7

Resources..............................8

Events, Unclassified...............9

Order form, ELAGuideHealthy

Landscapes........................11

ELA News............................12



Talk to us! We welcome comments,

letters, articles, ideas, and opinions.

Contact Fran Gustman, Editor, at

[email protected] or 617-

787-4274, with newsletter content.

Send all other ELA business, including

address changes, to the Concord

address above.

The ELA board meets throughout the

year in various locations in easternMassachusetts. All members are wel-

come. Contact us for specific dates

and locations.

ELA Board of Directors

President: Chris O’Brien Vice President: Bob Levite Treasurer: Tom Sheehan

Recording Secretary: Sue Storer

M.L. AltobelliNancy AskinDon Bishop

Dennis CollinsBill Jewell

Andrea Knowles

Administrative Assistant: PatMacAlpine

Newsletter: Fran Gustman

Mention of products is not intended

to constitute endorsement. Opinions

expressed in this newsletter do not

necessarily represent those of ELA’s

directors, staff, or members.

turn, strengthens the root sys-tems of plants.

If you are using organic prac-tices, 10-20% SOM (by weight)is ideal to maintain release of plant nutrients. Most of the soils

of the Arnold Arboretum test between 10-20% SOM, prima-rily because grass clippings andleaves are left on the site andthere is little or no tillage to oxi-dize soil organic matter. In myopinion, more SOM is better,both for the soil and the plants.However, research has shown,if herbicides are employed forweed control, levels higher than4-8% SOM render them less ef-fective.

Physical properties o f soilSoil texture (determined by

the percentages of sand, silt, andclay) is fairly immutable; unlessanother glacier passes by or thetop 12 inches of soil is otherwisereplaced, we will have to workwith the soil we have.

However, both soil structure(how the soil particles are gluedtogether) and soil tilth (howtightly the particles are glued)can be modified. Microbial bio-mass and microbial exudates arethe glues that coat, separate,and hold soil particles in place.

Air movement (oxygen inparticular) and water are essen-tial for all biological processes.Good structure and tilth allowair to diffuse throughout the soil,water to infiltrate freely, andpermit root systems to exploreand mine the soil for nutrients to

the fullest extent.Organic matter in soil is a dy-namic mix of decaying plant ma-terial, the agents of decay, andhumus. Worms, insects, arthro-pods, bacteria, and fungi first consume the least-resistant forms of soil carbon such asplant proteins, sugars, and fats.Resins, cellulose, and lignin, toname a few, are decay-resistant plant components; they are

more chemically complex andrequire numerous modificationsby microbes before decay iscomplete. As plant materials areconsumed, decay by-productsare themselves transformed.Carbon dioxide is generated andSOM evolves into its most chemically stable form, humus.

HumusHumus consists of two

decay-resistant organic acids,humic acid and fulvic acid.Humus, like clay minerals, haslarge surface areas of negativelycharged sites that attract andhold positively charged ions orcations. Cations such as potas-sium (K+), calcium (Ca2+),magnesium (Mg2+), and ammo-nium (NH4+) are the most de-sirable. These are joined bystrictly acidifying cations suchas hydrogen (H+) and alu-minum (Al3+). Other naturallyoccurring elements such as themicronutrients (copper, zinc,molybdenum, etc.), sodium(Na+, not a plant nutrient), andheavy metals such as lead(Pb2+), nickel (Ni2+), and cad-mium (Cd2+) may also be at-tracted to the negatively charged

sites. Because of this electrical rela-tionship with cations, humus is asink (or storage reservoir), that readily absorbs plant nutrients.

Cation Exchange CapacityA soil’s ability to attract and

hold cations is called its CationExchange Capacity (CEC) andis largely dependent on the con-tent of SOM and clay minerals.Of the two, it is argued that,especially in New England,

SOM is more important be-cause organic matter levelscan be manipulated while thechemical reactivity of clayminerals is relatively low.

Soil pHSoil pH governs the solubility

of most of the essential plant nu-trients. If soil pH falls below 5.5,many essential elements are ren-dered insoluble. Soil pH is a

Don’t Treat Soil Like Dirtcontinued from p. 1.

Continued

The Ecological Landscaperis published by the Ecological

Landscaping Association (ELA).Subscriptions are a benefit of

membership in ELA.For information about ELA, contact:

ELA, 60 Thoreau Street, #252Concord, MA 01742-2456

(617)436-5838

Or check our Web site at: www.ecolandscaping.org(Members section password: elapost)

“Gramma said when you come on

something good, first thing to do is

share it with whoever you can find;

that way the good spread out where

no telling it will go. Which is right.”

—Little Tree in The Education of

Little Tree , by Forrest Carter

James MarzilliCathy Rooney Kathy Sargent-

O’NeillMyra SchwartzBruce Wenning



Compost: For Land's Sake!Fran Gustman

It won't be too long before the leaves turn beautifulshades of red, orange, and yellow. And then they

will fall to the ground. What to do with them all? As I visit friends and family, I am always sur-

prised to find that Boston's recycling program ismuch more complete than those of other towns.Leaves packaged into large paper leaf bags and bun-dled twigs are composted by the city. But, why notuse all that good material at home?

Composting is importantComposting is recycling on an organic level, re-

turning nutrients to the soil. When done properly,composting is not smelly, does not attract animals,and does not take a lot of room. The finished prod-uct is dark, crumbly, and clean with a pH (level of acidity) of 6 or 7, which is perfect for most plants.Compost is the only fertilizer that I use in my orna-mental garden.

Adding compost improves clay soil; the spacesbetween particles of compost allow air and water toenter and loosen the soil so that roots can penetratemore easily. In sandy soil, compost acts as a spongeto retain water. Compost also works as a moisture-re-taining mulch and looks as nice as a wood chips.

How-to Vegetable kitchen scraps and eggshells, coffee

and tea grounds, grass, weeds, trimmings, shred-ded newspaper and paper bags (no more than10% of the pile), get thrown onto my compostheap. Ideally, a composting bin will increase intemperature as the contents decompose. In thewinter, cats will warm themselves on top. Thegoal is a temperature high enough to kill off weedseeds and pathogens. It gets hot enough to steamin the winter without any effort on my part.

Most experts recommend that diseased or insect-infected plants or weeds with mature seeds be leftout of the compost as many compost piles don'treach the necessary temperature to kill them. Youcan expect to find lots of earthworms and slugs inthe pile, which is good news — they help degradethe scraps.

Alternate moist green waste with dried leavesand paper and throw in handfuls of dirt to addmicro-organisms. Don't pack down the materials.The pile should be moist but not soggy; you mayneed to water it with a hose or dry it out by leav-ing off the cover of the bin. Stirring the pile on aregular basis will distribute moisture and mi-croorganisms and add oxygen to speed up theprocess of decomposition. And even though I

rarely stir the pile, I find several feet of lovelynew soil at the bottom of my bin every year.

Don'tsEgg yolks, meat and fish may attract scav-

engers. Pet manure may carry disease. Black wal-nut and Norway maple are naturally toxic toother plants so avoid composting any parts of these trees. Don't add clippings of grass or otherplants treated with herbicides or insecticides;pesticides kill the microorganisms and the in-sects that are necessary to degrade the pile —and they aren't good for people to breathe in or

touch, either. (Because pesticides may have beenused on clippings that go into municipal com-post, I am hesitant to use it.)

Leave out twigs, brush, and branches or chipthem; wood products take much longer to de-compose than the rest. I speed up the decay of other tough items, such as melon and pumpkinrinds and corn cobs by slicing them into smallerpieces at the dinner table and I don't add in avo-cado pits, which take years to decompose. One

The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. —Franklin D. Roosevelt

Don’t Treat Soil Like Dirtcontinued from p. 3.

post analysis and soil testing is available to the gen-eral public as well as professionals. A compost analysis includes pH, C:N ratio, total N (nitrateand ammonium), total C, moisture content, andbulk density (tons/cubic yard). The bulk densitynumber and C:N ratio indicate the additional nitro-gen needed to supplement large amounts of organicamendments.

Improving the soil is good stewardship, plain andsimple. First test the soil, then follow the recom-

mendations! Be vigilant concerning organic matterlevels and soil pH. Let’s be good stewards of a pre-cious resource, the living soil!

Thomas J. Akin is a former Board member of ELA. He is Conservation Agronomist at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Conservation Service in Amherst, MA, and former Assistant Su- perintendent of Grounds at the Arnold Arboretum in Massachusetts. Contact him at 413-253-4365 [email protected].

Continued



friend forbids onion skins in hercompost pile because theydon't degrade quickly enoughto suit her!

The miracle of new so ilI usually empty my compost

bin in the spring because that iswhen I am thinking about gettingthe plants off to a good start. It'salso easier to add a layer of com-post to the whole garden afterthe winter has flattened the fo-liage and for that you need a lot.Other than that, there are norules for when to use compost.

I remove the front of the binand take out the scraps thathaven't yet decomposed. Then Ishovel the beautiful, soft com-

post into a wheelbarrow and pileit up next to the bin. The scrapsthat did not decompose aretossed back into the bin, thefront is hooked on, and I'm back in business.

If I were designing the perfectsystem for a small property, I

scraps any faster than mine.Compost bins are sold by mailorder from seed and garden ac-cessory catalogs and can be pur-chased from municipalorganizations.

The simplest bin to make isan upright cylinder of chickenwire with the ends hooked to-gether. It is unhooked to removethe compost.

To make a sturdier bin, sink 4x4 corner posts into the ground,5 feet apart. Alternate2x4s and 1x4s horizontally tomake the sides and the back,leaving 2-inch gaps for air circu-lation; the 2x4s are strongenough to keep the sides frombowing and the 1x4s save money.The front can be left open to

make it easy to fill and empty ora removable panel can be hookedin place to conceal the contents.

Compost improves the soil'scapacity to hold nutrition,

would put two bins next to eachother, each about 2 feet squareand 3 or 4 feet high. After fillingone bin, I would start on theother. When I needed compost, Iwould put the scraps that havenot decomposed in the first bininto the second, empty out thecompost, and continue fillingthe second. I would have achicken wire cage for the over-flow of fall leaves, which wouldbe added periodically to theregular compost bin. In thespring, I would empty thechicken wire cylinder of finishedcompost.

Larger properties will wantlarger bins and perhaps three in-stead of two.

Bins A bin is not essential to creat-ing compost but it is neater thana pile. I use a non-descript 3 1/2-foot-high plastic bin with a cover.

My neighbors have a smaller binthat spins on a stand; it doesn’tseem to make compost out of

Compost continued from p. 4.

Continued p. 6, bottom



in their landscaping andremove poorly adapted,exotic or invasiveplants." For more info,call 800-538-7476.

Compost continued from p. 5.

air, and water. It helps to correct pH and nutrientdeficiencies. When the soil is healthy, the plants arehealthy, whether ornamental or vegetable. RogerSwain of the "Victory Garden" television program

has said, "I measure our success in the decliningamounts of chemical fertilizer that I add to the gar-den each year and the bushels of beans, cucum-bers, and squash that we harvest nonetheless."

Fran Gustman is Editor of Ecological Landscaper and HortResources Newsletter for New England professionals and amateur devotees; a board member of the Brighton Garden and Horticultural Society; and a designer specializing in small and urban gardens. Contact her at [email protected].

6

gleanings

New IPM bookIPM and its application todomestic gardens is cov-ered in IPM for Garden-

ers: A Guide to Integrated Pest Manage-

ment, from Timber Press.Ten chapters addressplant and pest basics andthe main pest manage-ment techniques(cultural, biological, etc.).

Keepin g up to dateIPMnet is an excellentfree e-list that reportson development, re-search, and productiveapplication of rational

pest anagement/ crop protection. To sub-scribe send the message"subscribe" to <[email protected]> and includean e-mail address.

Turf questions andsamplesNew Englanders can di-rect turf samples andquestions to Dr. Robert

Wick at UMass Amherst:http://www.umassturf.org/services/turf_diag-nostics/diseases.html.

August 31, 2004, markedthe permanent closing of

Gail Schumann's Turf Dis-ease Diagnostic Lab at Mar-quette University in

Wisconsin. Outside New England, check with thelocal extension service orthe Yellow Pages for pri-vate labs.

Turf Classe sSeptember 17, 2004, isapplication deadline forthe UMass Winter Schoolfor Turf Managers, acourse especially de-signed for experiencedturf professionals. WinterSchool is a full-time pro-gram scheduled for sevenweeks in January-Febru-ary 2005. For additionalinformation and an appli-cation: http://www.umassturf.org/education/certifi-cate_programs/winter_school.html.

Strange bedfellowsScotts Co. has signed anagreement to acquireSmith & Hawken, an un-usual move given Scotts'focus on fertilizers, pesti-cides, and soil and Smith

& Hawken's high-end fur-niture and garden acces-sories. —The WeeklyDirt, for 10 August, 2004

Sudden Oak DeathFollowing court orders,

Kentucky will conform tofederal guidelines andwill drop its ban on Cali-fornia plants. It will allow shipment of host plantsfrom nurseries certifiedfree of Phytophthora

ramorum: 800-748-6214.

There's eco-work to bedone!The National Gardening

Association's 2004 Envi-ronmental Lawn & Gar-den Survey of over 2,000households found thatonly 25% used "only well-adapted or native plants



Compost is great stuff. It isfull of beneficial bacteria,

fungi, nematodes and protozoa,the basis of the soil food web.These microbes protect plantroots, retain nutrients by keep-ing them from leaching out of the soil, outcompete pathogensfor space and nutrients, creategood soil structure, and cyclenutrients into plant-usable form.

They also support micro- andmacro-arthropods that play ben-eficial roles in keeping popula-tions in check, improving

drainage, taxiing microbesthrough the soil and breakingopen organic debris so microbeswill have an easier time in thedecay process.

If you are paying attention togardening trends, you've startedto hear about using aeratedcompost teas instead of, or as asupplement to, compost. What'snew about compost teas?Haven't farmers and gardenersmade them for centuries bysoaking a compost or manure-filled burlap bag in a woodenbarrel for a few weeks? Well, theresulting tea, at best, was a weak leachate of some of the compo-nents in the mix and at worst itcontained alcohols (one part permillion kills root cells), E. coli,and other pathogens that thrivein anaerobic conditions.

Aerated teas do not go anaer-obic. The continual addition of

air during the brewing processprovides plenty of oxygen formicrobes to utilize as they liveand breed. Nutrients are addedto help the microorganisms grow and multiply. Complex sugars,for example, foster growth of bacteria; humic acids, cold-water soluble kelp (Acophyllumnodosum), and rock dusts helpgrow fungi in teas.

Some plants, in particularthose that remain in the ground

for a number of years — peren-nials and woodies — prefer ni-trogen in ammonium form(NH4). Annuals and vegetablesprefer nitrate (NO3). Aeratedteas can be adjusted to promoteone or the other in the soil.

Finally, modern compost teabrewmeisters have learned thatthey can increase fungal or bac-terial numbers by making com-post teas that are either fungallyor bacterially dominated. Brownmaterials such as fall leaves,bark and twigs produce compostwith higher fungal populations.Green materials such as freshgrass clippings or hay lead tobacterial dominance. Why doesit matter?

The resulting microbial stew can be diluted up to five timesand used as a soil drench and asa leaf spray. A farmer wouldhave to put down five tons of

compost per acre to achieve thesame level of microbial activityas he would by adding five gal-lons of aerated compost tea. (Of course, there are other reasonsto use compost.)

New brewersJust a few years ago garden-

ers had to construct their ownbrewers. (Plans can be found athttp://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/ deputate/airwaste/wmrecycle/

Tea/tea1.htm/.) But, today, anumber of companies produceaffordable home brewers. The

Alaska Bountea machine is theleast expensive, requiringtwenty-four hours to make teas:http://www.alaskagiant.com/.The KIS brewer is the only ma-chine that can make tea intwelve hours: http://www.sim-plici-tea.com/. Bob’s Bitti from

Bob's Brewers will make up tothirty gallons in twenty-four

hours: http://www.bobsbnbrew.com/.

Making teaTo make five gallons of tea

you need a couple of cups of good compost, free of the foulsmells that indicate anaerobicconditions, and made from in-gredients that do not containpesticides, herbicides or — if you are worried about E. coli —manures. Non-chlorinated

water is needed because chlo-rine kills the microbes; gas off the chlorine by heating thewater at 70° for a few hours.

Finally add nutrients. Com-plex sugars such as non-sulfuredmolasses or maple syrup pro-mote bacterial growth. For fivegallons, two or three table-spoons will do the trick. Addhumic acids, oat bran, kelp( Acophyllum nodosum) andkelp flowers and fish hydrosy-lates to provide surfaces towhich fungal hyphae will attachand grow.

Aerate for twenty-fourhours or as instructed by the

If you have a dollar to spend on the garden, spend ninety cents on the soil and ten cents on plants. —Proverb

Tea Party in the Garden: Aerated Compost TeaJeff Lowenfels

Continued

7



manufacturer. The end productwill smell clean. If spraying,strain it through pantyhose oruse a "concrete sprayer," whichhas bigger openings than a gar-den sprayer.

Using the te a

Apply teas before 10 A.M. orafter 4 P.M. This is when the UV rays, which can kill microbes,are less strong. When microbesrun out of food, the tea willquickly go anaerobic, so use teasthe same day they are made toget the full benefit.

A healthy soil food web is onewith a complete and diversifiedset of microorganisms and mi-

crobes need food. Once you startusing microbe teas, you shouldnot use chemical fertilizers,which, as salts, suck the life outof the soil. "Organic" fertilizers,with NPK numbers below 10, 10,10, provide food for the microbes,but ample organic material iseven more valuable. Compostalso creates better soil structure,reduces the need to water, and re-duces disease problems.

Gardens that have been

treated with chemical fertilizerswill need an application of aer-ated compost tea once everyseven to ten days for the firstyear. Thereafter, a good schedulefor applying compost tea is earlyspring, midsummer, and fall.

But there is no such thing asapplying too much tea — youcan’t harm the garden with it,only make it better.

Jeff Lowenfels is the Cal Ripkin

of garden writers. His Anchor- age, Alaska, column has run without missing a week forthirty years. He hosts “TheGarden Party," Alaska’s most

popular gardening radio show, and is writing a gardeningbook about the soil food web. He

can be contacted at jeff@gardener.com.

Soil

Tom Akin's List of Essential Soil Web S ites:

UMass Soil Testing Laboratory Massachusetts residents, get your soiland compost tested here! http://www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltes.[Resi-dents of other states should contact their local cooperative extensionsor private soil labs.]

UMaine Excellent recommendations for organic amendments:http://anlab.umesci.maine.edu/handbk/gardorg.htm

UMaine Soil Testing Lab Excellent soil test interpretations and a sam-ple soil test: http://anlab.umesci.maine.edu/gardbk/gard0.HTM

USDA/SARE Slide show provides an excellent overview:http://www.uvm.edu/~nesare/slide.html

So i l Qua l i ty I ns t i tu te Excellent overview: http://www.stat-lab.iastate.edu/survey/SQI/

UC Davis Comprehensive information on soil quality:http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/soil/websites.htm

Soil Science Society of America Now you’re really becoming a soilgeek! http://www.soils.org/

Other Soil Resources

Seeds of Change Seed and garden supply company promoting organicgardening offers an intelligently written monthly newsletter, geared to aknowledgeable audience. More on the basics of soil chemistry at:

http://www.seedsofchange.com/digging/garden_info.asp.

Compost

Ruth Stout, Gardening Without Work. How to Have a Green ThumbWithout an Aching Back. Ruth Stout, sister of mystery writer RexStout, was the originator of the concept of composting in place andcomposting without turning. Try the internet for copies.

Stu Campbell, The Mulch Book: A Complete Guide for Gardeners. Let It Rot! The Gardener’s Guide to Composting. Both published by StoreyPublishing.

Compost Tea

http://www.intlctc.org/ and http://www.alaskahumus.com Formore information.

Compost Tea List Se rve www.Yahoogroups.com

www.soilfoodweb.com Be sure to look at the web site of Dr. ElaineIngham, a pioneer of the soil food web and aeratedcompost teas.

resources

8



9

events

un-classifieds

Put your ad in this space!Reach hundreds of ecologically minded

land-care professionals and homeownersOnly $5 for up to 50 words

(each additional 10 words, $1)Send ads to:

ELA60 Thoreau Street #252

Concord, MA 01742Attn. Newsletter Un-classifeds

HEART&SOIL SPECIAL OFFER FOR ELA members. Youcan receive a FREE PALLET OF ORGANIC FERTILIZER from Heart&Soil. While supplies last, Heart&Soil will offer afree pallet of 25 lb. bags of pHplus for landscapers. pHplusis great for installations and all spring prep work. The prod-uct not only raises soil pH quickly and safely, but it’s also anatural source of potassium, zinc, and iron. Call Heart&Soiltoll free and ask for details on the ELA special offer. Limitone pallet per company. Not for resale! Ask for Dan at (866)999-SOIL(7645).

Well Water Connection, Inc. is a full-service firm provid-ing custom-designed irrigation wells for green industry pro-fessionals and their clients. In addition to providing waterwells, we offer pump design and installation services, waterwell design, stain removal and filtration systems, evaluationand repair service, project management and more. Formore information, please contact John Larsen at 978-640-6900 or [email protected].

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The Ecological Landscaper is published quarterly. Deadlines:Nov. 15, Feb. 15, May 15, and Aug. 15. Rates are for camera-ready ads. Payment must accompany ad. If an ad is taken out for a multiple-issue run and cancelled before the end of the run, a

pro-rated refund, less 25% service fee, will be issuedCancellations must be by the deadline. Any change made to a

multiple-run ad after the ad’s first run voids the multiple-run dis-count. The advertiser is responsible for final content of the adELA reserves the right to refuse an ad for any reason. ELA makesno claims, warranties, or other declarations as to the effective-ness, reliability, or consequences of — or the results from the useof — products, services, or procedures described in any adThere are currently no tie-ins with advertising to ELA publicationsor venues. Direct ad copy, payment, or questions to: ELA, AttnNewsletter Advertising, 60 Thoreau St., #252, Concord, MA01742; 617-436-5838 (phone). Checks should be payable toEcological Landscaping Association.

ELA’s Guide to Healthy Landscape

The first volume in ELA’s Guide to Healthy Landscape series “From the Ground Up: Site andSoil Preparation” is a fine training aid for employ-ees or an educational gift for an enthusiastic cus-tomer. Discussed is: managing soil fertility, theimportance of the soil food web, protecting sitefeatures, managing invasives, and much more.

Features are line illustrations, a glossary, and alist of resources and organizations. Cost(includes postage and handling) is $25 for mem-bers, $30 for non-members (in MA add 5% salestax). Inquire about quantity discounts. Sendorders, with payment, to: Attn. Soil Guide Order,ELA, 60 Thoreau St. #252, Concord, MA 01742.

October 18-22North American Plant Protection Organization An-nual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Contact: M.Derepentigny, Nappo 2004, Cfia, Room 3308 West,59 Camelot Dr., Ottawa, On K1a 0y9, Canada. Fax:1-613-228-6140. Phone: 1-613-225-2342, Ext.4357. Email: Mailto:[email protected].

Web: Http://Www.Nappo.Org/Annualmtg/An-nualmtg04-Bil.Htm.

March 15-16Northeastern (US) Regional IPM Center 1st BiennialConference, Manchester, NH, USA. Contact: L.Thomas, 315-787-2626; mailto:[email protected];http://NortheastIPM.org/conference2005_index.cfm.



PLANT-A-ROW-FOR-THE-HUNGRY (PAR)

Hungry people need nutritious vegetables and fruit. Contact Doreen Howard,National Coordinator for PAR at [email protected] to find out where to bring

excess harvest. Don't let the anything go to waste! To start a local PAR program or

to obtain PAR literature or a video, call 877-492-2727 or [email protected].

JOIN US TODAY!

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You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt. — Anonymous

New Editor,Fran Gustman

As new editor,layout person,and writer for the

Ecological Landscaper, I lack someone to introduce me, so Iwill have to tell you about myself.

I have worked with severalpublications with an ecologicalslant, including HortResources

Newsletter and Wild Ones Jour- nal. I am garden columnist forthe Allston-Brighton TAB in

Massachusetts, weekly urgingmy readers to use least harmfulmethods, and a designer special-

izing in small and urban gardens. As the new editor of the Ecological Landscaper, I'll becovering a lot of territory evenwhen I don't move from my key-board! ELA membership spansthe coasts and I want to review

ELA news practices that are useful to allmembers. If there is a subjectthat you'd like to to read about,please let me know.

And I will be delighted toreceive a message from volun-teers who would like to write forthe newsletter. Contact me at

[email protected] or617-787-4274.If I don't hear from you

first, you may soon be hearingfrom me!

ELA’s Winter ConferenceELA’s Winter Conference

will be March 4 and 5, 2005, atthe Royal Plaza Hotel in Marl-borough, MA.

The two-day event will in-clude lectures and the Eco-Mar-

ketplace, with products,services, and growers geared to-wards ecological landscaping.Come to make new friends of fellow professionals and to catchup with old ones.

Watch for additional detailsto be posted in November on theELA web site at www.ecoland-scaping.org.

The Ecological Landscaper60 Thoreau Street, #252Concord, MA 01742-2456

Round TablesOne – The Study, Two – TheShow, Three – Get Ready, andFour – Grow!: a Four-Step Pro-gram for Ecological Landscap-ing: two sessions (register forone or both) Saturday, Decem-ber 4, 2004, and Saturday, April2, 2005, 9 AM – noon, in collab-oration with the Arnold Arbore-tum. This series will explainhow to create and maintain anaesthetically pleasing and eco-logically sound landscape. OnDecember 4, Dennis Carboniand Walter Cudnohufsky will

discuss site analysis and design.On April 2, Tom Ward, DebraSwanson, and Rolf Briggs willcover installation pitfalls andmaintenance. Fee $30 member,$40 nonmember. For more info:www.ecolandscaping.org.

STD PRSRTU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit 88

Ashland, MA

fall 2004 the ecological landscaper newsletter

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