summer 2009 the ecological landscaper newsletter

8/6/2019 Summer 2009 The Ecological Landscaper Newsletter

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The

The Newsletter of the Ecological Landscaping Association Vol. 16, No. 2 Summer 2009

Because land doesnt come with a manual Price $2.00ISSN 1554-656X

1 Organic Fertilizers

3 Compost Teas Prevent Disease

4 Biochars Sustainability Potential

6 Members Making a Dierence: Marie Stella

7 Edibles in the Landscape

11 Gleanings & Events

12 New Member Beneft

c o n t e n t s

Organic Fertilizers, nutrientthrOughput,andthe sOil FOOd Web:an intervieWWith shepherd Ogden

Shepherd Ogden is an independent consultant to the organic

industry, specializing in startups. We are grateul to Bill Skerrett

at IC Organics or putting us in touch with him. Ed.

How do various categories o organic ertilizerscompare in terms o sources o nitrogen, phosphorus,and potassium?

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If you built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should

be. Now put the foundations under them. Hry Dv Tr, Walden

ORGANICcontinued on page 2

FrOmthe editOr

Kat Good-Schi

Fry rrg pr r r r r, b p r r g pg.Soil fertility ensures healthy plants, and the basis for ab, r b: - r Er. I r vr- prpv vp rgrg

ry bg vy. W r -br LEED P , pbr rprg b p p, p b r r r vr.

Fry p pr, b r. I y r r r y, Tr gg p y b . I y r r grp y , y vry ky p b, r .

I we maintain a viable

and sucient soil

microbial population,

then nutrient cycling

will be appropriate to

the growth needs o the

plants because plantgrowth and microbial

activity are both driven

by environmental cues


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2

Te Ecological Landscaper pbby Eg LpgAssociation (ELA). Subscriptionsr b brp ELA.Fr r b ELA, :

ELA Board of Directors

Pr: D CVice President: Kathy Sargent-ONeill

rrr: Cr OBrSecretary: Andrea Knowles

EL A

1257 Worcester Rd., #262Framingham, MA 01701(617) [email protected]

Wr ! W ,r, r, p , opinions. Send to Newsletter Editor r bv.

A r ELA b,

g r g, r bv.

T ELA br rg yr vr r M.A br r . C r p .

Mention of products is not intendedto constitute endorsement. Opinionsexpressed in this newsletter do notnecessarily represent those of ELAsdirectors, staff, or members.

Eg Lpg 2009

Each author appearing herein retainsoriginal copyright. Right to reproduceor disseminate all material herein is

otherwise reserved by ELA. Please contactthe Editor or permission to reprint.

Executive Administrator: Py L

Board Members

M.L. AbJr H

W JRbr LvTrevor Smith

Sue StorerMaureen Sundberg

Br Wg

ORGANICcontinued on page 8

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P, b y r r gr P b r. T br by prpr r b rzr, b r gryr xpv pr r. T ky yz rbrr rrv r r xr r r pp, b p by pp y p p .

How does soil type afect the role o diferent ertilizers and soil organisms?

Soil type aects just about everything that happens in its horizon. is is re-y -v q b rg r ky r r rzrpy rg rzr.

Just as soil type aects water inltration, it also aects how nutrients are heldand released, and not just through its relation to cation exchange capacity(CEC). Moisture levels aect the activity of the microbial populationsthey b r rg r yp g,y r r g, y rg r.

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The one old rule o thumb, true to this

day, is that compost will improve soils

at both ends o the spectrum: compost

will lighten tight, heavy soils and bulk

up and bind light, loose soils.

ORGANICcontinued from page 1
http://www.ecolandscaping.org/mailto:ela.info1%40comcast.net?subject=mailto:ela.info1%40comcast.net?subject=http://www.ecolandscaping.org/


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prOtectingthe castle Walls:Wieldingthe beneFitsOF activelyaerated cOmpOst tea

Alane ORielly Weber of Botanical Arts, San Mateo, CA

S

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b. A r kg rb x-p rr r, r b k bg r p , pr-, vr .

D rr v b p-ed by Dr. Elaine Ingham of Soil Foodweb, Inc. Her lit-rr r rg, g r

b r pr vy r -

p (AAC), v brg pr r-g prp rr, rr, bkyr grr. W AAC pp, prvb br, g, prz, , rrrp b , p r z, , r.

U ry, y r y gg r r r r grp v rp pp-tions of fungicides which have cumulative eects on thevr. AAC b pp r- b r pg prv - r pg. (N: k xg .) I r r g AAC, r-g bg g b k -r g, r py rg-

zb r bg .

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T pyg pgrp I k zplant illustrates the eectiveness of foliar applications ofAAC rp r prv -g bgy. T p y r r r v r py

pry . Ovr rrg r- r p v rpp rprv bgy pp AAC r-p. Rp pp -k rv kp r z v r p

rv prv y O-br. I v y xp bg - rk r, br,Nandina, pp, prg.

W- p r b rb. Cp prpry r r vy br (AAC)k vg r b p p prv . I y, prvr , g p g

vg b Nr .

AACT applied to new whorls o a zucchini plant

demonstrates its efectiveness against mildew.
http://www.neptunesharvest.com/


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BIOCHAR continued on page 5

Biochar: A Soil Amendment that CombatsGlobal Warming and Improves AgriculturalSustainability and Environmental Impacts

International Biochar Initiative

Introduction to BiocharBiochar and bioenergy co-production from urban,agricultural, and forestry biomass can help combatglobal climate change by displacing fossil fuel use,by sequestering carbon in stable soil carbon pools,and by dramatically reducing emissions of nitrousoxides, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbondioxide.1, 2 As a soil amendment, biochar helps toimprove the Earths soil resource by increasing cropyields and productivity, by reducing soil acidity, andby reducing the need for some chemical and fertilizerinputs.3, 4 Water quality is improved by the use of

biochar as a soil amendment, because biochar aidsin soil retention of nutrients and agrochemicals forplant and crop utilization,5, 6 reducing leaching andrun-off to ground and surface waters.

Biochar production and utilization systems dif-fer from most biomass energy systems because thetechnology is carbon-negative: it removes net car-bon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it instable soil carbon sinks.7 Other biomass energysystems are at best carbon-neutral, resulting in nonet changes to atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Biochar ProductionBioenergy and biochar can be co-produced fromthermal treatment of biomass feedstocks. The ther-mal conversion of biomass, under the complete orpartial exclusion of oxygen, results in the productionof biochar and bioenergy or other bioproducts. Bio-char production processes can utilize most urban,agricultural or forestry biomass residues, includingwood chips, corn stover, rice or peanut hulls, treebark, paper mill sludge, animal manure, and recycledorganics, for instance.

Under controlled production conditions, the car-bon in the biomass feedstock is captured in the bio-char and the bioenergy co-products. Theoretically,the biochar co-product will retain up to 50% of thefeedstock carbon in a porous charcoal structure; andthe remaining 50% of the feedstock carbon will becaptured as bioenergy. While it is technically infea-sible to capture 100% of the biomass carbon, sinceenergy is invariably used and lost in the productionprocess, the optimal biochar production process can

capture roughly half the biomass carbon in biochar andhalf as bioenergy.

Biochar can be produced by pyrolysis or gasica-tion systems. Pyrolysis systems produce biochar largelyin the absence of oxygen and most often with an ex-ternal heat source. There are two types of pyrolysis

systems in use today: fast pyrolysis and slow pyrolysissystems. Gasication systems produce smaller quanti-ties of biochar in a directly heated reaction vessel withair introduced. Biochar production is optimized in theabsence of oxygen.

Gasication and pyrolysis production systems canbe developed as mobile or stationary units. Small scalegasication and pyrolysis systems that can be used onfarms or by small industries are commercially availablewith biomass inputs of 50 kg/hr to 1,000 kg/hr. The bio-energy produced from these systems, which can be inthe form of a synthetic gas, or syngas, or bio-oils, can

be used to produce heat, power, or combined heat andpower. At the local or regional level, pyrolysis and gas-ication units can be operated by co-operatives or larg-er industries, and can process up to 4,000 kg of biomassper hour.

Biochar

Biochar is a ne-grained, porous charcoal substancethat, when used as a soil amendment in combinationwith sustainable production of the biomass feedstock,effectively removes net carbon dioxide from the atmo-sphere.8 In the soil, biochar provides a habitat for soilorganisms, but is not itself consumed by them to a greatextent, and most of the applied biochar can remain inthe soil for several hundreds to thousands of years9, 10(see also Terra Preta soils). The biochar does not in thelong-term disturb the carbon-nitrogen balance, butholds and makes water and nutrients available to plants.When used as a soil amendment along with organic andinorganic fertilizers, biochar signicantly improves soiltilth, productivity, and nutrient retention and availabilityto plants.11

BioenergyThe bioenergy produced during biochar productionmay be in the form of thermal energy, a synthesis gas,aka syngas, or a bio-oil. The syngas or bio-oil can beused to heat the pyrolysis unit for continued produc-tion, and surplus syngas or bio-oil can be used to pro-vide additional energy for on-site uses, such as heatand electricity. Syngas is rich in hydrogen, methane andcarbon monoxide and in addition to its use for heat or


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BIOCHAR continued from page 4

1. Yanai et al., 2007, Effects of charcoal addition on N2O emis-

sions from soil resulting from rewetting air-dried soil in short-termlaboratory experiments, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 53:181-188.

2. Rondon, M., Ramirez, J.A., and Lehmann, J.: 2005, Char-

coal additions reduce net emissions of greenhouse gases to theatmosphere, in Proceedings of the 3rd USDA Symposium onGreenhouse Gases and Carbon Sequestration, Baltimore, USA,March 21-24, 2005, p. 208.

3. Glaser, B., Lehmann, J. and Zech, W., 2002, Amelioratingphysical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils in thetropics with charcoal a review, Biology and Fertility of Soils, 35:219-230.

4. Lehmann, J. and Rondon, M., 2006, Biochar soil manage-ment on highly weathered soils in the humid tropics. In UphoffN (ed.), Biological Approaches to Sustainable Soil Systems, CRCPress, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 517-530.

power, it can be converted to liquid fuels or industri-al chemicals. The bio-oils can also be used for on-sitepower and heat generation, or converted to liquid fuelsor industrial chemicals.

Economics o Biochar Systems

The co-production of biochar from a portion of the bio-mass feedstock reduces the total amount of bioenergythat is produced by the technology, but even at todaysenergy and fertilizer prices the net gain in soil produc-tivity is worth more than the value of the energy thatwould otherwise have been derived from the biomassfeedstock. As the cost of carbon emissions rises andthe value of CO

2extraction from the atmosphere is also

considered, the balance becomes overwhelmingly at-tractive in favor of biochar co-production.

Rural and Developing Country Applications o

Biochar SystemsBiochar systems can reverse soil degradation and cre-ate sustainable food and fuel production in areas withseverely depleted soils, scarce organic resources, andinadequate water and chemical fertilizer supplies. Low-cost, small-scale biochar production units can producebiochar to build garden, agricultural, and forest pro-ductivity, and bioenergy for eating, cooking, drying andgrinding grain, producing electricity and thermal ener-gy, for instance.

For more information about biochar, visit

www.biochar-international.org. ELA thanks the

International Biochar Initiative for permission to

reprint this article.

5. Lehmann, J., et al., 2003, Nutrient availability and leach-ing in an archaeological Anthrosol and a Ferralsol of theCentral Amazon basin: fertilizer, manure and charcoal amend-ments, Plant and Soil, 249: 343-357.

6. Steiner, C., et al., Long term effects of manure, charcoaland mineral fertilization on crop production and fertility on ahighly weathered Central Amazonian upland soil, Plant andSoil, 291: 275-290.

7. Lehmann, J., Gaunt, J., and Rondon, M., 2006, Bio-charsequestration in terrestrial ecosystems a review. Mitigationand Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 11:403-427.

8. Ibid.

9. Pessenda, L.C.R., Gouveia, S.E.M., and Aravena, R., 2001,Radiocarbon dating of total soil organic matter and huminfraction and its comparison with 14C ages of fossil charcoal,Radiocarbon, 43: 595-601.

10. Schmidt, M.W.I., Skjemstad, J.O., and Jager, C., 2002,Carbon isotope geochemistry and nanomorphology of soilblack carbon: Black chernozemic soils in central Europe origi-nate from ancient biomass burning. Global BiogeochemicalCycles, 16: 1123.

11. Glaser, B., Lehmann, J. and Zech, W., 2002, Ameliorating

physical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils inthe tropics with charcoal a review, Biology and Fertility ofSoils, 35: 219-230.

Vacuum Pyrolysis87% Carbon Plus Nitrogen

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NOTES
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the First leed platinum hOmeinWestern massachusetts

Kat Good-Schi

Lp r ELA br MrStella, owner of Kirin Farm Design, has designed b r g y Bvr Lg.

T Cr r Eg gy (CE), leading non-prot organization oering green buildingrv r r M, r -g y A, M, highest rating possible from the U.S. Green BuildingC LEED r H rg y. T r- b x M r f LEED P rg.

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the Stella project had earned the platinum designa- 101.5 p 136pb p. CE y r rgy prr b 59% r - yp b M.

A rr gr prgr Landscape Institute of Harvard University, Stella willr - r b g Beaver Lodge. See events listing on pg 11 r rr.

the beaver lOdge: illustratingtheintegratiOnOF art, technOlOgy,andenvirOnment

Marie Stella

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I pr gr g, I v r y vry gr .I rg by g rvg r LEEDP. A p r gr, R ry r -gy , rv g y ry g p brry, T BvrLodge. Surrounded by acres of forest protected by con-rv rr, vrk rg prvg .

My ppr r vr r-

pby, by, rv. I gv gr g Ir, bg vv, rg-g gy gv p gy , pg r r .

Green features of The Beaver Lodge include:

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R, vg r

Super insulated shell with 2" closed cell urethane foam and6" to 8" recycled dense pack cellulose sprayed insulation

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Ergy f rb xg brr rr r rb rg x

Pk r vb k p pb -prp

Hvy p ry r

Pv p pv r g r r r rg

Eb p: rg vgb, rb, r gr- r

90% prrv v b r vg- -rb z

100% r prb pvg

MEMBERScontinued on page 7

members makinga diFFerence:


7/12

7

eatyOur plants! ediblesinthelandscape

Navid Hateld of Pioneer Valley Organics Landscaping

I

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Tr g k rgg rg pick the frosty hanging fruit for jam. Pawpaw is an-

Bio swales, buer zone, and rain garden designed to cap-ture run o

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objects in the landscape

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EATcontinued on page 10

MEMBERScontinued from page 6 I bv T Bvr Lg r x prv r y-tems. Shifting views inside and outside are linked withrbr, p, k rpr r r pv r r xz y gg. T y, r- -pr prv b rx gg, -

g Tr v b r , brb .

Fall oliage o the highbush blueberry. Photo credit: Robert H. Mohlenbrock @

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1991. Southern wetland fora: Field

oce guide to plant species. South National Technical Center, Fort Worth.

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ORGANICcontinued from page 2 T rg p b x rrg r py,, bg prpr v b gby r gr vy (MCy 2005). T rzpr z p r 5-7% v ppr 15 r vgb ; r b g 40%. Ipr pyg

pr z r pk r r rb vy by r x.

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r r r r p 50% -r b x, rby g rb pp- rzpr. T b pr brk r r pr r vb p r yb r-p. T b b, by r y bg r yg ppr p r ry p.

o fnd out more about Shepherd Ogdens work or toread other articles he has written, visit http://www.shepherdogden.us/.

prr y x rb , prvg r vby p.

How is the role o soil organisms as ertilizer storageafected by diferent types o ertilizers?

Storage is not really the right term here and that ky rghow organic/ecological landscape management is dier- r v rpr. W pr- rgp, rg. I vb f rb pp, ryg b pprpr gr p b p gr rb vy rb rv by vr rvby, prr g.

B rg, y rzr - rb b pv y inhibits it will be negative. Synthetic fertilizers damage rb y r r p, rg rzr gryprv r r rb .

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v r rg.

Is there anything else youd like toadd on this topic?

I pr rbr ris a big dierence between the soil gen-

ry rzpr.Lrz Hr r 1904 rb rr z(rgy r r) rrg p r, rrb pp r byr x. I g r bk , -ry by grg r.
http://www.shepherdogden.us/http://www.shepherdogden.us/mailto:info%40norganics.com?subject=http://www.norganics.com/http://www.shepherdogden.us/http://www.shepherdogden.us/


9/12

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trie

ntDensit

ySupplyCom

pany

9

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A r v, k r gy pr b py vr yr by rp ry prv ry k. Hyk -r y b rp by grp v, k, r p.

Eb r p pp r yr, g r vr

EATcontinued from page 7

An apple tree in ull spring bloom. Photo credit: USDA-NRCS PLANTS

Database / Herman, D.E., et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook.

USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension

and Western Area Power Administration, Bismarck.

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Epilogue

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g prg y r r bbrry rk. I pr b, r r vgr r , g b , v gb bbrry.

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Wells*Filters*PumpsStainRemovalServicesDesign*Sales*Service

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Save Resources and Reduce Waste with Catalog ChoiceWould you like to receive less paper in your mailbox?Catalog Choice is a free service that lets you reduceunwanted mail and choose how you hear from merchants.The organization states that they have removed over 85million unwanted catalogs a year from the mail streamsaved more than 192,000 trees. Visit www.catalogchoice.org to set up an account.

New Book Addresses Personal Side of Global WarmingThoreaus Legacy: American Stories about Global Warmingintroduces a new generation of writers and photographerswith a personal connection to global warming. A forewordby author Barbara Kingsolver serves as a powerful call toaction. Visit http://www.ucsusa.org/americanstories/to readthe e-book or purchase a hardcover copy.

ELA Member Rocks Out in Lawn and OrderCalifornias Garden Wise Guys (on guitar ELA memberOwen Dell) have produced their very rst MTV-style rock

video. Part of a TV episode titled Lawn and Order, thevideo shows the Wise Guys letting down their hair andgetting funky with a sustainable landscaping take on theold favorite, Grazin in the Grass. Visit http://www.citytv18.com/garden.htm to watch it.

Rain Garden Guide for the NortheastRegionA new University of Connecticutpublication titled Rain Gardensin Connecticut: A Design Guidefor Homeowners is available FREEupon request. The 12 page full-color

brochure addresses the followingtopics: What is a rain garden; commonconcerns; placement of the rain garden;soils suitability; sizing your garden;installation; and planting. A suggestedplant list, appropriate for Connecticut,is also included. The brochure isavailable both online and in hard copy.To obtain a copy, call (860) 486-3336,email [email protected], or visit http://www.sustainability.uconn.edu/.

Educational Opportunities in

MassachusettsTownboard.org is a one-stop calendarsite for town boards and individuals inMassachusetts, providing up-to-dateinformation on relevant training andeducational opportunities in the stateand region, particularly on land-useissues. Visit http://townboard.org toview their extensive event calendarlistings.

eventsgleanings

Programs in Sustainable Living and DesignCome to Asheld, Massachusetts, for either a one-dayor three-day intensive workshop in the foothills of theBerkshires. Courses will explore the Beaver Lodge, aresidence designed by Marie Stella, LEED Platinumcertied. This hands-on laboratory setting will offer classes

in the promotion of sustainability, innovative use of nativeplant materials, construction of rain gardens, green roofs,vegetated walls, rainwater harvesting, use of local greenmaterials, and organic vegetable gardening. Offsite visitsto a local quarry and to native and wetland plant nurserieswill be included. Room and board can be arranged. Foradditional information, contact: Marie Stella, Kirin FarmDesign, 719 Barnes Road, Shelburne Falls, MA, 01370,413.625.2009, [email protected]. See article on page 6of this newsletter.

The 5th annual NOFA Organic Lawn and Turf Course willbe held Friday, August 7th at UMass Amherst in the StudentUnion Ballroom from 8 am to 5 pm. The course covers all

aspects of lawn and turfgrass management including soilhealth, pest management, water conservation, culturalpractices and more. Lunch and the NOFA Organic Lawn &Turf Handbook are included in the course fee. $150 for rstperson from rm/town or individuals; $125 each additionalperson. For more info: www.nofasummerconference.orgor

call Kathy Litcheld (413) 773-3830 oremail [email protected].

ELA Annual MeetingThe ELA Annual Meeting takes placeon August 12th at 1 pm at Tower HillBotanic Garden, in Boylston, MA

(directions at http://www.towerhillbg.org/thwebdir.html). This meeting is held atthe end of the organizations scal yearto report on the proposed projects of theorganization, the budget review, and theelection results of ofcers as well as newand incumbent board members.

ELA Summer RoundtableWhen: August 12th, 2009 2 - 4:30 pmWhere: Tower Hill Botanic GardensBoylston, MATopic: Fertilizers and Soil Amendments:

What are Your Favorite Recipes?Panelists M.L. Altobelli, RogerSturgis, and Michael Talbot bringmore than 80 years of accumulatedexperience to ELAs Roundtable.Understanding fertilizers and soilamendments is fundamental tolandscaping of any kind and is essentialto successful ecological, sustainable, andorganic landscaping.

EVENTScontinued on page 12
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The ELA Summer Roundtable includes general admissionto Tower Hill Botanic Gardens.

$20 ELA Members - $25 Non-members To pre-register,email [email protected] Walk-ins Welcome!

California Water Management Certication

California Landscape Contractors Association WaterManagement Certication Program training and test takesplace in the Sacramento area at the Folsom CommunityCenter, 52 Natoma Street, Folsom, CA. Thursday, September 3from 9 am - 3:00 pm. To enroll or to request more informationor make arrangements for a test in your area, please contactDavid Silva at 916-830-2780 or email [email protected] additional test dates and times, visit http://www.clca.org.

Coastal 2009 ConferenceThe Northeast Beaches Conference is sponsored by theNortheast Shore & Beach Preservation Association andthe Northeast Chapter of the International Erosion Control

Association. The theme is Local Efforts in ShorelineManagement and Protection. The program will likelyconsist of a half-day eld trip and two days of presentations,with a small number of exhibits and plenty of opportunitiesto network.

Where: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,Falmouth, MA

When: September 21-23, 2009For more information:http://www.ieca-nechapter.org/coastal2009/conferencelocation.html

Erosion Control Conference & Trade Exposition

The annual conference of the Northeast Chapter of theInternational Erosion Control Association is open toengineers, scientists, regulators, eld technicians, landdevelopers, attorneys, academics, vendors, manufacturers,and all others in the erosion control and stormwatermanagement communities. The two-day program willconsist of presentations and exhibits on erosion andsediment control, water quality issues, low-impactdevelopment, source controls, regulatory issues, and currentresearch in the eld.

Where: Hartford Hilton, 315 Trumbull St., Hartford, CTWhen: October 27-28, 2009For more information:

http://www.ieca-nechapter.org/nec09.html

Contact:Steve Trinkaus, PE, CPESC, CPSWQ, strinkaus@

earthlink.net

New Member Beneft

The ELA Membership Committee is pleased to an-

nounce a new ELA membership beneft in which you

determine the beneft. The new Member-to-Member

Discount is an initiative designed to promote ad-

ditional networking and business opportunitiesbetween members.

The ollowing ELA members have already signed up

to participate, and we know the list will continue to

grow. Learn more about the participating companies

and their products and services by ollowing the links

below or by locating the companies. Contact them

to learn the details o their Member-to-Member

discounts.

Cape Cod SaeLawns

Designer o GreensEcological Landscape Designs, LLC

Forgione Lawn Care

Good Scents Garden Co

Groundscapes Express, Inc.

Hilltown Tree & Garden, LLC

Land Escapes

Loves Gardens

Maria von BrinckenLandscape Garden Design

Old Sod Landscaping, Inc

Roots to Shoots EcologicalLandscape and Conservation

Wondercide, LLC

You, the member, control the details o your oering to

other ELA members. You might oer a ree consultation,

a one-time discount on products or services, or ongoing

discounts. Participation will be highlighted in the ELA

Membership Directory and in upcoming editions oThe

Ecological Landscaper.

Please contact us i you would like to add your

company to the growing list o ELA members oer-

ing a Member-to-Member Discount, contact us at

[email protected].

EVENTScontinued from page 11
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summer 2009 the ecological landscaper newsletter

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