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Happy Earth Day! Garden with the planet in mind

Ways to cut down on plastics in your own landscape

These sturdy 1- and 2-gallon planting pots can be recycled and reused, at home, at a community garden or local nonprofit group that propagates plants, or through businesses such as Home Depot.

These sturdy 1- and 2-gallon planting pots can be recycled and reused, at home, at a community garden or local nonprofit group that propagates plants, or through businesses such as Home Depot. Kathy Morrison

Today, April 22,  people around the globe commemorate Earth Day, one of the world’s longest-running environmental awareness campaigns. Since 1970, Earth Day has spotlighted major issues affecting our planet and the ways individuals can tackle solutions at the grassroots level.

An estimated 1 billion people representing 190 countries will take part in some sort of Earth Day activity this year, according to the Earth Day Network.

The 2024 theme: “Planet vs. Plastics.” The proposed goal: Reduce the production of plastics by 60% by 2040.

“Our theme, ‘Planet vs. Plastics,’ calls to advocate for widespread awareness on the health risk of plastics, rapidly phase out all single-use plastics, urgently push for a strong U.N. Treaty on Plastic Pollution, and demand an end to fast fashion,” says EarthDay.org. “Join us as we build a plastic-free planet for generations to come!”

For example, plastic represents 80% of marine trash, note Earth Day experts. Besides polluting rivers and oceans, plastic waste has negative impacts on wildlife. A recent study showed that birds accidentally eat a lot of plastic, especially those living near water. About 90% of seabirds consume plastic as part of their daily diet, which can lead to disease and death, says the National Geographic. (Plastic does not digest.)

For gardeners, every day can be Earth Day. How can you reduce the use of plastics in your garden?

* No black plastic mulch or landscape fabric. Designed to cut down on weeds, black plastic absorbs too much heat and cooks the roots of plants that it surrounds. And it does nothing for the soil while eventually ending up in landfills. Organic alternatives – such as dried leaves, wood chips, compost, shredded bark or straw – do more than suppress weeds; they also feed the soil and roots while retaining soil moisture and keeping roots comfortable.

* Reuse and recycle plastic pots. The sturdy 1- or 5-gallon pots that come with new plants can be reused for years. If you have too many, don’t toss them. Ask your local nursery or community garden if they need them. These pots are recyclable. The Home Depot launched a recycling program to accept any plastic garden containers (not just the big pots and regardless of their point of purchase). Look for the green recycling signs in Home Depot nursery departments.

* Use plastic alternatives. Instead of plastic pots, use egg cartons, cardboard or paper pots to grow seedlings.

* Cut down on garden chemicals. The more chemicals you use, the more plastic containers that pile up in your garden shed. Eliminate the use of pesticides and herbicides in your garden, and your plastic use goes down, too.

* Pay attention to packaging. Buy plants grown in paper pots. Select fertilizers or amendments packaged in paper or cardboard. (Note: Rodents will chew on paper containers given a chance. A large covered plastic tub for storage can act as a barrier and still cut down on the other plastic use). 

For more inspiration: https://www.earthday.org/.

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Garden Checklist for week of Jan. 19

Dress warmly in layers – and get to work:

* Apply horticultural oil to fruit trees to control scale, mites and aphids. Oils need 24 hours of dry weather after application to be effective.

* This is also the time to spray a copper-based oil to peach and nectarine trees to fight leaf curl. The safest effective fungicides available for backyard trees are copper soap -- aka copper octanoate -- or copper ammonium, a fixed copper fungicide. Apply either of these copper products with 1% horticultural oil to increase effectiveness.

* Prune, prune, prune. Now is the time to cut back most deciduous trees and shrubs. The exceptions are spring-flowering shrubs such as lilacs.

* Now is the time to prune fruit trees. Clean up leaves and debris around the trees to prevent the spread of disease. (The exceptions are apricot and cherry trees, which are susceptible to a fungus that causes dieback if pruned now. Save those until summer.)

* Prune roses, even if they’re still trying to bloom. Strip off any remaining leaves, so the bush will be able to put out new growth in early spring.

* Clean up leaves and debris around your newly pruned roses and shrubs. Put down fresh mulch or bark to keep roots cozy.

* When forced bulbs sprout, move them to a cool, bright window. Give them a quarter turn each day so the stems will grow straight.

* Browse through seed catalogs and start making plans for spring and summer.

* Divide daylilies, Shasta daisies and other perennials.

* Cut back and divide chrysanthemums.

* Plant bare-root roses, trees and shrubs.

* Transplant pansies, violas, calendulas, English daisies, snapdragons and fairy primroses.

* In the vegetable garden, plant fava beans, head lettuce, mustard, onion sets, radicchio and radishes.

* Plant bare-root asparagus and root divisions of rhubarb.

* In the bulb department, plant callas, anemones, ranunculus and gladioli for bloom from late spring into summer.

* Plant blooming azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons. If you’re shopping for these beautiful landscape plants, you can now find them in full flower at local nurseries.

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