Are You A Climate-friendly Gardener?

The correct answer is "a and c" because using people power refers to using manual labor and physical effort instead of relying on chemical substances for tasks like weeding or pest control. Rotating annual crops is another effective way to limit chemical use as it helps prevent the buildup of pests and diseases in the soil, reducing the need for chemical interventions.

Cover crops, such as grasses, grains, and legumes, offer multiple benefits. They help suppress weeds by competing with them for space, sunlight, and nutrients. They also prevent erosion by holding the soil in place with their extensive root systems. Additionally, cover crops improve soil fertility by adding organic matter, increasing nutrient availability, and enhancing soil structure. Lastly, they contribute to carbon storage by sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide in their biomass and roots. Therefore, all of the mentioned benefits are provided by cover crops.

The correct answer is "all of the above" because all of the listed garden techniques - crop rotation, cover crops, tree planting, and low-input garden maintenance - can help store and minimize global warming gases emitted by the garden. Crop rotation helps to maintain soil fertility and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, cover crops absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, tree planting helps to sequester carbon, and low-input garden maintenance reduces the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Leaving grass clippings on the lawn after mowing is beneficial for the climate because it acts as a natural fertilizer. The clippings decompose and release nutrients back into the soil, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. This practice also helps to retain moisture in the soil, reducing the need for watering. Additionally, the decomposing grass clippings sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, leaving grass clippings on the lawn after mowing is a simple and effective way to promote a climate-friendly lawn care routine.

By setting your mower blade to three inches or higher and mowing regularly, you will promote continuous root growth and shedding. This is because when the grass is cut at a higher height, it allows the roots to grow deeper and stronger. As the roots grow, they shed old material, which decomposes and adds carbon into the soil. This process helps improve soil quality and fertility. The other options, such as getting a good workout, urging neighbors to grow longer grass, or increasing watering, are not related to the benefits of setting the mower blade higher.

Using compost in the garden helps lower the amount of organic wastes disposed of in landfills. When organic wastes, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, are sent to landfills, they decompose in an anaerobic environment and produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. By composting these wastes instead, they can be transformed into nutrient-rich soil amendment that can be used in the garden. This not only reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills but also helps mitigate climate change by preventing the release of methane gas.

A garden can be considered climate-friendly if it stores more carbon than it generates. This means that the garden is able to absorb and retain more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis than it releases through plant respiration. By storing carbon, the garden helps to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which contributes to mitigating climate change.

Growing your own food in a climate-friendly garden can help reduce your carbon footprint because it eliminates the need for long-distance transportation. Most supermarket produce travels an average of 1500 miles to get to your plate. This means that by growing your own food, you can significantly reduce the emissions associated with transportation and contribute to a more sustainable food system.

The correct answer is to choose crops that will become established quickly in your local climate. This is because cover crops need to grow and establish quickly in order to maximize their benefits. By selecting crops that are well-suited to your local climate, you increase the chances of them growing quickly and effectively improving the productivity of your garden. Using non-legume cover crops only, sowing crops in November, or using compost as a cover crop may have their own benefits, but they are not specifically mentioned as the most effective way to maximize the effect of cover crops.