Background
This project will involve turning an unused hillside at the Humboldt State University Campus Center for Appropriate Technology, or CCAT, into a useful space for growing plants, and also to stabilize the nearby hillside against possible erosion. The plot will also be landscaped to be aesthetically pleasing and to more fully integrate it with the rest of CCAT.
The project will be finished over the course of the Spring 2011 semester with volunteer work from CCAT workers and other volunteer student help.
Costs
This project is to be completed almost entirely with materials readily available at CCAT,and all of the labor required will be from CCAT volunteers. While most of the plants utilized will be transplanted from CCAT's gardens.
Literature Review
Mulching
The areas where plants are to be grown can be mulched in order to add nutrients to the soil, which is primarily clay throughout most of the hillside. Mulch can be created from shredded newspaper[1], certain types of plastics, and other natural materials to cover the ground and prevent weeds from spreading.[2] For this project, mulch will be spread over the entire remediation zone to prevent incursion by weeds, with gaps left for the plants that will be planted at various places called 'Grow-through mulch'. This will not only allow plants to grow but will serve as a spot that organic materials can be disposed of and utilized as new mulch for the remediation area.
Composting
Along with the mulch for surface cover, the soil where plants are to be planted will be supplemented with organic compost made from local organic waste. This compost can be provided by both CCAT and the Humboldt State University campus. Organic wastes such as grass clippings, vegetable matter from kitchens, and old newspapers can all be mixed with the soil to provide nutrients for plants. Redwood logs provided by CCAT can also be buried beneath the plant beds before planting in order to provide nutrients and warmth from decomposition.[3]
Plant Selection
The plants chosen for the remediation site will be nothing but native plants[4], with a preference given to ones that can be transplanted from CCAT grounds instead of newly-purchased ones. As the area is heavily shaded, special consideration needs to be taken to choose the right plants for the amount of solar energy available. A Solar Pathfinder will be used to determine average sun for each area, and local plants such as Sword Ferns[5] and other forest plantlife will be planted around the beds.[6]
References
- ↑ Pellett, Norman E. and Heleba, David A. 1995 "Chopped Newspaper for Weed Control in Nursery Crops" J. Environmental Horticulture 13(2): 77-81.
- ↑ Whitefield, Patrick. 2002 How To Make A Forest Garden. White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing Company.
- ↑ Campbell, Stu. 1990 Let It Rot!. United States: R.R. Donnelley
- ↑ Smith, James Payne. 1972 Campus Flora Atlas. Arcata: Humboldt State University Department of Biology
- ↑ Hoshizaki, Barbara Joe and Robbin C. Moran. 2001. Fern Grower's Manual. Portland: Timber Press.
- ↑ Morse, Harriet K. 1962 Gardening In The Shade. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons