in local conditions ; and 4 ) yards where edible plants (“ Foodscaping ”) — vegetables and fruit-bearing trees and shrubs replace a portion of turf .
According to the National Gardening Association , one in three families now grows some portion of the food they consume . Some people are choosing to do a combination and it makes sense . We spend millions on keeping our yard in shape . Money on gasoline to run mowers , trimmers and edgers to battery operated equipment combined with chemicals it is a multibillion-dollar industry that many Americans are scrapping for a vegetable garden combined with a pollinator garden and fruiting trees and shrubs . Why have a patch of grass that you must constantly fight with when you can replace that with a natural , edible earthscape that mostly maintains itself ?
Another issue that is of concern is water usage . Lawns are thirsty and consume an estimated 3 trillion gallons of water every year in the United States . This is not an issue in the south yet but , it is a potential and an issue that everyone needs to become aware of because most associate our rainfall with water availability . The biggest concern is groundwater depletion .
Groundwater is a valuable resource both in the United States and throughout the world . Where surface water , such as lakes and rivers , are scarce or inaccessible , groundwater supplies many of the hydrologic needs of people everywhere . In the United States , it is the source of drinking water for about half the total population and nearly all the rural population , and it provides over 50 billion gallons per day for agricultural needs .
Groundwater depletion , a term often defined as long-term water-level declines caused by sustained groundwater pumping , is a key issue associated with groundwater use . Many areas of the United States are experiencing groundwater depletion including the south . Several areas in the Gulf Coastal Plain are experiencing effects related to groundwater depletion . Groundwater pumping by Baton Rouge , Louisiana , increased more than tenfold between the 1930s and 1970 , resulting in groundwater-level declines of approximately 200 feet . Continued pumping since the 1920s by many industrial and municipal users from the underlying Sparta aquifer have caused significant water-level declines in Arkansas , Louisiana , Mississippi , and Tennessee .
The Memphis , Tennessee , area is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world that relies exclusively on groundwater for municipal supply . Large withdrawals have caused regional water-level declines of up to 70 feet . It ’ s a problem that we need to wake up to – just because there is a large amount of rainfall , it does not replace our underground aquifers .
“ We ’ re on the cusp of a transition that will likely take place over the next 10 to 15 years , away from the conformity of mowed turf ,” says Ed Osann , senior policy analyst and water efficiency project director with NRDC ’ s Water program . He adds that eradication of all grass isn ’ t the goal . “ We ’ re not declaring war on turf or suggesting that we remove every square foot of it . But we want to encourage people to think about whether there are places in their yards that can be converted to allow for a more diverse and sustainable landscape .”
Fall is the time to make changes in your landscape . Building raised garden beds and adding pathways is much more pleasant in the fall . Also , planting fruiting shrubs such as Chokeberries or fruit trees at the end of October or early November when the dormant winter period is just beginning will allow the roots to settle in before spring . Fall is the best time to take soil samples for changes in vegetation that you might be planning . Making sure that the soil pH and nutrient levels are correct before you add vegetation rather than after is a key to success .
• Shani Hay is an agent with the Mississippi State University-Extension Service , Lauderdale County . You may contact her by email at smh964 @ msstate . edu or by calling 601-482-9764 .
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