Covered by Documenter:
Brittany Nader (notes)
Plants help restore native vegetation and improve health of Ohio lakes and streams
Four different Ohio native plant kits are available through the Summit County Soil and Water Conservation District through March 5. The $160 kits include 50 plant plugs from a variety of plant species and are designed for different types of gardening.
Documeter Brittany Nader shared this information in her notes from the Feb. 20 Summit County SWCD meeting. See her full notes below.
According to the SWCD website, native plants improve soil health and keep waterways clean. “The long root systems of native plants extend deep within the soil, creating a system of channels that allows water to infiltrate into the soil.”
A single kit can cover up to 100 square feet depending on spacing of the plants, according to SWCD. The plants require little or no fertilizer “because they thrive in local soil conditions.”
Residents can choose the type of kit they want – rain garden, shade, prairie wildflower or prairie grass. Go here to see the types of plants in each kit and how to buy a kit.
Kits start shipping June 3, with no charge for shipping.
In addition to native plants, SWCD is selling native trees, shrubs and perennial plants in bundles of three for $15 per bundle. This sale also ends March 5.
SWCD announces new program for farmers to reduce phosphorus use
The SWCD board voted to participate in a statewide program to help row crop farmers create nutrient management plans. The goal of the initiative is to reduce phosphorus from fertilizer in soil by 40%.
Phosphorus leads to water pollution and algal blooms in lakes through runoff, and there is a world-wide shortage of the mineral, according to a 2020 National Geographic article. This shortage could lead to higher prices for phosphorus-based fertilizers.
The Summit County SWCD will receive $7,500 to help advertise the program and identify farmers who want to participate in the H2Ohio program. The goal is to have 1,000 acres in Summit County enrolled in the program.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture’s program was launched in 2019 by Gov. Mike DeWine. “It is a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improving water quality over the long term,” according to the ODA’s website.
“ODA’s H2Ohio program incentivizes farmers to implement proven, science-based, cost-effective, best management practices.”
SWCD District Program Manager Brian Prunty estimates that the SWCD staff will need to work about 300 hours on this program but that doing so was feasible.
