Healthy soil can absorb more water into the ground during a deluge and help your plants need less water when the dry times come. Learn how to build soil health in your yard, prevent or mitigate soil erosion and compaction by choosing appropriate plants, and determine whether certain landscaping techniques – such as terracing or a bioswale – might be appropriate for your yard. Extension Master Gardeners Joan McIntyre and Beth Buffington explain how soil health and water management are fundamental to a more sustainable home landscape.
Zoom session, recorded February 12, 2021
Video of Presentation
Because of technical difficulties, the order of the presentation needed to be changed during the live Zoom meeting when one of our presenters lost her Internet connection. We have corrected that through editing and by breaking the video into two parts.
Part 1
Chapter Breaks
Healthy Soil Presentation Summary – Strategies
- Limit soil disturbance and tillage
- Restore overly compacted soils
- Avoid leaving soil bare
- Avoid pesticide use
- Plant diverse garden
- Grasscycle
- Allow leaves and other plant matter to decompose
Additional Resources
VCE Sustainable Landscaping – Healthy Soil and Water Conservation
Recommended Online Resources – Updated February 2022
Compiled by VCE Master Gardeners (Arlington & City of Alexandria)
This pdf handout contains information on the following topics:
- Sustainable Landscaping – General
- Conservation – Soil
- Conservation – Water
- Native Plants for the Mid-Atlantic Region
- Rain Gardens
- Plant Suggestions for Wet Spaces
- Plant Suggestions for Dry Spaces
- Plant Suggestions for Rain Gardens
- Community Resources—Stormwater Management
- Community Resources—Native Plants Program