The Peaceful Practice of Monitoring Your Landscape
The Peaceful Practice of Monitoring Your Landscape
Estimated time: 15-20 minutes (depending on yard size)
Tools needed: trowel or large spoon
When you think of monitoring what springs to mind? Was it something to do with a hallway? Perhaps something that’s seen from a monitor? Or was it something with a purpose?
Monitoring is nothing new to landscapes and trees. In fact, monitoring is a major aspect of an IPM (integrated pest management) program, and maintaining an IPM program is the best way to prevent pest populations from reaching a level where damage to the landscape will result in plant loss if the pest is not dealt with.
Knowing when to intervene is key to happy plants. Have you ever lost a house plant to drought, lack of water? Such a simple and cheap fix for a plant that is showing signs of wilt, but if not checked you might get to go house plant shopping.
Identifying when a pest has entered your plants life requires just a little face time with your plants. Get your hands dirty. A study conducted by Dorothy Matthew’s and Susan Jenks at the Sage Colleges in Troy, New York, has found that a bacterium given to mice helped them navigate a maze twice as fast. The bacterium in question is Mycobacterium vacate, a natural soil bacterium commonly ingested or inhaled when people spend time in nature.
I’ve found monitoring to be a peaceful practice with many mental health benefits similar to Shinrin Yoku. Here are a few easy steps to get you started on creating a mindful monitoring practice for your landscape.
Step 1. Create an intention or purpose.
You are checking in on your landscape as a friend. A kind friend. A peaceful friend. A patient friend. A loving friend. A curious friend.
Step 2. Breathe.
As you step out your front or back door, your intention is to greet your landscape by breathing in, tasting with your nose the gift of life giving oxygen, keeping in mind how hard your trees and plants are working to keep you alive.
Step 3. Intention, Breath, and Movement.
Now breath in with your intention/purpose adding movement with your next breath stretching your arms over your head lifting your chin toward the sky. As you let go of the gift fold over your waist with your knees bent as much as needed. The intention of the forward fold and releasing the breath should be one of relaxation not pain.
On your next breath in, raise back to standing with arms over head (this is a long inhalation). With the release of this breath, bring your palms together and down to the center of your chest (prayer pose). Repeat as needed.
Step 4. Explore your world.
Take your first step. Taking your first step with intention should be remembered, was it your right foot? Did you root in heal first or did you test the soil with your toes first? Engage with your plant life, touch it, see it, smell it.
Step 5. Engage with your soil.
One of the best ways to monitor the health of your plants and trees is to examine their soil. Here is a quick way to see if your plant life is getting the right amount of water.
Take a hand trowel and dig a few holes under the trees canopy about 5-6 holes.
Remove about a hand full of soil from each spot, with a hand full of soil squeeze the soil tightly in your hand.
When you squeeze the soil and water runs down your wrist you are likely watering to much.
If the ball of dirt crumbles when you open you hand you may need to do some watering. If the soil was to difficult to dig you likely have compacted soil in which the water will not be able to penetrate and will just run off. Typically compacted soil is lacking organic material. Vertical mulching or mechanical aeration can harm sensitive roots. I recommend an air spade to safely blow away soil and amend with compost.
However, when you open your hand and the soil stays together your likely have enough water in the soil.
Thank you for reading.
Always Climbing,
Dustin Tillis Marchello,
ISA Certified Arborist #we-5871A
ISA Certified Tree Risk Assessor
Certified Yoga instructor
IG @pdxforestbathing, @tillistree