Carbon-Capturing Landscapes: How Homeowners Can Fight Climate Change From Their Backyard

When you care about the environment, you already recycle and work hard to reduce your carbon footprint, but did you know you can create carbon-capturing landscapes and improve the climate without ever leaving your backyard? A carbon garden helps absorb the carbon output from humans and animals living in your home. Make your home’s landscape a climate helper with a few simple changes.

1. Maintain a Healthy Lawn

You can make an impact with something basic like maintaining a healthy lawn. The National Science Foundation estimates that bee populations have declined 43% in places with high pesticide usage. The immediate impact on carbon dioxide may not be apparent until you realize that pollinators keep trees, gardens and wild flowers growing. Plants that absorb carbon dioxide naturally turn it into oxygen. A healthy lawn helps bees, which keeps green things growing and reproducing.

2. Plant Deep-Rooted Perennials

A carbon garden contains various plants. Deep-rooted trees and perennials help with long-term carbon sequestration by holding the compound in the wood, leaves and root systems. In addition, strong root systems create microbial life and store additional carbon in the soil. Some of the plants that work best for carbon storage include:

• Hardwood trees like oak and maple
• Perennial grasses like switchgrass and prairie grasses
• Bamboo, but be cautious, as some varieties are quite invasive and problematic to remove

Annuals may appear lovely, but your perennials have bigger root systems and may be the best plants for carbon sequestration. Ideally, these plants give you enjoyment and climate benefits year after year. However, if you find your plants under attack from beetles, handpicking is the most effective way to eliminate them and introduces zero pesticides into your yard. If you are looking for a natural repellent, consider 1.5 tablespoons of cedar oil with one gallon of water.

3. Create a Carbon Sink

A carbon sink is any area, natural or created, that holds more carbon than it releases. The ideal setup is more than a few plants strewn about. It is a diverse ecosystem, overflowing with wildlife, insects, flora, and fauna. Imagine a backyard with a small sitting area surrounded by native plants of every variety. A garden snake slithers through the undergrowth, and a squirrel scurries past to the oak tree in search of nuts to store up for winter.

A small backyard pond is home to a few koi fish, a frog and a couple of turtles hiding under the lily pads growing at the edge. Your yard has become a carbon sink, meant to capture carbon and hold it or release it in a more controlled way.

4. Make Biochar

Have you ever met a gardener who clips back their plants and immediately burns them? Heating organic material like grass and twigs in a low-oxygen environment can trap the carbon in the plant so it doesn’t break down. The result of burning these materials is biochar, an organic charcoal.

By stabilizing the carbon and sequestering it, biochar can stay in place for hundreds or even thousands of years before being released. It improves soil aeration, helps the land retain water, and holds more nutrients for gardening. One ton of biochar contains 2.6 tons of CO2.

Homeowners can collect the biomass, such as clippings from ornamental grass and dig a hole in the ground. They should then light the top of the pile and allow it to burn. As it begins to sink, they can add additional biomass. Once the smoke turns grayish, smother the fire with soil or wet it down. Never leave a burning fire unattended. Let it cool for 12 hours or so and collect it. Use personal protective equipment when handling biochar.

Turn the material into your soil to improve plant growth. You may want to mix a little with organic mulch, which can improve soil structure and aid water retention.

5. Use Hardscaping Strategically

Adding hardscaping to your yard can improve water management if you’re cautious about where you place rocks, stones and concrete and vary the surface with sustainable materials. You can direct stormwater runoff away from your house and toward your garden, reduce cooling needs and create an eco-friendly outdoor space. The key is to consult a landscaper knowledgeable about your area and climate control.

For example, traditional patios or driveways might keep rainwater from reaching the soil. It can pool and lead to flooding in some areas. However, permeable gravel and pavers let the water seep through and into the ground for a more natural drainage. Some concerns addressed with better materials include lowered risk of flooding, erosion and water pollution.