 | greenville business & community directory |
|
 An organic "lasagna garden" has been planted on the Erskine College campus by students from Biology 101 (General Biology) as part of the school's "Erskine Goes Green" initiative.
Led by Professor Emerita of Biology Dr. Jan Haldeman, who teaches the class, the students, in teams of four, planted six plots using the layered gardening method developed by Patricia Lanza, author of "Lasagna Gardening," published by St. Martin's Press. Haldeman said Randy Moore, general manager of Aramark Higher Education Services on the Erskine campus, raised the possibility of creating a garden during a meeting of the Green Committee. "As chairman of Erskine's Green Committee, he asked if students might plant an organic garden to raise some produce that could be served by the dining facility," she said. "I had thought we would have to wait until spring, but realized that a fall garden could be an 'experimental' project for Biology 101," Haldeman explained. "Thus far, mixed greens, spinach and peas have sprouted from seed, and plants of Romaine lettuce, cabbage, collards, tomato, green pepper and cucumber are growing." The garden measures 20 by 28 feet, she said, and the teams of students will maintain the six plots. Each plot is about 8 by 8 feet. The designation "lasagna" does not refer to the vegetables grown, though some of the garden's produce might be used in a recipe for lasagna. "Lasagna" refers to the layering method, called "sheet composting," which resembles the process used in putting together a pan of lasagna. With no digging, tilling or sod removal required, the lasagna garden is ideal for people who don't have the space or equipment for a more traditional garden, and it requires less watering and weeding because heavy layers of mulch are used and crops are planted close together. The first, heavy layer of the lasagna garden, consisting of pads of newspaper or flattened cardboard boxes, is laid down to eliminate any existing grass from the plot. Next comes a 2- or 3-inch layer of water-absorbent peat moss or coconut fiber, then 4-8 inches of organic material such as compost, another layer of peat, another layer of organic material such as grass clippings, and so on until beds are 18-24 inches high. The layers are topped by bone meal or wood ash to add phosphorus and potassium. Senior biology Heather Nycum, who serves on the Green Committee as recycling chairperson, recalled working on the Pressly Heritage Garden, where the focus was on controlling invasive species and encouraging native plants. She is excited to see the organic vegetable garden project being developed in the same area on campus. "I think it's a really great idea," she said. So far the experiment is going well, according to Haldeman. "We're still holding our breath about deer, but so far they've not bothered the plants." Former Student Government Association President Sarah Hope introduced the "Erskine Goes Green" initiative in 2007. (Images provided by Erskine College.)
|
