A Garden Restoration: Texas Aggies Putting Principles Into Practice.

From its humble beginnings as a construction site parking lot, the Elder-Aid Garden has been transformed into a productive source of fresh vegetables for some less fortunate local senior citizens. Each year the Texas A&M Agronomy Society applies the practices learned in the classroom to this real-world situation that improves the quality of life for members of the community. This past year we raised sufficient funding to “step up” our involvement in this long-term project.  We submitted soil samples to the Texas AgriLife Soil, Water and Forage Quality Testing Lab to determine what might be done to improve the quality of the garden plot.  Lack of organic matter and poor soil tilth were just two of many chronic problems associated with this plot of builder’s backfill.  Our “restoration project” involved the incorporation of mushroom compost (donated to the club at a reduced price) to provide a rich source of organic matter and nutrients for the okra and corn crops requested by Elder Aid.  We also installed a subsurface drip irrigation system to conserve water and to further enhance plant growth. Through the efforts and knowledge of the club, faculty, and community sponsors a degraded plot of soil has been transformed into a beneficial and productive garden.