Hello gardeners!

Gardeners hear a lot about carbon these days — and most of it sounds bad. But here’s the part no one told us (or at least the gardeners who do not have a scientific background): carbon is the backbone of living, thriving soil.

Why carbon matters in the garden

The word carbon is everywhere — and usually in a negative light. Carbon emissions, carbon footprint, carbon pollution. But in the garden? Carbon is not just natural — it’s essential. And learning how it moves, forms, and is stored in living systems is the key to understanding regenerative gardening methods.

Here’s the truth: our gardens are carbon systems. Every leaf, root, stem, and compost pile is part of a larger natural system. And when we garden with intention (the heart and soul of regenerative gardeners everywhere), we can help keep more carbon in the ground — where it supports life, not climate change.

Trees: The carbon giants of the garden ecosystem
A mature tree stores carbon in its trunk, branches, roots, and surrounding soil. This is why protecting tree canopies — especially during water shortages — is critical. Trees not only store carbon, but they also cool entire neighborhoods, hold rainwater, and reduce air temperatures through transpiration.

But trees aren’t alone.

Grasses are quiet carbon heroes
Native grasses and deep-rooted perennials store carbon underground, building soil structure as they grow, die back, and regenerate. This underground carbon is harder to disturb — and more stable long-term.

Mulch, humic acids, and “soil crumbs” are supporting actors.

When we mulch, we’re feeding soil organisms carbon-rich material (to learn more dig into this blog post on leaf mulch). Over time, this creates soil crumbles, also known as aggregates, that are held together by microbes and organic matter. This isn't just “good soil.” It allows some carbon to stay in a relatively stable form that is not quickly re-emitted to the atmosphere.

That’s the regenerative opportunity:
We can build carbon into the garden, instead of releasing it.

Eco-conscious gardeners can adopt new garden practices to increase the carbon stored in their gardens.

What helps?

Keep soil covered year-round with plants and mulch
Disturb soil as little as possible
Grow trees where space permits and allow grass clumps to grow undisturbed as long as possible
Prioritize supporting deep roots by choosing good locations for planting and for watering in a manner supportive of deep roots
Think of mulch as a carbon blanket, not just tidy cover

Carbon is not only a villain. It can also be a building block in a regenerative garden.

Carbon is only a problem when it’s in the wrong place.

In the sky — it overheats the planet.
In the garden — it builds life.

Want to garden in a way that heals the climate — not harms it? Start by treating carbon as an ally. Not the enemy. To read more about gardening in this era of extremes check out this blog post.