Gardens by nature are green, but what if we could use
techniques that are less harmful to the environment to make it greener? From
better nutrient sources for your plants and natural pest reduction to weed and
evaporation control and better water usage practices, here are some great ideas
on keeping your garden at its best and most environmentally-friendly.
1. Natural Nutrition
Before there was modern agriculture, farmers would turn in
the composted animal droppings, kitchen waste, and other organic matter to
provide nutrition to crops just before they were planted. Modern organic
gardeners use this same process. Compost not only provides nutrients to the
soil, it also helps it hold moisture and keep the nutrients where they’re needed.
If you cannot compost, there are organic fertilizers available that you can use
instead of chemical fertilizers.
2. Bug Out
Insect pests are often the gardener’s bane. But how do you
control them without chemical sprays? Neem oil is a natural plant compound that
will kill and deter insects and can be applied using a spray, as can a mixture
of lye soap and water, which alkalizes the plant’s surface, making it less
appealing to insect pests. Brewing a strong tea of either mint or crushed red
pepper makes a great spray to deter pests in specific areas of your garden.
Barriers also work well, whether it’s cardboard tubing cut to keep cutworms off
plants, crushed eggshells to keep slugs away, or diatomaceous earth to keep
other crawling insects away.
3. Keep it Down
Weeds can be a pain, especially if you’re trying to avoid
modern weed killers. However, by putting down landscaping cloth, paper,
plastic, straw, or mulch, weeds can’t get enough sunlight to sprout. Some of
these are more earth-friendly, whereas others will last longer.
4. Watch the Water
Instead of using a hose or overhead sprinkler that causes
you to water weeds as well as intentional plants, why not use drip
irrigation? It reduces water consumption by watering only the plants you
want it to and won’t evaporate off as quickly as a sprinkler system will.
If you have more questions on how to keep your garden
earth-friendly, please feel free to contact our experts for
more information! We would be happy to help you with your gardening needs.
