Sustainable gardening is an excellent way to make your outdoor hobbies even more eco-friendly. There are a variety of benefits to sustainable gardening practices, including growing your own organic produce and helping the local environment. But how do you get started?
Compost your kitchen & garden waste
The basis of a successful garden is fertile soil, and the best way to improve your soil is by composting. Composting turns organic materials into rich fertilizer for your soil and everything that grows in it.
To create your own compost, save all organic waste from your kitchen and garden. Excluding dairy and meat scraps, gather your leftover vegetable, fruit and grass clippings in a composting bin or compost pile. After a few weeks, you’ll have nutrient-rich fertilizer - for free!
Choose native plants
One of the most important sustainable gardening methods involves the types of plants you choose for your garden. Opt for plants that are native to your region and adaptable to the climate and soil type. This can help support and protect your local ecosystem, while also making it easier to grow healthy plants.
Rather than use synthetic pest control methods, you can also add plants with natural pest resistance. There are plenty of options for plants naturally resistant to pests like slugs and beetles, as well as those to deter hungry deer and other larger pests.
Conserve water
A happy garden needs plenty of water, but that doesn’t mean you can’t water your plants sustainably. There are several tried-and-true methods for gathering and conserving water, such as collecting rainwater for later use. Rainwater collection systems come in all sizes to fit any backyard garden, and can help keep both your utility costs and environmental impact low.
Sustainable gardening might seem complex at first, but it doesn’t have to be. With these three basic secrets, you can become a sustainable gardener with a happy, healthy and eco-friendly garden.
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