Even if you’re an experienced gardener, you might be amazed at how easy it is to make your garden more environmentally friendly. You can start with one or two small changes and gradually build up to bigger ones over time, until your garden is as eco-conscious as possible.
The first step in making your garden more eco-friendly is to be aware of the effects of your actions. You can start by looking at the way you’ve been using products, and how they affect the environment. Once you know what the impacts are, it’s easier to figure out how you can reduce them.
Ready to save money and the environment by making your garden more eco-friendly? Read our guide below!
Use Mulch in Your Garden
There are a number of ways to use mulch, including using wood chips and bark from trees. Wood chips are often made from fallen branches and limbs, while bark is typically stripped off a tree trunk. Mulch can also be made from other materials, such as straw or hay, which may be cheaper options for larger areas of your garden.
Regardless of the type of material you choose for your mulch, it will help keep moisture levels in the soil consistent by preventing evaporation. This means that less water needs to be added to plants’ root systems over time because they are getting enough through their roots—and no more than what they need! Additionally, mulch can help keep weeds at bay because they block light from reaching seedlings that could compete with your chosen plants’ growth rate.
Finally, since dirt tends not only contain nutrients but also lose them when washed away by rainfall or irrigation practices (like watering), having some sort of barrier between soil particles will prevent nutrient loss while still allowing for moisture retention in dry seasons or hot weather conditions throughout summer months.
Compost Food Waste From Your Kitchen
Composting is a great way to reduce your food waste and use it in your garden. Food waste is a major source of pollution, so composting can help you cut back on this type of waste. In addition, it reduces the amount of water and energy used in landfills by reducing the volume that needs to be disposed of.
Composting can be done at home or in a community garden. If you live in an apartment/condo without much space for growing plants, consider joining with other residents and creating an indoor community garden on one floor or throughout several floors (if there’s no roof access). By doing so, everyone saves money by not needing as many plants since they have shared resources!
Use Native Plants That Are Adapted to Your Environment
Native, or adapted, plants will require less water and fertilizer. This is because they’re used to the climate and soil conditions in your area. Native plants are also more resistant to diseases and pests since they have developed a defense mechanism against them over time.
The ecosystem is already balanced to include native plants, so birds will often act as a natural pest control to eliminate any pests from your garden. Native plants will also be able to survive in your local climate more easily because they’re accustomed to its particular temperature range, rainfall patterns, and sunlight intensity.
If you want to go further than simply planting native plants in your garden but still want an eco-friendly lawn option that requires less water than other types of grasses do (such as Bermuda grass), consider planting St. Augustinegrass – This type of grass needs only moderate amounts of care but still produces a lush green lawn when properly maintained. It does well as an underlying ground cover for other kinds of grasses if you don’t want any mowing or watering required at all!
Reduce Fertilizer Use
Only fertilize when necessary—check with experts first if unsure about what kind(s) would work best for your needs because different kinds work differently depending on what types of plants are growing there already. Some plants need more than others do which means there should never be too much but also never too little, due to damaging effects caused by overuse alone!
Plant a Rain Garden
A rain garden is a shallow depression that collects runoff water from roofs, driveways and streets. Rain gardens can be filled with native plants that are adapted to your environment and help reduce flooding by absorbing excess water. They also keep pollutants out of the storm drain system, which prevents them from entering streams or rivers.
Start building your rain garden by choosing an area where there’s plenty of space for it (at least 3′ x 3′). Dig out between 10-15″ deep depending on how much rain you get in your area—the bigger the better! Then fill it back up with soil and install some drainage pipes at the bottom of each side.
Add some composted manure or compost if you have any lying around; this will help improve the quality of soil within your new garden bed as well as provide nutrients for new seeds once they’ve sprouted (you can also use mulch like wood chips). Now all that’s left is filling up those drainage pipes so they don’t clog up during heavy rainfall events!
Use Less Water
If you don’t have the means to plant a rain garden, try switching to water savers like drip irrigation or hand watering instead! You will use less water this way. Also make sure that whatever method you’re using doesn’t waste any runoff as well—it may be tempting to dump excess water on nearby plants or lawns but this can wash away nutrients from those areas and cause problems down the line!
Use Organic Products
You can do a lot to make your garden greener by using organic fertilizers, pesticides and pest controls. When you buy seeds, they should be organically grown or at least labeled as non-GMO. Organic mulch will make your soil healthier and prevent erosion.
Organic weed killers are also available for those who want to avoid chemicals in their yard. Organic compost is incredibly beneficial for the soil and helps plants thrive by adding nutrients that can be taken up by the plants more easily than if it were just regular composted material (which is still good).
How to Make Your Garden More Eco-Friendly: Final Thoughts
Making eco-friendly gardening choices is a great way to save money and help the environment. It can also be a fun project that brings you closer to nature. It’s easy to start by choosing an environmentally friendly fertilizer, and you can build on that with other eco-friendly tips as you go along.
If you find yourself with a lot of produce growing from your garden this year, be sure to download the Lil’ Broc app to monitor the shelf life of your produce and ensure that it is all used before its expiration date!