You may have a green thumb when it comes to gardening. But did you ever think about how green or sustainable your garden actually is, and how you can use the same to do your bit to save the environment? Well, here are some standard tips to make your garden (and the earth) greener!
Keep it small and simple
Unless you are really experienced in gardening, don’t opt for large gardens which you would eventually become hard to maintain. Start off with a small patch of area in your backyard and focus on it at first, increasing the garden area as you progress. This would save you a substantial amount of time, effort and plants that may otherwise wither and die without proper care.
Stay Away from Plastic Bags
Do your bit for the environment by refusing to buy anything that comes in a plastic bag or container. Many nurseries often sell plants in plastic packages. Once planted, the plastic bags used to contain the plants would end up in a landfill.
Avoid this scenario by buying seeds (they usually come in paper bags) rather than plants. If you want plants however, choose to buy them from nurseries that use recycled plastic bags to package the plants.
Opt for Homemade Seedling Pots
Instead of buying plastic pots or containers, consider using household items to plant seedlings in. For example, you can use an empty egg carton to plant seedlings. Make a tiny hole at the bottom of each cup for water drainage. Fill the cups with soil and plant individual seedlings in each cup. When they grow big enough, transport them to the garden.
You can use the same principle on used coffee cups, empty shoe boxes, plastic bottles (cut from one end) and even toilet role cylinders.
Opt for Natural Pest Defense
Rather than opting for artificial pest and weed killers that would probably contain loads of chemicals, choose natural homemade weed killers to do the job for you. Accordingly, fill a one liter spray bottle with vinegar and add a cup of salt to it. Mix the ingredients nicely until the salt dissolves completely. Close the bottle, shake it nicely, and spray directly on the plants.
You can also make a soap solution containing soap flakes (about 2 tbsp.) mixed in water (about 1 liter) and use the solution as a spray to get rid of aphids and caterpillars. And the best way to prevent the appearance of black spots on the flowers and plants is to make a solution containing water (1 liter), dishwashing detergent (a few drops) and bicarb soda (3 teaspoons), and spray it on them.
Switch to Natural Worm Farms
Making a compost pile can be time consuming, which is probably why people opt for artificial fertilizers filled with harmful chemicals. As a suitable alternative to this situation, you can build your own worm farm, or should we say, worm army to protect your plants for pests and bugs. And all you need for the same is your kitchen waste.
Buy some worms from a gardening store and introduce them to your kitchen waste (deposited near the plants). The worms would eat through the waste, producing a protective liquid in the process. This liquid would help your plants grow nicely, and remain healthy.
