Green Gardening Tips: Green Living Tips for the Outdoors
Gardens are not automatically green. To the contrary, a person who makes a commitment to green living has to put some thought and effort into keeping his garden green. Fortunately, green gardening can start with little green living tips that make a big difference for the environment.
Natural Gardening
One of the most important green gardening tips involves the use of chemicals. People are often tempted to douse their gardens with chemical cocktails to stimulate growth or get rid of pesky insects and plant diseases. This is a green gardening no-no, however. Instead, a person committed to green living typically opts for products that are labeled 100-percent organic. Adding a layer of compost may help as well, making it easier to win the battle against garden pests while also enriching the soil.
A green gardener can make compost using something people often have plenty of: leftover scraps of food. He can take his vegetable and fruit waste, saving it from decaying in a landfill and putting it to work for his plants. Adding natural compost helps to boost soil fertility by giving it a variety of plant-healthy nutrients. It also improves the soil’s overall texture, aerates it and encourages better water retention. Many people use earthworms in their compost bins, but this is not an absolute necessity. Composting is healthy for the garden and the environment, even without the worms.
Green Garden Containers
The containers a gardener uses can make a significant difference for the environment. Whenever possible, a green gardener may recycle materials and reuse them in his garden. For example, a gardener may choose to recycle yogurt containers as planters or even reuse takeout food packages for this purpose. Some people may choose to purchase environmentally friendly planters as well. Peat pots are a popular choice for planting seeds, as they are biodegradable. It’s even possible to make biodegradable plant pots out of something as simple as toilet paper rolls.
[amazonjs asin=”B005599B7Y” locale=”US” title=”Living Wall Planter INDOOR/OUTDOOR USE w/Reservoir (Color: Chocolate) Vertical Garden (Modular, Sustainable, Eco, Green) Hanging Planter”] [amazonjs asin=”B00551TS9S” locale=”US” title=”Living Wall Planter INDOOR/OUTDOOR USE w/Reservoir (Color: Chocolate) Vertical Garden (Modular, Sustainable, Eco, Green) Hanging Planter”]Green gardeners try to avoid buying plants in non-biodegradable containers whenever possible. When such purchases are unavoidable, a green gardener may take the container to a recycling center after use or even use it creatively, making an art project or keeping it for storage, for example, rather than sending it on to the local landfill.
Conservation of Water
By harvesting rainwater, a person can conserve water, avoid adding chlorine to his garden and enjoy lower water bills. To do this, a person may simply place a barrel or two outdoors for rainwater collection, topping the barrels with screens to keep debris and insects out. If a gardener is able to collect enough rainwater, he could even use some of it to wash his car.
Taking care with using water is also important in green gardening. During long, hot periods, a gardener may look for ways to make his harvested rainwater last longer. Mulching and composting can help, improving water retention and slowing the evaporation process. A gardener can also cut down on evaporation by watering early in the morning. Using soaker hoses also helps to reduce water waste.
Employ Green Gardening Methods
By employing green gardening methods, those with green thumbs can have healthy gardens and help to protect the environment. Making even small changes in the garden and around the house may have a dramatic effect on the earth for years to come.
