How to Start Sustainable Gardening
Sustainable living is becoming an increasingly popular way of life. The idea is that you make the most of what's around you, producing for yourself what you need to survive. This helps to avoid the depletion of natural resources, meaning you're being as environmentally friendly as possible. If you're looking into how to start sustainable gardening and want to know more, take a look at these top tips:
Growing Your Own Fruit & Veg
Growing your own fruit and vegetables is like the beginner's stage of sustainable gardening. It's been said that in order to get into the sustainability mindset, you need to first start with your own vegetable patch. This'll give you an idea of what it really means to be living off the land. Start with just a small section of your garden to begin with, expanding as you become more confident in growing different varieties of fruit and veg. Not only is this sustainable living at its core, but it's also a great way to start eating more healthy, organic produce!
Stopping the Spread of Weeds
As a sustainable gardener, you've got a level of responsibility when it comes to your community. Sustainability stretches far beyond the fence of your garden. Help the neighbours by containing the spread of environmental weeds as soon as they appear. You can do this by using a precision weed killer, targeting them at the root. This'll save your area from weeds which could wreak havoc on people's gardens.
Creating a Compost Heap
Growing your own vegetables is hugely satisfying, but what might be even more rewarding is growing them from compost made from your old vegetable peelings! Yes, you can watch the whole cycle when you start a compost heap. Collect trimmings, garden waste, teabags and more, ready to be thrown into a compost bin. You can then re-use this to grow your plants.
Recycle and Reuse
It's always a good idea to try and lessen your environmental footprint. One aspect of sustainability is recycling and reusing what you've already got, or what others may throw away. Is your wooden garden coffee table looking a little run-down? Don't disregard it! Sand it down and give it a fresh lick of paint, it'll be good as new. Then, recycle all your garden waste onto your compost heap.
Water Conservation Techniques
Water conservation is a huge part of sustainability. Thankfully, as one of the most natural resources in the world, it's easy to collect. Rainwater is more beneficial for your plants than fresh water, so it makes sense to utilise it. Position a large bucket under your drainpipe and collect your rainwater whenever it starts pouring. Alternatively, you can get a little more high-tech and invest in a water butt.
Saving Your Seeds
Many of your plants will start to drop seeds once they've dried at the end of a season. Don't throw the seeds away, instead, keep them to plant for next year. Some of the easiest plants to r-sow include peppers, peas and tomatoes. If you keep hold of the fallen seeds, you can enjoy fresh tasty produce next year!