If you’re looking to develop an eco-friendly sustainable garden, you’re going to want to avoid using chemical products. The trouble is, chemical fertilizers are often responsible for growing impressive crops. While there are eco-friendly alternatives out there, they don’t always produce the best results.
Here, we’ll look at some of the best tips you can follow to achieve the best harvest with eco-friendly practices.
Avoid Using Plastic Plant Pots and Containers
The most popular way to grow plants is to place them in plastic plant pots or containers. However, these are rarely recycled so they aren’t great for the environment. If you want to run a truly sustainable garden, it’s best to use recycled packaging.
You can use egg boxes, jars, yoghurt pots and ice cream tubs to start growing seeds. Provided you make sure there’s enough drainage and you water them regularly, the plants should grow well in recycled packaging.
Create Your Own Compost
In order to grow healthily, your fruit and veg will need to have nutrient-rich soil. While store-bought compost is convenient, making your own is the best option for the environment. It’s also much better for your plants too.
Creating your own compost is easy. You can also use your leftover plant-based food to add nutrients to the compost. If you have a larger garden, you could start a compost pile. Or, for smaller gardens or homes with no gardens, you can invest in a compost bin.
It’s worth researching into how to create the perfect compost. Using your own can greatly cut down on your carbon footprint.
Use Organic Pest Control Methods
You’re going to face issues with pests when you’re growing your own food. While chemical pesticides are effective, they are extremely damaging to the environment. So, you’ll want to invest in organic pest control methods.
There are a lot of natural pest control techniques you can follow. Introducing beneficial insects, creating repellents and barriers, and using soaps and oils can all prove useful in deterring and eliminating pests.
Grow Native Plants
If you want to lower your carbon footprint and increase your harvest, you’ll want to grow native plants. These are basically plants that thrive in your country or area. As they are used to the climate and growing conditions, you won’t need to do a lot to produce healthy produce. This also makes them much easier to grow for beginners.
Collect Rainwater
Finally, another way to get the best harvest with eco-friendly practices is to collect rainwater. You can place a water butt in the yard to collect rainwater, then use it to water your plants. The great thing about using rainwater is that it doesn’t contain any chemicals. This is much better for your plants and it also saves you money as you won’t be using as much tap water.
The above are some of the best tips you can follow to achieve the best harvest with eco-friendly practices. As you can see, you don’t need to spend hours maintaining your produce in order to benefit from a sustainable garden.