3 Ways To Improve Your Garden: Water, Natural Herbicides, and Compost

~ When we make a decision to grow our own fruit and vegetables, we still have a responsibility to the environment and the ecosystem that surrounds our property.  One of the many reasons people chose to grow their own food is to attempt to lessen their carbon footprints on this planet. It is no secret that food production contributes to the depletion of the world’s resource, so much so that it increasingly utilizes vast amounts of our available and valuable water reserves. That is just before you even consider the amount of fossil fuel we use to transport produce from one place to another.

More and more of homeowners chose to grow food in their own backyard to lessen the economic impact, along with preserving natural nutrients that their own land can offer. No matter which way you look at it, homegrown options are by far more preferable to mass-produced produce. It is worth thinking about the following ways that you can lessen your footprint on the environment further, as you grow fruit and vegetables in your own property.

Make your own compost

Many people do not realize that shop – bought fertilizers can contribute to environmental damage. Since they contain inorganic man-made materials,  they are super efficient for plants, but as they drain out to the fields, soil effects are not very favorable. Nitrogen is especially problematic when fertilizers contaminate waterways, as it reduces oxygen content. Human carcinogens, environmental pollutants, and toxic waste endanger wildlife, humanity, and nature. Prior to spraying your hard work in the yard, its worth considering what is hiding inside your fertilizer. that’s before you even consider the other nasties you might have not to realize are hiding in your fertilizer. A shocking 29 popular fertilizers tested positive for 22 toxic heavy metals. When you use quick solution store-bought products on your growing plants, the results that you might be consuming are not truly positive, are they?  One way to overcome synthetic chemical sprays is by making your own compost.  Just think about it: the process of composting can help the environment as it keeps waste out of the landfill. Plus, it means that you will never need to rely on harmful fertilizers again. By investing your time into the organic composting matter,  make your own compost bin and saving all the vegetable scraps in your kitchen, truly creates a positive “passing forward” influence on the environment and your own household.

Homemade and natural herbicides

Take a look at this Natural Pesticide video. I find it intriguing, since even I, with over decades of growing edible gardens, never heard of this technique.

Do you guys use this method? If so, please let me know what results you achieved, please.

These natural and do it yourself pesticides that are effective at helping to rid your crops of harmful critters, but safe enough to keep from poisoning you and your family. Instead of contaminating the environment with synthetic options, why not use the natural flower derived prays? Harsh chemicals could result in the fatal diminishing of wildlife and plants. Moreover, your fresh, edible gardening produce will not be as nutritious and beneficial as you envision it to be.  Luckily, there are plenty of homemade recipes to protect your plants without damage. Even better, a lot of these use ingredients you’ll already have to hand, like soap, spices, salt, and garlic. With these products always available on hand, as compliments of your own kitchen, it will not be too hard to switch to your own “made with love” products.

Use rain for watering

The amount of water we need to grow fruit and veg for an entire season is quite astounding. The moment Summer months are here, watering twice a day, could be critical for your plant’s progress.  Some counties have restrictions of watering in certain hours of the day. To preserve water supply, even sprinkle system that you might invest in to keep your lawn green, might not be allowed to be utilized. How would you react if you are reported to the government for draining local water resources, while you just peacefully tried to nourish your thirsty plants?  Sigh. I can not account for my reaction, really, but rainwater that is collected in rain barrels could serve as a big yard helper in the time of need. Rainwater is natural, complementary and does not require filtering. Of course, you will need to make sure that you have to collect rainwater daily and set aside for extra water supplies. As explained by Titan Lite, a constant supply would be even easier to achieve if you installed a wet system in your shed. A wet system connects your downpipes and gutters to a rainwater tank which can be tucked against one side of the shed or in an out of the way place in the backyard. By installing a wet system on your roof and pipework during the building phase, all rainwater can be captured and stored in your tank and then used to water the garden year-round, saving money on your water bill. That way, you could give your vegetable patch the water it needs without having to worry about the lack of water. I learned this as another gardening idea and wanted to pass on to you, guys.

Make it a very green day, my friends.

Luda@PlantsandBeyond🌿

All photographs belong to Luda @PlantsandBeyond.com

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