Country Roads SILM Spring 2012 : Page 9

features I the list GREEN GARDENING TIPS These tips for green gardening will save you money and save the planet. When you engage in the three “Rs” – reduce, reuse, recycle, you’ll spend less compiled by ELIZABETH GIST Spread mulch, save water Spread mulch around your plants (at least 1-3 inches). This will reduce evaporation when you water, saving you money on your utility bill! Don’t forget to water in the early morning or after the sun goes down – also less evaporation than in the heat of the day Your plants will flourish and grow bigger and more beautiful as a result. Keep your tools simple Speaking of tools, purchase simple (yet stur-dy) hand tools, avoiding those that require gasoline or electricity.Think of the extra work-out you’ll get, while minimizing CO2 emissions Added bonus: no need for a dust mask! Do not use slug bait! Slug bait is deadly for dogs and babies – and, for some reason, canines love its taste. A natural way to keep slugs away is to “bait” them with small, shallow bowls of beer. Slugs are attracted to it, and then die. George Jetson has one! If your yard is too big, or – let’s face it – you are a bit too lazy to push-mow, how about a solar-powered automower? Again, this one is gentle to the environment as it gets power from the sun. But even better, you can enjoy an iced tea while your automower zips around trimming the grass! Use some elbow grease Rake and sweep instead of using a leaf blower. Human power = good. Gas power = wasteful. Spend money on good tools Spend a bit more upfront for solid garden tools that will last more than a season or two. If every gardener did this, just think of the space we could save in landfills! Leave the leaves Do not rake up leaves around plants. Leave them for a natural mulch. Consider raking in some of your used coffee grounds and/or com-post if you are a super green gardener! Choose non-toxic pesticides Many gardeners rely on bugs to reduce gar-den pests. Did you know that ladybugs eat aphids? Of course, earthworms help enrich your soil, too You can keep deer out of your yard without expensive deer repellent. Mix one egg with a few dashes of Tabasco sauce, then spray on your plants. Deer hate animal protein. Pick plants that work for you Install plants that will self-pollinate, or which cross-pollinate. This is a sure-fired way to keep your garden growing naturally and at low-cost to you and the environment. Talk to a garden expert if you need help. For example, blueberries are both male and female. You need to get at least one of each in order to grow berries to harvest. Keep it real COUNTRY ROADS / SPRING 2012 Mother Nature never needed to steal sips from a chemical cocktail of pesticides, weed killers, and chemical fertilizers to keep her act together. Nix the poisons and layer on some all-natural compost, instead. Call in beneficial insect reinforcements to wrestle pesky garden pests to the ground. 09

The List

Elizabeth Gist

Green Gardening Tips These tips for green gardening will save you money and save the planet. When you engage in the three “Rs” – reduce, reuse, recycle, you’ll spend less Spread mulch, save water Spread mulch around your plants (at least 1- 3 inches). This will reduce evaporation when you water, saving you money on your utility bill! Don’t forget to water in the early morning or after the sun goes down – also less evaporation than in the heat of the day Your plants will flourish and grow bigger and more beautiful as a result. Spend money on good tools Spend a bit more upfront for solid garden tools that will last more than a season or two. If every gardener did this, just think of the space we could save in landfills! Choose non-toxic pesticides Many gardeners rely on bugs to reduce garden pests. Did you know that ladybugs eat aphids? Of course, earthworms help enrich your soil, too You can keep deer out of your yard without expensive deer repellent. Mix one egg with a few dashes of Tabasco sauce, then spray on your plants. Deer hate animal protein. Keep your tools simple Speaking of tools, purchase simple (yet sturdy) hand tools, avoiding those that require gasoline or electricity.Think of the extra workout you’ll get, while minimizing CO2 emissions Added bonus: no need for a dust mask! George Jetson has one! If your yard is too big, or – let’s face it – you are a bit too lazy to push-mow, how about a solar-powered automower? Again, this one is gentle to the environment as it gets power from the sun. But even better, you can enjoy an iced tea while your automower zips around trimming the grass! Pick plants that work for you Install plants that will self-pollinate, or which cross-pollinate. This is a sure-fired way to keep your garden growing naturally and at low-cost to you and the environment. Talk to a garden expert if you need help. For example, blueberries are both male and female. You need to get at least one of each in order to grow berries to harvest. Do not use slug bait! Slug bait is deadly for dogs and babies – and, for some reason, canines love its taste. A natural way to keep slugs away is to “bait” them with small, shallow bowls of beer. Slugs are attracted to it, and then die. Use some elbow grease Rake and sweep instead of using a leaf blower. Human power = good. Gas power = wasteful. Leave the leaves Do not rake up leaves around plants. Leave them for a natural mulch. Consider raking in some of your used coffee grounds and/or compost if you are a super green gardener! Keep it real Mother Nature never needed to steal sips from a chemical cocktail of pesticides, weed killers, and chemical fertilizers to keep her act together. Nix the poisons and layer on some all-natural compost, instead. Call in beneficial insect reinforcements to wrestle pesky garden pests to the ground. Compost from kitchen scraps Compost like a champ by throwing in your vegetable waste, instead of allowing it to be trucked off to the landfill. Known as "gardener's gold," compost enriches soil fertility by giving it a shot of high-powered, plant-loving nutrients. Aside from stimulating healthy root development, the addition of rich and earthy compost also improves soil texture, aeration, and water retention. Why waste your hardearned cash on commercial products when the real deal is free for the taking? Speed up the process with the help of earthworms or go wriggle-free (if you're the squeamish sort). Buy recycled If your delicate aesthetic sensibilities balk at the idea of reusing yogurt or takeout containers to house your hydrangeas, check out the myriad environmentally friendly planters and raised-garden kits now available It takes less energy to recycle something than to mine virgin materials, so whether you choose recycled copper, plastic, or even rubber to anchor your tender shoots, it's all copacetic. Admire your handiwork and eco-smarts while lounging on recycled lawn furniture. Grow your own food Buying organic produce can admittedly get pricey, so how about growing your own food instead of painstakingly manicuring that lawn for the umpteenth time? An estimated 40 million acres of the 48 contiguous American states are covered in lawns, making turf grass the United States' largest irrigated crop. American homeowners apply a cringe-worthy tens of millions of pounds of fertilizers and pesticides to their lawns, often at many times the recommended levels. All that for little more than ornamentation. It's time to return to the use of gardens as food sources--you won't find fresher (or cheaper) eating anywhere else. Join or start a community garden Those dwellers bereft of a yard shouldn't fret: You can still get in on the hoeing and growing action by signing up for a plot at your local community garden. Community gardens typically have a communal composting area, as well, so if you don't have room for one of those triple-duty rotating barrel composters in your home, here's your hookup. If you don’t have a community garden locally... now might be a good time to start one! Go native Now that you've learned some of the merits of "de-lawning" your home, consider replacing the ol' putting green with native and indigenous plants, whether they're cactus gardens in Arizona or bottlebrush grasses in Northern Michigan. Already adapted to local conditions, native plants are easy to grow and maintain, generally requiring less fertilizer and water, as well as less effort to rein in pests. Harvest rainwater Adding a rain barrel is an inexpensive and effortless way to capture mineral- and chlorine-free water for watering lawns, yards, and gardens, as well as washing cars or rinsing windows. By harnessing what's literally raining from the sky, you'll not only notice a marked dip in water costs, but also a reduction in stormwater runoff, which in turn helps prevent erosion and flooding. Pop a screen on top of your barrel to keep out insects, debris, and bird missiles, and make frequent use of your water supply to keep it moving and aerated. Water with care While we're on the subject of water, adopting a few smart-watering habits will do much to stretch out your supply, especially during dry, hot spells in the summer. Adding mulch and compost to your soil will retain water and cut down evaporation. Plus, soaker hoses or drip irrigation only use 50 percent of the water used by sprinklers. Water early in the day so you can avoid evaporation and winds. And the best place to drench your plants? Directly on those thirsty roots. Bring on the bees! Provide a pesticide-free sanctuary for our pollinator pals, such as butterflies and bees, by growing a diverse variety of native flowers they're particularly drawn to, such as wild lilac, goldenrod, and lemon balm. (Gardens with 10 or more species of attractive plants have been found to entice the most bees.) If you haven't already heard, we're in the throes of a major bee-loss epidemic, which is causing beekeepers in North America and Europe much handwringing. Because pollinators affect 35 percent of the world's crop production--and increase the output of 87 of the leading food crops worldwide--extending a little hometown hospitality could go a long way. The power of 4 Get hip to four "R"s of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's GreenScapes program: Reduce, recycle, reuse and rebuy. You want to reduce your output of waste to ensure you're using materials efficiently. Reusing compost and tree clippings for mulch, or rainwater for watering take up little time and energy, but offer plenty of environmental bang for your buck. Recycling saves resources, while rebuying means seeking products that meet your needs, but are more environmentally friendly than your usual purchases-- take, for instance, solar outdoor lighting versus electric-powered fixtures. Reuse the news Conserve water, cut down on weeding and reduce trash all at once by using old newspapers as mulch in your garden. Lay down layers of paper between all your plants or shred the paper and pile the shreds around seedlings at the beginning of planting season. This ground cover helps prevent evaporation, saving on water needs. Weed seeds are less likely to sprout because the paper shades the ground. The newspaper will last all gardening season, after which you can work it into the ground to decompose in the soil. This saves yet another pile of newspapers from the landfill and puts them to good use working in your garden. You can even contact your local newspaper office and grab them by the bundle!

Previous Page Next Page

Publication List
Using a screen reader? Click Here