August-19: Consumer Tips
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in August
10 Eco-friendly gardening tips
With the monsoon round the corner, what better activity to indulge in than gardening? While gardening is by nature an ecofriendly activity, here are some tips to make it even more so:
- Plastic pots? Big no-no – Avoid plastic pots and switch to biodegradable ones or reuse containers at home.
- Recycle, reuse – You may also use your old ceramic mugs, pots and pans for growing small shrubs and herbs.
- Composting – Have a compost bin and create manure out of your wet garbage. Give your plants the necessary nutrients while being friendly to both your pocket and the environment.
- Companion planting – Use less fertilizer by growing plants in certain combinations which complement each other to boost growth and vitality.
- Early bird catches the worms! – Have a bird feeder in your garden to attract birds, a natural way to get rid of bugs that destroy your plants. This way you can avoid using toxic pesticides.
- Natural pesticides and fertilizers – Use paste of neem leaves instead of pesticides and cow dung as a natural fertilizer.
- Avoid sprinklers – Sprinklers waste water and do more harm than good, especially for vegetables. Watering your plants manually gives you an opportunity to spend time with your plants and calms the senses.
- Choose plants wisely – Choose native plants that suit your soil and weather. They will thrive in your ecosystem and help plant-friendly bugs and pollinators.
- Utilize waste water – The waste water from RO or cooking can be used to water plants. For waste RO water, you may first try it for a few days to see which plants react well to that water before using it regularly.
- Install rainwater harvesting – By harnessing the rain water you will not only save on water, but also prevent erosion and flooding.
Sources: www.almanac.com, earth911.com
