Sustainable Gardening (3)

In our last two blog articles, we have already provided you with some helpful tips for sustainable gardening. Today, we would like to present to you the final steps towards your green oasis of peace:

Close the cycle

By giving back to our garden what we have taken from it before, we close the resource cycle of our own little ecosystem in a sustainable manner. How does this work? With compost which is not only perfectly suited as fertiliser, but also helps improving the soil structure! Even though it might not look particularly decorative, you nonetheless should not relegate it to the last corner of your garden, as disposal will easily get inconvenient this way. Moreover, the compost heap should be located beneath a tree or bush so that it is protected from sun and wind. The emergence of unpleasant smells can be counteracted by mixing natural materials like soil, wooden chuffs or straw under your compost. Aside from that, you should only compost organic crudités like fruits, vegetables, coffee, egg shells and garden waste. Boiled leftovers, meat, pastries or dairy products attract rats and therefore should rather be disposed of otherwise. Leaves should be composted separately, by the way as they take longer for rotting. Then, they can be used as special compost for plants who prefer a sour soil. Raw compost which already emerges after three to eight months, can also be utilised only limitedly, for example for the nurture of plants with a heightened nutrient requirement like tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, courgettes, pumpkins or cucumbers. The black-brown ripe compost which only evolves after more than eight months of rotting process, finally is suitable for fertilising your plants and improving your soil.

Save resources

Also when it comes to gardening work, you can do a lot of things to go easy on resources. A rain barrel, for instance, is an easy way to save water. The lime-free rainwater is even more beneficial for our plants than the drinking water from the faucet. Especially in summer, it is recommendable to water the plants either in the morning or in the evening when the temperature is low and the humidity will not vaporize immediately. Mulch patches additionally help to store water and thereby keep the root system moist and cool. Aside from that, you should take care of purchasing high quality garden tools which will survive a long time and also use energy-saving devices. Instead of lawnmowers, choppers, chainsaws and leaf vacuums, you should better resort to cheaper, but also more labour-intensive alternatives like reel mowers, garden shears, spades, hacks, shovels and rakes. Solar-powered lampions, lanterns and holiday lights provide for a romantic atmosphere in warm summer nights. Due to their wirelessness they are not only more sustainable, but also more flexible.

We hope that our tips will help you and we wish you a lot of fun with your sustainable garden!