5 Sustainable Gardening Tips to Keep Your Garden Green

While gardening, it’s important to do everything you can to reduce waste and help protect the planet. This means discarding chemical pesticides that pollute the environment and reusing old plant materials when possible. For our favorite eco-friendly gardening tips, check out our guide below.

Use Natural Pesticide Alternatives

It’s no secret that exposure to pesticides can cause adverse health issues in humans. Research links glyphosate exposure with an increased risk of cancer and the chemical is known to harm microbiomes essential to the health and well-being of our environment.

Luckily, there are several pesticide alternatives you can utilize for weed control. Examples of helpful Roundup alternatives include:

• Manual weed removal
• Boiling water
• Mulch

The simplest way to rid yourself of weeds without harming yourself or the environment is to manually remove them. By pulling them out by their roots, you can guarantee that they won’t grow back. 

Other natural weed control methods include suffocating weeds with mulch or using boiling water to kill them. If you decide to utilize boiling water, just be careful not to burn yourself or your plants. The water will kill any plants it comes into contact with.

Start Composting

A simple way to add some sustainability to your garden is to start composting. Collect a compost pile of fruit scraps, grass clippings, dried leaves, shredded newspaper, and more. With the right prep, your pile can be used as a nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden.

Utilize Solar Energy

What better way to power your garden than harnessing the energy of the Sun? Install solar panels, to power outdoor lights, electric gardening tools, or fountains. Solar energy has the added benefit of saving you money in the long run.

Save Your Seeds

Save seeds from your dried flowers and vegetable garden in a cool dry place over winter. Then, when spring comes around, you can use your old seeds to revitalize your garden.

Educate Yourself

New eco-friendly technologies and practices emerge with each passing day. To keep your garden healthy and do your part for the environment, it’s important to keep yourself educated on the latest trends in sustainability. To start, check out the rest of the Green City Times blog.

Conclusion

Living an eco-friendly life can improve your health, lower your energy bills, and protect the planet. Follow our tips to ensure your garden is as sustainable as possible. For more sustainable gardening tips and Roundup alternatives, check out the full infographic below.