If you’re a gardener, you know that there are few things more rewarding than growing your own food.
But it can be challenging to grow healthy plants and herbs when the soil is less than ideal. That’s why most gardeners have to turn to store-bought solutions and chemicals in order to keep their gardens thriving.
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| Organic gardening offers numerous benefits for the environment and our health. |
| Choosing eco-friendly furniture and decor can help create a sustainable home without breaking the bank. |
| Avoiding common mistakes in organic gardening is key to achieving a successful garden. |
| Green home decor can help reduce your environmental impact and create a healthier living space. |
| The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible is a comprehensive guide to vegetable gardening. |
But with these organic gardening hacks, you can save time and money while keeping your plants healthy!
Use A Pond Pump For Watering
You can use a pond pump to water your plants. It’s more efficient than watering by hand and prevents the need to lug buckets of water around.
Pond pumps are great at delivering water in small amounts, so they’re perfect for watering plants, shrubs and trees that have shallow roots.
A pond pump can also be used at night when it is cooler out—this helps keep the plant’s root system moist as well as reduce evaporation during hot summer days.
Organic gardening has numerous benefits for the environment and our health. Learn more about the advantages of organic gardening and how you can start your own organic garden today.
Water Your Plants With Ice Cubes
An ice cube makes a great water source for plants. The ice melts slowly, so it won’t shock the plants like pouring cold water would.
And because it’s already frozen, they don’t need to be watered with tap or well water. It’s also great for watering plants in containers; you can use smaller cubes that melt more quickly without stressing out your plant roots.
| Tip | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Watering with ice cubes | Slowly releases water to plant roots and prevents overwatering. |
| Reduces risk of fungal diseases | Directly watering the soil instead of foliage. |
| Provides controlled amount of water | Melting ice cubes provide a gradual release of water to prevent under or overwatering. |
| Watering made easy | Ice cubes make it easy to control the amount of water plants receive and ensure they get the proper amount. |
Make A Worm Tower
- Pick up a stack of newspapers.
- Tear the newsprint into strips, about 2 inches wide and 8 to 12 inches long.
- Wrap one strip in a figure eight around a pencil or chopstick, so that it looks like an infinity sign. You will use two of these per tower.
Place another strip on top of this one, perpendicular to it; then wrap it around the stick in an opposite direction so that they overlap slightly at the center point where they meet (see photo above).
Push your finger through this new hole and gather up some soil from underneath your pot’s drainage holes; sprinkle this into your baggy hole until you feel resistance; remove your finger slowly while maintaining tension on both ends of the newspaper strip until its contents spill out onto the bottom of your pot!
Use scissors or kitchen shears to cut off excess paper above ground level before planting seeds or seedlings inside each tower!
When roots begin growing through cracks in between each layer between layers three and four (a little less than halfway down), add another layer using fresh newspaper strips over top old ones instead – this ensures maximum efficiency by encouraging healthy growth without wasting valuable nutrients from previous cycles being used again year after year (see photo below).
Creating a beautiful and sustainable home doesn’t have to be expensive. Check out our guide on eco-friendly furniture and decor for tips on how to choose environmentally friendly options for your home that won’t break the bank.
Compost Using A Rain Barrel
Composting is a great way to keep your garden flourishing and healthy. However, if you don’t have access to a compost pile or bin, you can still take advantage of the natural decomposition process by placing food scraps in a rain barrel.
All that’s needed is an empty plastic container that can fit on your balcony or backyard (like this one), and some sort of lining or material that will absorb excess water leaving behind only nutrient-rich liquid.
This can be as simple as newspaper or old cardboard boxes lined with plastic bags filled with soil (to prevent rotting).
Once it is full of scraps, cover the top with an old tarp or piece of plywood so critters don’t get into it while you are waiting for the composting process to begin.
Once there is enough room inside for air circulation, rotate your barrel every few weeks so that all sides get equal exposure to sun and wind—and voila! You now have a homemade composter!
Boost Your Soil’s Nutrients With Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen and potassium, two of the most important nutrients for plants. As a result, they make an excellent natural fertilizer for your garden.
Coffee grounds can be used alone or as a component of compost or compost tea to improve soil health and increase plant growth.
Coffee grounds can also help alleviate pests and diseases by attracting beneficial insects to your garden. Some research has shown that coffee-based fertilizers may reduce the need for pesticides because pests are less attracted to them than they are to chemical fertilizers (though this research is still inconclusive).
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, it’s important to avoid common mistakes in organic gardening. Check out our article on organic gardening mistakes to avoid for tips on how to achieve a successful organic garden.
Build A Hugelkultur Bed
A hugelkultur bed is a raised bed made from rotten logs and compost. It’s a great way to add fertility and moisture to your garden, and it can be used year-round!
To build one, follow these steps:
Gather materials. You’ll need some logs or branches that are rotting on the ground (they should be soft and crumbly), some compostable materials such as leaves or straw, water, a shovel or pitchfork, and something for drainage material like sand or peat moss (you should have this lying around if you’ve been following all my other tips).
If you don’t have any of these things lying around yet then now is the time to go out into nature and find them!
| Tip | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Build a raised garden bed using Hugelkultur | Increases water retention in soil, reducing the need for frequent watering. |
| Utilize waste materials | Hugelkultur beds can be built using waste materials, such as fallen leaves, branches, and logs, reducing waste and saving money. |
| Provides long-term soil benefits | As the materials in the bed decompose over time, they add nutrients to the soil, improving soil health and fertility. |
| Improves drainage and aeration | The logs and branches used in Hugelkultur beds create air pockets in the soil, improving drainage and aeration. |
| Reduces need for fertilizers | The organic matter in Hugelkultur beds provides a steady supply of nutrients to plants, reducing the need for additional fertilizers. |
Clone Your Plants With Potatoes
You can use potatoes to clone your plants. Potatoes are easy to grow, and you can plant them in the ground or in containers. You’ll want to leave the potatoes in the ground until they start sprouting in spring, then pull them up and let their eyes face up. The sprouts will grow roots within a few weeks!
Green home decor is a great way to reduce your environmental impact and create a healthy living space. Discover the benefits of green home decor and how you can incorporate eco-friendly design elements into your home.
Keep Weeds To A Minimum With Cardboard Mulch
- Cardboard mulch is biodegradable, which means it will break down over time and won’t cause any harm to the environment.
- It’s a good weed suppressor because cardboard has low moisture absorption characteristics, so it doesn’t allow weeds to grow well underneath it.
- Cardboard can be recycled from your home or workplace—it’s a versatile material that can be used in many different ways!
And finally…
- If you’re interested in using this organic gardening hack yourself, just gather up some old cardboard boxes and lay them flat on top of your soil before planting seeds or seedlings next spring.
Dust Your Plants With Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is a natural pesticide that works by destroying the exoskeletons of insects, and it’s safe for humans, pets and other animals.
Diatomaceous earth is made from the fossilized remains of diatoms—a type of algae. It can be used as an effective way to control pests like ants, cockroaches and fleas.
Many organic gardeners dust their plants with diatomaceous earth to keep them free from unwanted bugs. But if you don’t have time to do this yourself, consider buying some organic pest-control products instead!
Get Rid Of Bugs Naturally With Garlic Tea Spray
Garlic tea is a great natural way to thin out your garden’s pest population. It’s a great homemade pesticide that can be made easily, and it’s cheap! Here’s how:
Take 3 or 4 whole bulbs of garlic, peel them if desired, and put them in a large pot.
Cover the garlic with water and boil until soft. The longer you let it sit, the stronger the spray will be when it’s done. You could even add some vinegar if you want an extra kick!
Strain out the liquid through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer (if any chunks remain, strain again) into another container and allow to cool completely before transferring into glass bottles or jars.
This recipe should make about 2 cups of concentrated spray solution; store in refrigerator for up to 1 month between uses for best results against aphids/white flies/and other garden pests like leaf miners too!
Are you interested in learning more about organic gardening? Our ultimate organic gardening guide covers everything from soil preparation to pest management, so you can grow a thriving organic garden.
Conclusion
All of these tips are great for helping you grow your own organic produce. Whether you have a small backyard or are growing in a big garden, there’s always something that can be improved upon.
And remember, if all else fails, just keep on trying!
Further Reading
Genius Gardening Hacks: This article offers a collection of smart and practical gardening hacks that will help you save time, money, and effort in your garden.
The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible: This book is a comprehensive guide to vegetable gardening, offering expert advice on everything from soil preparation to pest control.
11 Clever Gardening Hacks: This article shares a range of creative and innovative gardening hacks that can help you get the most out of your garden.
FAQs
What are the benefits of organic gardening?
Organic gardening has many benefits, including improved soil health, reduced exposure to harmful chemicals, and healthier produce. Organic gardening can also help to support local ecosystems and biodiversity.
How can I start an organic garden?
To start an organic garden, you will need to choose a suitable location, prepare the soil, and select plants that are well-suited to your growing conditions. It’s also important to use organic methods for pest and weed control.
What are some common mistakes to avoid in organic gardening?
Common mistakes in organic gardening include overwatering, using too much fertilizer, planting at the wrong time, and not rotating crops. It’s important to do your research and learn the best practices for organic gardening.
How can I make my garden more sustainable?
To make your garden more sustainable, you can use compost to improve soil health, select plants that are well-suited to your local climate and soil conditions, and use organic methods for pest and weed control. You can also conserve water by using drip irrigation and collecting rainwater.
What are some easy gardening hacks for beginners?
Some easy gardening hacks for beginners include using eggshells to deter pests, using coffee grounds as a natural fertilizer, and creating a raised garden bed to help prevent weeds and pests.
I am Hellen, I’ve been passionate about sustainability for as long as I can remember. It’s something that my mom taught me from a young age, and it’s something that has shaped my life in so many ways.