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| How to Go Green & Save Green in the Garden |
Submitted by:
Tip Hero 08/12/2009 3:36 PM
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Going "green" can often mean saving green. And while some eco-friendly initiatives require a fairly large up-front expense that gets paid back -- and then some -- over time, many green initiatives require little to no up-front costs and are money-savers right from the get-go.
Case in point: Green gardening tips. We came across an article on Planet Green, a Discovery.com website, that lists the Top 35 Ways to Succeed at Organic Gardening. We highlight some of the more frugal-friendly tips in each of their sections below, but we also encourage you to read the full Planet Green article, as there's lots of good information for all of you green thumbs out there.
Water Wisely
Saving water can save you money, and this article notes a number of good tips on how to conserve water use, including mulching everything, using grey water (i.e., "any water that has been used in the home, except water from toilets"), and to water your garden at soil level using soaker hoses or selectively water plants using a watering can.
Green Pest and Disease Control
Getting rid of insect pests can be done without chemicals and store-bought solutions. They suggest spraying the plants with water to blast off insects, picking insects off with your hand and putting them in soapy water, or spraying them directly with soapy water (apparently soapy water will kill them).
Organic Lawn Care
The article notes that you don't need to -- and, in fact, shouldn't -- water your lawn when it's really dry:
...you really don't have to water your lawn. Cool season lawn grasses naturally go dormant in the hottest, driest part of the year, and naturally green up again when temperatures and precipitation normalize. Trying to keep them green when they would naturally go dormant is a waste of time and resources. In addition, we'd like to note that if you are so inclined to water your lawn when the weather is hot and dry, we suggest watering during the coolest times of the day (typically evenings or early mornings), as watering during the hottest times can be an exercise in futility if water evaporates before it hits the ground or gets absorbed by the soil.
Getting Sane About Weeds
Here's another money-saving tip that also avoids using chemicals:
If you have weeds growing in sidewalk or driveway cracks, either pull them or hit them with a dose of boiling water---no chemicals necessary! They also suggest composting your weeds -- a great way to re-use what you have and generate good soil for future use.
Compost is King
You don't need to spend a lot of money to be able to compost:
Anything from a freestanding pile to a fancy tumbler will work well. What you choose depends on the available space you have, how much material you expect to add to your compost, and your own aesthetic preferences. You can spend as much or as little as you want. Encourage Beneficials
Okay, so this tip may not be all about saving money, but we love it so we're noting it anyway:
If you can entice a toad to take up residence in your yard, he or she will repay you by eating all types of insect pests. Provide a home for toads by setting a clay pot on its side in the garden – this is an excellent re-use for a broken pot. And here's another tip for avoiding chemical use and saving money on store-bought solutions:
Attract beneficial insects, such as lady bugs and lacewings, by planting plenty of flowering plants, providing areas for them to hide (if you mulch or have shrubs, you've got this covered) and, of course, not using chemical pesticides. To read the full article, click the link below:
Top 35 Ways to Succeed at Organic Gardening |
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