How to Garden Greener

Green gardening involves using organic methods to keep your plants healthy. This means using fewer chemicals when you are cultivating your patch of land and focusing on species of plants that are native to your area. By feeding the soil rather than the plants, you create a small ecosystem within your garden that maintains a healthy balance.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Plants
• Compost
• Mulch

1. Choose the right plants for your soil and climate. Don’t try to force plants to grow that aren’t right for your soil and climate conditions. Choosing the right plants will also cut down on how often you will need to water and fertilize your garden.

2. Cultivate healthy soil. Feed your soil in order to feed your plants. Use compost instead of chemical fertilizers to bring nutrients to the plant roots.

3. Learn which insects are attracted to the plants you have chosen for your garden. By identifying the pests that are most likely to damage your plants, you can develop a solution to control this.

4. Catch rain water to water your garden. This conserves water and ensures the water you use to hydrate plants doesn’t contain minerals or chlorine.

5. Use organic mulch to protect soil from rain and erosion.

Tips & Warnings

• Learn to make your own compost to feed your soil and cut down on kitchen waste.
• If one type of pest is giving you trouble, identify which insects feed on that pest. Then add a plant to your garden that will attract the helpful insects.
• Some plants discourage certain pests from moving into your garden. If you are having a problem with a particular pest, learn which plants act as natural pesticides.
• Avoid over spraying your garden. You don’t need to kill every insect that enters your garden—some promote the health of your plants.
• Don’t let diseases or pest infestations get out of hand. Check your garden daily so you can identify concerns before they become problems.

Resources

• Environmental Protection Agency
• Organic Gardening