A sustainable farm is a unique garden that can benefit you and your entire family in terms of cash savings and carbon footprint. Sustainable farming refers to growing food using organic methods without fertilizers and pesticides that have toxic chemicals that can affect the soil. Sustainable agriculture is a lifestyle that promises numerous crucial long-term advantages. And that is because food grown on a sustainable farm is more nutritious and tasty. So, here are ten unique ideas to make your garden more sustainable this spring.
10 Ideas to Make Your Farm More Sustainable
1. Mowing the Lawn
When mowing the lawn, it’s always a great idea to mow high. Remember, the more the soil is shaded by grass, the more moisture it will conserve. Mowing high will also prevent weeds from growing on the farm, and the best tool to use for this work is a manual lawn mower. And if you plan to use your kitchen garden all the time, you should install a solar panel, says Eco Peanut.
A solar panel will light up your backyard garden at night and help you run numerous power tools. Installing the solar panel will also help reduce your electricity bills, even if you plan on operating an electric lawnmower.
2. Garden Design
When making your garden more sustainable, it’s always a great idea to introduce resource-conserving practices in the garden to protect your soil and plants. Fortunately, there are numerous soil preparation and water conservation practices that you can add to your design to make your garden more sustainable.
When planning your farm, you should think about the different types of food you want to plant. Your Energy Blog suggests that the sun-loving plants should be in a sunny area where they can enjoy the sun. On the other hand, the shadow-loving plants can thrive under the shade, while the ones that crave water should be grown in the moist part of the garden.
3. Add Flowers to Your Backyard Garden
You can also make your garden more interesting by adding some flowers like borage and Pink Jasmine. You can even control the aphid population on your farm by planting some yarrow or sweet alyssum to attract bugs that feed on aphids. Flowers can draw more bees to the farm, which will help with cross-pollination. So, make sure you plant some rosemary and lavender to help attract bees to your farm.
4. Compost the Great Waste
Composting is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of waste thrown in the landfill by converting it to organic fertilizer. So instead of throwing the dry leaves, grass clipping, and waste food, you can compost them into nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden. Composting will help make your plants healthier and your soil richer.
And the fact that your garden is small shouldn’t discourage you from using organic fertilizer. People with less space in their gardens are using vermicomposting instead of traditional composting. Vermicomposting is a process of creating organic fertilizer using numerous worm species, including the red wigglers.
5. Celebrate the Indigenous Plants
Local or indigenous plants are the crops that naturally grow in your area. These plants are relatively easy to grow and maintain. These crops are suited to the climate, soil, and rainfall in your hometown. And by growing indigenous plants, you will be providing food and shelter for all the insects and birds in your region.
6. Mulch Your Farm
Landscape mulching does wonder for any garden. Mulching can come in handy in places with watering restrictions as it keeps the soil moist for an extended period. Mulching can also prevent weeds from springing up on the farm. So add a 3-inch thick layer of grass clippings, pine needles, shredded bark, and coir.
7. Use Less Water
Since water is restricted in places where it is scarce, you need to select crops that require less water. This method of gardening and landscaping is referred to as Xeriscaping, and it includes the use of shrubs and drought-resistant perennials. You can also collect and store rainwater and use it for gardening during the dry seasons.
8. Plant Perennials
Perennial plants tend to grow better with every season. Planting perennials is one of the best methods of getting the most value for your cash. So select perennials crops that are adapted to your regions. And to save some money, you can buy small plants, and they will get better and bigger every season. Remember, these plants need to be divided after a few years, and this will give you more plants that you can share with your pals or expand your sustainable garden.
9. Recycle Wastewater
As long as the wastewater hasn’t been contaminated with animal fat or detergent, you can use it to irrigate your garden. You can use water that has been used to clean crock-pots, wash laundry, or from the toilet to irrigate your garden. And to ensure that your plants have more than enough water, it’s always a great idea to harvest rainwater using barrels.
Image by annawaldl from Pixabay
10. Say No to Herbicides and Pesticides
It’s always ideal to use sustainable means to maintain your farm. So, instead of using pesticides and herbicides to control pests and weeds, you can use organic methods. You can control weeds using mulch and cover crops, and if they still grow, you will have to pull them out.
The best method for controlling pests is by using biological insects that feed on pests. These beneficial insects, like ladybugs, feed on pests like aphids, and they won’t affect you or your plants. So do your research and find out which insects can help you with your current pest infestation. And then find out what you will have to do to attract them to your farm.
Final Thoughts
Sustainable gardening does more than just reduce your carbon footprint. Sustainable farming helps you get the most out of your small garden without polluting the environment. Sustainable farming also helps you save more cash by providing you free seeds, cheaper and better fertilizer, and solar power for your power tools. Luckily, there are numerous ways you can make your farm more organic and enjoy this wonderful hobby. So why don’t you start with the above ideas and make your garden more sustainable?
Feature Photo by Beth Macdonald on Unsplash
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