Guide to 11 Sustainable Planting Skills for Your Garden
By Aja Dandridge
Author Bio: Aja Dandridge is a Content Writer who’s written for several publications on various topics, including e-commerce products, home renovation tips and new gardening techniques.
To establish a healthy garden, you must first have healthy soil to work with. Gardeners and farmers alike can easily work the lands when the ground is in good shape. They’ll be able to implement all sorts of watering systems, provide loads of nutrients to their plants, stay productive, save money on tools, and strengthen their lands. By following these tips, you’ll have a sustainable raised garden in no time.
11 Planting Skills for Sustainable Garden
There are a couple of ways you can improve your soil’s overall health. The most common way is to add both inorganic and organic properties to your ground. This may include materials like lime, coir, cow manure, and compost. Second, a pH meter will help you measure the pH levels of your soil, letting you know its health levels. Let’s explore more sustainable planting skills
1. Composting: Feeding Your Plants The Good Stuff
Using homemade compost can improve your soil for gardening. It involves recycling your natural waste to enhance the overall quality of your soil and promote plant growth. A good natural mixture takes anywhere from 6 months to 2 years before it's ready for use. It can take another 6 months before your soil is healthy enough for your plants.
You’re probably wondering, how do you even make a good compost for your plants? For starters, use a combination of both green and brown organic materials that are rich in carbon and nitrogen. Having a balanced 25:1/ 30:1 ratio of brown and green materials will yield the desired results for your garden.
2. Using Natural Fertilizers
Even fertilizers can give your plants and flowers a nutrient boost. Synthetic fertilizers may come cheap and work faster than the eco-friendly ones. On the other hand, slow-release fertilizers offer continuous nutrient delivery for your plants over time.
Even materials like grounded-up cow bones, seaweed, Bat Guano, and your leftover carrot ends can act as a fertilizer and promote better health for your garden. Specifically, they help improve the health of your dying plants, ward off invasive pests like rats, and even balance out your nitrogen-based soil that could potentially burn your plants.
These materials offer other sources of nutrients that your plants love, including Calcium, Potassium, Nitrogen, Magnesium, and Phosphorus.
3. Create A Sunlight Chart
Still not sure which areas on your land are best for gardening? Use a Sunlight Chart. This diagram will help you determine which specific area receives the most sunlight throughout the day and during the entire year. Specifically, these diagrams show which areas receive full or partial sunlight, the different positions of the sun at certain times of the day, and their altitude.
4. From A Seed To A Seedling
To turn your seed into a seedling, use starter pots like cell packs, biodegradable pots, and seedling pots to start you on your gardening journey. Additionally, your chosen location should have ample sunlight and bear soil with the correct pH levels for your plants. Remember to also add water, perform pruning, and monitor your seed's development regularly.
Once they’ve grown to a suitable size, perform a “hardening off” process to get them accustomed to being outdoors and in a new environment. Perform this step for 10 days, before transporting them to your metal garden bed. You’ll want to do so early in the morning or the evening when temperatures are cool and the soil is moist. Dig a hole that’s deep enough to support the already established root system. Ensure that the crown of the plant is at the same height it was in the starter pot. Be sure to fill the hole and press around the base of the seedling.
5. The Advantages Of Using A Raised Garden Bed
While there are a few ways to start your garden, doing it from a raised bed offers a wealth of benefits. You’ll be able to maintain the integrity of your soil, plant earlier in the season, have fewer weeds, and better accessibility to your garden if you have mobility issues. The elevated design of your raised bed also prevents pests like rats and insects from eating up your plants.
Though, the most important benefit to using a metal raised bed is that it improves your drainage and soil structures. Additionally, they’re more ideal than in-ground structures, given that they prevent waterlogging issues and remove excess water.
A raised garden bed also means the soil is looser, improving root penetration. Loose soil allows your plants to have better access to nutrients, water, and oxygen. You can also add generous amounts of compost and mulch to strengthen the structure of your soil. They’ll have better water retention and their microorganisms will flourish.
6. Pest Prevention
Following the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) can keep rats and insects out of your garden for good. By using eco-friendly and sustainable practices, you’ll be able to minimize the impact they have on your flower bed and the overall environment.
IPM also involves using Natural Pest Deterrents. These substances and methods provide an eco-friendly and safe solution to protect your garden from pests.
Some examples of these Natural Pest Deterrents include companion planting, crop rotation, and using Chili Pepper & Garlic Spray. These methods do everything from repel mosquitoes to gradually reducing your pests’ numbers over time.
7. Don’t Kill Off The Good Pests
Not all pests are bad news, though. Some species cater to the growth and development of your flower bed. Much like Natural Pest Deterrents, other bugs can help reduce the populations of harmful pests in your gardens and farms.
To name a few, bees, ladybugs, Spiders and the Praying Mantis act as the guard dogs to your garden.
If you want these guys to stick around though, you must create an attractive environment for them.
8. Ground Protection Mats Help Protect Your Soil
Ground Protection Mats can surely protect your garden and even promote better lawn care. These heavy-duty platforms allow you to work on anything from your garden to landscaping, all while protecting your plants. Some ground protection mats even come with properties that allow sunlight to penetrate your garden bed, leading to a healthy growth.
There are other ways they can protect your garden, such as shielding your greenery from heavy machinery. Ground Protection Mats also better protect your garden soil from heavy foot traffic, which can cause instances of soil compaction and erosion.
9. Water Conservation Techniques
Water conservation practices such as irrigation systems reduce the waste of natural resources. They offer efficient watering of your plants, getting straight down to the roots. More importantly, they keep your garden alive and thriving throughout the months.
However, there are tons of factors you should consider before watering your veggies and fruits. Many of them include checking the condition of your soil, understanding the water requirements of your flowers, the quality of the water, and monitoring seasonal changes.
After checking off these aspects, it’s time to start watering your plants. A few techniques include determining how often to water your plants, watering them from the top, using soaker hoses for plants with deep roots, and ensuring that your raised garden bed has proper drainage.
10. Installing Rainwater Harvesting Systems
In using proper watering techniques, having rainwater harvesting systems installed will provide a natural source of nutrients for your garden. These systems collect and store rainwater, eliminating any chance of your greenery being contaminated by harmful toxins.
By utilizing Mother Nature’s resources, you won’t have to rely solely on the usage of water from a tap. Not only will your plants be healthier but you’ll also be protecting the environment.
Here are a few tips for properly installing your rain barrel system:
- Knowing which gutter downspout you plan to use for your barrel
- Connecting an overflow hose to your barrel
- Dig out the area where you plan to place your barrel. It should be about 1 to 2 inches deep.
- Secure the barrel next to a downspout at its final, installed height
- Remove any heating or electrical components running through the barrel before cutting into the downspout.
- Make sure the barrel is at a level position
- Finally, control the barrel’s overflow to prevent any water from ruining the integrity of your house.
11. Clean Your Gardening Tools
Caring for your garden tools is just as important as maintaining your garden. If your hand tools aren’t sharpened enough, rusted, cleaned, or greased down, you could risk destroying your garden. Sticking with a maintenance schedule will save you tons of money on replacements and make your gardening work more efficient.
Conclusion
These planting skills will help you make an eco-friendly garden. The next time you feel like gardening, use these techniques. You’ll leave a positive impact on the environment and cultivate a sustainable garden. Most of all, you’ll take pride in your work.
