Garden & Home TeamThe new year has arrived with a bang! There are 365 days ahead to grow something, which makes every day a gardening day. Why not make a pact with nature and resolve to garden in a completely eco-friendly way? Keep reading for four simple gardening resolutions for the new year.
1. Make your own compost
You can try bokashi if you don’t have a large space (fermented compost in your kitchen or worm farming vermicompost), which can be achieved in a courtyard.
2. Ditch the chemical fertilisers
Opt for organic pelleted chicken or guano manure as you are less likely to burn young seedlings with organic fertilisers.
3. Go organic
If you tend to use quick fix poisonous insecticides, give organic preparations a try. There are a variety on the market but there are also recipes available for making your own. It’s important to remember that organic remedies work differently to poisons – they generally discourage pests instead of killing them, and have to be applied far more regularly.
Remember that indigenous plants are adapted to their environment which makes them far easier to grow, often less thirsty and able to deal with infestations of pests or disease on their own. Try and plan indigenous plantings where possible. Healthy plants are also able to fight disease and pests easier so keeping your garden as well-maintained as possible is half the battle won.
4. Create a garden community
Consider planning a community garden in your neighbourhood. These are becoming very popular in suburbs in South Africa. Groups of enthusiastic gardeners set up veggie gardens in empty pieces of land, often donated or loaned, and the vegetables grown are for their own use with the excess often going to charity. These gardens create a wonderful sense of community.
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