Eco Gardening

Whether your gardening aspirations extend to flower beds or stop at lawn maintenance, learn how to make choices that affect not only your own life but also the planet as a whole.

Explore Peat-Free Alternatives

For improving soil and planting, look for peat-free “multi-purpose composts2, which include coir-based mixtures, or use your own compost or leaf mould. For mulching, try bark products, cocoa shells, pebbles or cardboard. To increase soil acidity, try pine needles or composted heather or bracken.

Bring In The Ladies

Ladybirds (ladybugs) – both adults and larvae – eat most types of aphids and you can now buy them in. one pack of 250 larvae can cover approximately 40 sq m (50 sq yards) and is a particularly good way of introducing ladybirds, especially in existing aphid colony infestations in greenhouses, and also in outdoor areas as they will remain local until they become adults. Adult ladybirds can lay many eggs, so helping to continue the colony of pest control.

Make Your Own Insecticide

Boiling rhubarb leaves releases oxalic acid, which can kill leaf-eating insects such as cabbage caterpillars and aphids. Boil about 1.3 kg (3 lb) of rhubarb leaves in about 1.7 litre (3 pints) of water for about 15 or 20 minutes. Cool, strain, and mix with soap flakes before spraying on plants. Take care as rhubarb leaves are poisonous to humans if ingested; they are fine on the ground however as the poison breaks down when the leaves are decomposed.

Send For The Nematodes

You can buy nematodes from mail order catalogues or the internet. They are microscopic worms that enjoy nothing more than eating some of the worst enemies in your garden – slugs, vine weevils, chafer grubs and leatherjackets. Sachets of them can be sent through the post and refrigerated, then applied to the soil provided it is at least 5°C (41°F).

Invest In Drip Irrigation

A drip irrigation system uses a network of plastic pipes to carry a slow, even flow of low-pressure water to plants. It delivers water to the roots of the plants and reduces water use by half. You can buy kits online or pay for expert installation.

Look for Traditional Plants Varieties

The best seeds to choose are open pollinated, locally adapted, traditional seeds – preferably organic. Avoid the first-generation hybrids (F1 hybrids) available from mainstream suppliers as these reduce genetic diversity and often require fertilizers and pesticides to see the best results. There are 10,000 heritage apple varieties compared to just a few hybrid apple types.

Herbal Pest Control

Instead of sprinkling poisons around your home to kill pest invasions, you can use herbs from your garden. Try hanging sprigs of fresh sage, pennyroyal, rue or tansy in your kitchen cupboards to deter ants. Both ants and flies are repelled by the smell of mint so plant some by your kitchen door and windows. Dried bay leaves placed in flour, rice and pulses keeps weevils away, too.

Make A Lacewing Motel

Cut the base off a 2 litre (4.2 pints) empty soft drink bottle. Slide a roll of corrugated cardboard inside the bottle and string some fine wire across the bottom to keep it from falling out. Tie string around the top of the bottle, with the cap left on, and hang in a sheltered position by the end of summer. The lacewing larvae will thank you by eating your aphids.

Plant A Hedge

Hedges are living fences which are great for wildlife – hedgerows have been recorded as providing shelter or food for 600 plant species, 1,500 insects, 65 birds and 20 mammals. They also make better windbreaks than fences since they absorb the wind and can be a stronger barrier against intruders, particularly those comprised of prickly hawthorn, blackthorn and holly. You’ll also be helping to replace the many hedges lost to intensive farming – it is estimated that 5% of UK hedgerows are lost each year due to neglect or removal.

Explore Synthetic Wood Options

There are a range of synthetic wood products now available made from recycled plastic and polystyrene, such as waste packaging for electronic goods and waste drinking cups. They generate no waste during production and are completely recyclable. What’s more, they are maintenance-free and can be used in fencing or elsewhere in your garden. Just double check the amount of recycled material used before you buy.

Adopt Suds

A Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) will prevent flash flooding that is likely with more intense periods of rain expected as a result of climate change. Paving, tarmac and concrete increase the amount of rainwater that runs off by as much as 5%, so avoid creating heavy paved areas – set paving in sand, rather than mortar, use resin-bonded gravel and aggregates held in cells made from recycled plastic, or use permeate paving with gaps that allow water to drain into the soil or to be stored.

Use Water-Retaining Granules

These will help to reduce the amount of water needed in your containers, many of which dry out far more quickly than in beds and borders. Manufacturers claim that an increase in soil water-holding capacity of 300-800% is possible in some soils.

This extract is taken from The Little Green Book of Gardening (250 tips for an ECO lifestyle), by Diane Millis, which can be purchased at all book shops or online from Amazon.

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