Tips to Make Your Landscape More Eco-friendly
If you’re looking to add some life to your outdoor space without harming the environment, it can be difficult to know where to start. Fortunately, there are plenty of eco-friendly landscaping tips out there that can help make your garden or yard more beautiful while protecting our precious resources.
Make The Landscape More Eco-friendly
With so many eco-friendly products available, there are plenty of ways to make your landscaping more eco-friendly. Most of these things are easy and inexpensive to implement, and they’ll keep your home looking great while leaving a smaller footprint on the earth. Here are five tips to help you get started on greening up your yard or garden today.
1) Use native plants
One of the easiest ways to make your landscape eco-friendly is by using native plants. Native plants are well adapted to the local climate and soil, require little maintenance, and attract beneficial wildlife. Native plants also create a more natural-looking environment that can reduce your need for excessive water and chemical fertilizers. If you're not sure where to start with native plants, contact your local landscaping Georgetown KY company or nursery for advice.
2) Use organic fertilizers
Organic fertilizers are a great way to make your landscape more eco-friendly. Here are five tips for choosing the best fertilizer for your lawn.
- Choose an organic fertilizer that is made from natural ingredients, such as minerals and animal or plant materials.
- Purchase a slow-release fertilizer, which provides nutrients over a long period instead of all at once.
- Apply less than what is recommended on the package because you can always apply more later if you need it.
- Always follow the instructions on how much to apply according to the size of your yard.
- Avoid fertilizing in drought conditions, when there's less water available for plants and soil bacteria to break down these chemical compounds.
3) Use rain barrels
Using rain barrels is one of the easiest ways to make your lawn more eco-friendly. Rain barrels collect the water that falls on the roof and stores it for future use. Use a downspout diverter so that water only goes into the barrel when it rains, and collect rainwater from your gutters. When you're not using your rain barrel, open up the spigot at the bottom so that mosquitoes can't breed in standing water. To get the most out of your collected water, put a layer of mulch over the top of it and keep adding to this as you go until there's an inch or two thickness. Not only will this protect your rain barrel against freezing winters, but it will also keep weeds away while providing nutrients for surrounding plants through capillary action.
4) Use mulch
Mulch is a great way to make your landscape more eco-friendly. It helps retain moisture in the soil, prevents weeds from growing, and provides ground cover for your plants and trees. Mulching also cools the earth's surface temperature by one or two degrees and reduces evaporation.
Mulching not only benefits you but it benefits the environment. A couple of other ways you can be more environmentally conscious with your landscaping are using organic fertilizers instead of chemical ones and planting native species that will attract wildlife to come to visit your garden. Remember that there are plenty of options out there for being eco-friendly with your landscaping so try them out and see what works best.
5) Plant a tree
There are some benefits to planting a tree. Not only do they provide shade and beauty, but they also help with air quality and reduce the urban heat island effect. A single tree can absorb up to 36 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and release 60 pounds of oxygen. The roots improve water quality by filtering out pollutants, while the leaves help cool things down in the summertime. Planting trees is one of the best ways you can make your landscape more eco-friendly.
If you have an abundance of land then it might be worth considering how many trees would suit your property. If you live in a city then consider contacting a lawn service in Georgetown ky for their advice on how many, and which type of trees would work well in your space. They will know what will grow well in your climate and what's appropriate for your lawn. They will be able to answer any questions you may have about maintaining your trees as well.