5 Tips for Greener Landscaping This Spring

You might assume that all landscaping is intrinsically “green,” but this isn’t true. Plenty of homeowners are actually using inefficient and unhealthy processes and materials. Switching to a more eco-friendly approach can yield tremendous benefits for those who are willing to take the time to learn new strategies.

How to Practice Green Landscaping

As a homeowner, you have a responsibility to care of the small piece of earth you own. And while you may not think that your efforts matter much in the grand scheme of things, every positive action you take adds up to create a safer, greener, more self-sufficient environment.

There are a lot of things that you can do to make your home eco-friendlier. You can use castiron guttering to make sure your gutters have better longevity, so you don’t waste as many natural resources replacing them all the time. However, it is also important to embrace eco-friendly landscaping tips.

Practicing green landscaping involves more than keeping your lawn lush and picking up trash and litter. If you really want to thrive, you need to implement the following tips:

1. Purchase Equipment That Lasts

When purchasing lawn equipment, it’s important to look at all of the factors involved and make an educated decision based on what’s best for everyone involved.

“While cost is certainly a major concern for most customers, it’s just as important to think about reliability,” Bobby Ford Tractor & Equipment explains. “Reliable outdoor power equipment is more efficient over the long run and has a much gentler impact on the environment.”

2. Use Natural Sprays and Applications

Nobody likes weeds and pests in their yard, but it’s imperative that you avoid using chemical sprays that are filled with harsh toxins that are dangerous for the environment, wildlife, and even your family. Natural alternatives don’t contain dangerous ingredients like glyphosate and are much preferred to the typical products you find on store shelves.

“Foliar sprays are easy to use, kill most weeds, and don’t interfere with the natural soil biology,” TerraCast points out. “Nontoxic herbicides containing vinegar, citric acid, clove oil, and lecithin are just as effective as their toxic competition without presenting environmental and health drawbacks.”

3. Choose Plants That Require Less Water

One of the downsides to having a bunch of plants in your yard is that you tend to go through lots of water. Unfortunately, this is anything but eco-friendly. The solution is to replace thirsty plants with hardy, drought-resistant plants that require less water throughout the year.

4. Collect Rainwater

If you don’t have a system in place for collecting rainwater, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to conserve natural resources and lower your water bill. There are plenty of commercial products on the market, but you can also make your own setup fairly easily using your gutter downspouts and a simple bucket system.

5. Start a Compost Pile

Do you ever feel like you’re being wasteful when you toss food into the trash or down the garbage disposal? Do you wonder if there’s a way to make use of these scraps? Well, there is – and it’s called composting.

Most people don’t compost because they don’t realize how easy it is. All you have to do is designate a spot in your yard, throw down some carbon-rich brown materials (like leaves, straw, or dead flowers), and start feeding it some nitrogen-rich green materials (like grass clippings and plant-based waste). From there, you regularly shovel in garden soil and continue adding green material.

Enjoy the Benefits of an Eco-Friendly Yard

Creating and maintaining an eco-friendly yard is something that takes time and effort, but is incredibly rewarding. Not only does an eco-friendly yard require less money to maintain, but it also tends to be more functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Finally, you know you’re doing your part to make your community and the world a more sustainable place. It doesn’t get much better than that!