Posted on 09/04/2009 4:02:19 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Not all gardeners are no impact gardeners. Organic gardeners do their best to leave a positive impact on the environment. There are many ways of working toward leaving no impact. Here are just a few green gardening suggestions. Try to think of your own ways to leave no impact in the garden as well.
Natural pesticides
Organic gardeners are sure to use nature friendly pesticides that leave no impact on our water supply. This step will also protect beneficial insects such as honey bees and lady bugs. Go here for organic pesticide recipes.
Barrier pest control
Another good organic gardening technique that leaves no impact on the environment is the use of barriers to protect plants from pests. The barrier method keeps birds and small animals from eating garden produce without causing them harm. Go here for ideas.
Compost
Using homemade compost as fertilizer keeps harmful chemicals out of the soil. Many commercial fertilizers contain chemicals which leach into the soil and water supply. Leave no impact by making your own compost fertilizer from trimmings, leaves and kitchen scraps.
Reduce waste
All the kitchen vegetable scraps, leaves, twigs and clipping are used for compost. This means a reduction in the household waste and a further step toward a no impact lifestyle. Making your own compost can be quite simple.
Donate food
No impact organic gardeners don't waste food. Garden surplus is sold or given to friends, neighbors and relatives. Local food banks gladly accept any unwanted garden produce. Think about canning and freezing garden produce as well. Cut down on the grocery bill and consume less goods.
Recycle pots
Greenhouses will accept plastic disposable pots for re-use. Another option for no impact organic gardening is to use them yourself. Even broken clay pots can be used again. Just put the broken pieces in the bottom of pots in place of gravel for drainage.
Recycle soil
Don't throw away potting soil at the end of the year. Mix it with fertilizer or throw it into the compost pile for further use. No impact organic gardening means using everything to its fullest potential. Go here for easy potting soil recycling tips.
Save seeds
Organic gardeners don't buy seeds every year. Work toward a no impact garden by saving plant seeds from this years vegetable, herb and flower crops. The seeds can be used by you next year or shared with other gardening friends.
Hand tools
Hand tools leave no impact on the environment. They don't necessitate fuel purchases or energy use. Save money by using hand tools as a no impact gardening method. It's also a great way to get a little gardening workout and reap health benefits too.
LOL! We are havin’ some fun tonight, aren’t we? :)
Maybe I’ll plant barley next year...
The best thing that ever happened to my personal gardening experience was when my Grandfather passed on and I inherited his 55 gallon drum of DDT that he’d been hoarding in his garage since the end of the “Second” War. His eyesight was too bad for the Army, but he was in the local Civil Defense organization and I think the drum was Government issue to control flies in the latrine at a refugee camp or some such thing...
We haven’t seen a cabbage moth or tomato worm in decades, and our flea, carpenter ant and mosquito problems went away years ago as well.
Just a pinch under the plant in the springtime seems to inoculate the whole thing from bugs. I once watched a 4” hornworm take a bite of a tomato leaf and frizzle up like a slug dusted lightly with Kosher salt...
It’s all good. :)
Can I still grow sprouts on my windowsill, though?
It’s tough being a ‘Conserve’-ative these days when the Hippies have co-opted everything good about living a simple life. Grrrrrrr!
“I once watched a 4” hornworm take a bite of a tomato leaf and frizzle up like a slug dusted lightly with Kosher salt...”
I would pay money to see that, LOL! I work in a garden center and you wouldn’t believe the gastly hornworms customers brought in this season asking, “WTF is THIS?” LOL!
OTOH, I had a lady come in with a container of Monarch Butterfly caterpillars...she was MAD because they were eating her Butterfly Weed...which is what they EAT, LOL!
People. Can’t shoot ‘em. Well, you can, but it’s a pain to hide the bodies...
And the technique works .. but not altogether without some labor and constant watching.
Well ..I don’t know about DDT, but we little (admittedly evil) boys dropped all manner of living things in a jar of gasoline .....
‘no impact’...more hoax, but no impact would mean my plants didn’t give me any produce! Screw the rest of it.
I clean the a-frame out almost every day now. The turkey poops are GINORMOUS. It’s almost scary. That goes on the dirt then lawn clippings go on top of the bird crap and mixed around. I also mow the lawn and dump the bag in the bird run.
I can't grow sprouts cause the dogs would eat them. I don't know much about Hippies, I went straight when all I got form grass was a score throat.
They do love their greens!
Are you going to be able to butcher them for Thanksgiving? Husband wants a turkey, but I know ‘The Final Solution’ would fall on me, so no thanks!
We still have pot growing on my in-laws farm (just down the road) from back when my husband and his older brothers were in High School, tokin’ behind the barn, LOL!
Dad brings one up to the house from time to time annoy my mother-in-law about HER unruly children. ;)
At one time it was illegal to not grow hemp for the Colonial Navy for rope hence smoking rope.
Those were the days...one wonders how ANYTHING got accomplished, LOL!
petronski swears up and down that he will butcher the turkey.
LOL! Keep us posted. That should be a hoot, LOL!
Hello Diana . . . the ladys name was Ruth Stout . . . I still have her book, it’s called “No-Work Garden Book” by Ruth Stout and Richard Clemence.
YES! .. That’s her .... what magazine article? ... when?
I am dumb .. you have the book .. I read an article
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