1. Choose Natural Pesticides 🌸
Many pesticides are made from petroleum. But there are excellent natural alternatives derived from plants. Here’s a great DIY natural pesticide you can make at home: mix 1 tsp of neem oil, a few drops of castile soap and water in a spray bottle. Shake up and spray your plants.
2. Reuse Your Water 💦
Many organic gardeners and farmers collect water with big rain barrels. We can do do this on a smaller scale at home. Save that water from rinsing your fruits and veggies. Put a bowl under your colander to keep the water from going down the drain. If you have a balcony or yard, place a few buckets outside to capture rain water.
3. Support Local 💚
Buying plants and accessories from local businesses reduces packaging waste, carbon emissions from transportation and supports local businesses. Your local shop proprietors are also a wealth of knowledge of plant tips and tricks and fun to chat with.
4. Learn to Propagate 🌱
Make new plants at home! Many common houseplants like pothos and monstera are easy to propagate. Check out our blog post on water plant propagation for more information. You can also share cuttings and pups with friends for a truly special plant.
5. Check out Your Local Buy Nothing Groups 💸
These are also great places to find unique plants. We’ve heard of people scoring a 60 year old euphorbia or a giant fig tree.
6. Say No to Petrochemical Fertilizers 🚫
Just like us, plants need food to thrive. They can get this different ways. Through good quality soil (a great reason to re-pot) or a soil additive. Many commercially available fertilizers are made from petrochemicals derived from fossil fuels. Anything from fossil fuels is not renewable and takes a lot of energy to extract and convert to a usable form. Opt for a natural fertilizer made with kelp, fish or other natural ingredients. One way to think about this is if your fertilizer could contain dinosaur, it’s probably not sustainable.🦖
7. Take care of your plants to keep them longer 🪴
With proper care and attention, your plants can live for years or even decades. Choose the best location and watering schedule for your plant based on its needs. We also suggest re-potting annually, feeding them with a nutritious fertilizer like Kelpy. Dust the foliage monthly and check routinely for pests.