How Keder Greenhouses Can Help Your Garden Become More Eco-Friendly
Creating a sustainable garden that supports the planet is a priority for many budding gardeners. Even experienced gardeners, like myself, have evolved our gardening practices to embrace eco-friendly methods.
In this blog, discover how you can start practicing sustainable gardening and how it benefits both you and the environment. Plus, explore how Keder greenhouses can help you take significant strides toward eco-friendly growing.
How to Make Compost
Composting is an excellent way to reduce household waste while enriching your garden. It’s cost-effective, and you can even create a compost bin from recycled materials like old wooden pallets. Additionally, each kilogram of compost is estimated to save over 0.1kg of carbon dioxide emissions. This means gardeners can save over 5.1kg of carbon dioxide annually just by composting!
You can start composting any time of year, though spring is ideal due to the abundance of materials. Place your compost bin in a sheltered spot, preferably in partial or full shade. For effective composting, maintain a balance between brown material (50–75%) and green material (25–50%):
Brown materials include woody waste, straw, paper, and cardboard.
Green materials include grass clippings, leafy plants, and kitchen peelings.
The resulting compost serves as a nutrient-rich soil conditioner or mulch, enhancing soil health with valuable microorganisms and nutrients.
How to Collect Rainwater
Rainwater is a precious resource that can reduce your reliance on mains tap water and provide an alternative during dry spells. Not only does rainwater have a neutral pH, but it’s also free of additives like fluoride and chlorine, making it better for plants.
Invest in a water butt to collect and store rainwater. With a water diverter, you can easily channel rainwater from your guttering downpipe on the house, shed or greenhouse. For optimal results:
Position your water butt in the shade to limit bacterial growth.
Use collected rainwater regularly to keep it fresh.
Clean your water butt annually using a solution of lemon juice, vinegar, or mild soap. Rinse thoroughly and clear your guttering of debris to keep the water clean.
By taking these steps, you’ll have a consistent and sustainable water source for your garden.
Encourage Pollinators Into the Garden
Pollinators and beneficial insects are essential to the ecosystem, but their populations are declining due to habitat loss and reduced flowering resources. By introducing pollinator-friendly plants, you can support these vital species.
If you have space, consider creating a miniature wildflower meadow, which blooms between May and September. Prepare a bare, weed-free area and sow seeds in early March for flowers by May. Additionally, planting a variety of pollinator-friendly species for different seasons ensures that pollinators have food sources throughout the year.
Grow Your Own Vegetables
Growing your own fruit and vegetables is a rewarding way to practice sustainable gardening. While locally sourced produce is available, growing your own reduces your carbon footprint, eliminates the need for pesticides, and saves money. Plus, freshly harvested produce often contains higher nutritional value.
There is nothing more satisfying than harvesting your own food, taking it straight to the kitchen and eating it almost immediately.
I would recommend setting aside a dedicated area for your vegetable garden, whether it’s a raised bed, container, or greenhouse.
If you don’t have the space available, you could consider joining a local community gardening project to expand your efforts. This is also a good way to learn about a wider range of crops and pick up hints and tips from fellow members of the community garden.
Grow a variety of produce you can enjoy and harvest throughout the year. Perhaps put together a garden growing calendar so you can keep track of what to sow, plant and harvest for year-round productivity.
Keder Greenhouses and Sustainable Gardening
Alternatively, you can extend your growing season to all year round with a Keder greenhouse which can take your sustainable gardening to the next level. These innovative greenhouses offer several eco-friendly benefits:
Energy Efficiency
The unique design of Keder greenhouses provides exceptional insulation, retaining up to 95% of heat. This reduces the need for electric greenhouse heaters, conserving energy.
Extreme Durability
Made with a flexible, robust 9-layer plastic laminate cladding, Keder greenhouses withstand extreme weather conditions, including winds of up to 120 mph and are often used in the Shetlands, Orkneys, Hebrides and the Falkland Islands. Their durability ensures long-term use, making them a sustainable choice.
Sustainable Materials
Keder greenhouses are constructed from fully recyclable materials, making them environmentally friendly.
Extended Growing Season
By creating a stable controlled environment, these greenhouses enable you to grow crops all year-round, even into the colder months.
Optimised Space
The specialised cladding evenly diffuses sunlight throughout the greenhouse, eliminating shady spots and preventing plant scorch. This allows you to maximise the usable space for year-round growing.
Adopting a few sustainable gardening practices can significantly reduce your environmental impact. From composting and rainwater collection to supporting pollinators and growing your own food, these methods promote an eco-friendly garden. With the addition of a Keder greenhouse, you can further enhance your garden’s sustainability, creating a thriving, green space that benefits both you and the planet.
To find out more about our Brand Ambassador and Guest Blog Writer visit https://www.kederdomestic.co.uk/david-domoney
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