Menu
During the pandemic and the ensuing, ever-extending quarantine period, people tended to look for new hobbies to pick up to ease the stress caused by these chaotic times. Some chose to get crafty, picking up hobbies like crocheting or painting as a form of creative expression they could practice inside, while others decided to take their quarantine activities outside, starting their own gardens.
Now that vaccines and COVID tests are widely available, the world is beginning to return to normal, but many are keeping the habits and interests they’ve developed during quarantine. These interests include everything from starting a small garden to creating the ultimate backyard oasis, complete with a full deck and outdoor kitchen area; Since the quarantine began, more people have had time for it.
But, the thing to take note of here is not the fact that people have taken an interest in all things ‘outdoorsy,’ but more so, how we’re treating the outdoors with our newfound interests… True enough, beautiful gardens are springing up in many yards, so what’s the issue? Who’s complaining? Mother Earth, actually… she’s been complaining about our practices for a long, long while.
While there are green ways to practice gardening, few are widely known, and gardening novices who are following the blueprint outlined by their predecessors, they may find that their practices are far from sustainable. Luckily, advances in green technology have made going green both easy and accessible, with a variety of solutions to problems that have plagued the industry for decades now commonly available on the market.
If you’re interested in taking the steps you can to contribute to constructing a better future, read on for a list of green technologies that you may want to adopt.
This is perhaps the most accessible technology available on this list, as herbicides that are more earth-friendly than many commonly known market products, can be mixed with ingredients you already have in your home. For example, Roundup, a household name in the herbicide industry, has chemicals in it that have a significant impact on human health and damage the environment. Fortunately, organic weed-killers without artificial, environmentally hazardous chemicals are now widely available on the market should you choose not to mix your own herbicide at home. Commonly-known, effective at-home herbicides include vinegar, vodka, and even something as simple as a pot of boiling water.
While hydroponic systems tend to intimidate newcomers to green gardening, appearing more complex and expensive than they are, plenty of inexpensive hydroponic gardening systems are on the market today. Hydroponic gardening is just the substitution of nutrient-rich fluids for potting soil, and usually are equipped with a light, making it possible for plants to be grown indoors with few wasted resources. While expensive hydroponic systems do exist, those are typically meant for industrial farmers looking to raise crops for sale: a solid hydroponic gardening system can be built at home for minimal cost and with few materials, should you choose to explore this method.
Water waste is one of the number one issues facing environmentally-conscious gardeners today, as well as knowing how much they should water plants of different varieties. Fortunately, drip-irrigation systems provide an easy way to limit water waste, consistently feeding plants what they need to survive with little maintenance. If in doubt, however, smart meters have been created that can read the level of moisture in the soil below, letting you know if you’ve overwatered your plants or if they need more sustenance. Using these two technologies in conjunction with one another can help you severely limit your water usage, feeding your plants what they need and nothing more, all while controlling your yard’s water flow and drainage.
Hilarious title notwithstanding, this innovation in green technology is battery-powered instead of gas-powered and functions kind of like a smart vacuum, requiring little guidance from you to get your lawn cut. While this is certainly not the cheapest invention on this list, it can be a good investment for those looking to cut down on their use of petroleum.
Going green may seem like a hassle, and chances are you’re happy enough with the way things are. What you may not realize is how much damage traditional methods of gardening are doing to the environment: how the use of herbicides affects your local ecosystems, how large amounts of water waste require more burned fossil fuels to re-use, and the like. Choosing to go green now will make it much easier, moving forward for future generations to adopt clean energy, sustainable lifestyle that will keep life growing on this planet for decades to come.
