There’s no question that gardening is a beautiful way to connect with nature, but it’s important to conduct your projects with care and caution, as you could cause more harm than good if you’re not careful. Most notably, some common gardening techniques are harmful to the environment, yet a lot of people aren’t aware of this. We’re sure you’ll want to nip this in the bud, so here are the most harmful gardening techniques when it comes to the environment and how to stop using them.
Using Synthetic Fertilizers
These days, it’s relatively common knowledge that synthetic fertilizers contribute to water pollution and can harm soil biodiversity. Nutrients from these fertilizers often run off into nearby waterways, fueling harmful algae blooms that deplete oxygen and threaten aquatic life. Worse still, this disrupts both water and soil ecosystems, so try to stick to organic alternatives from now on, which still provide plenty of nutrients without causing environmental damage.
Overwatering the Lawn
Some people claim that there’s no such thing as an overwatered lawn, but that’s simply not true. Not only does overdoing it waste water, but it can also drown your grass, creating shallow roots and making it more susceptible to disease and drought. To make matters even worse, when water flows past the soil’s absorption point, it often carries pesticides and fertilizers back into the groundwater, contaminating ecosystems. We bet you didn’t think such a simple mistake could cause so much damage!
Clearing Leaves Completely
It’s certainly tempting to rake away every fallen leaf to keep your garden looking neat, but we wouldn’t recommend it, as doing so removes a vital layer of natural mulch. While they might look a bit cluttered, leaves help retain soil moisture, prevent erosion, and support insect habitats, all of which are essential for a balanced ecosystem. So, consider leaving a few leaves or composting them to enrich your soil, and your garden will thank you for it.
Using Gas-Powered Equipment
Everyone knows that fossil fuels such as gas are bad for the atmosphere, but sometimes, it’s necessary to use them. However, this isn’t the case for garden equipment, such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, or trimmers. These tools not only consume fossil fuels but also disrupt the peace of natural spaces with loud sounds, and most importantly, there are electric models available. They’re often cheaper in the long-run, too, so they’re a real win-win.
Applying Pesticides Broadly
Much like with garden fertilizer, you shouldn’t get carried away with broad-spectrum pesticides, which are often filled with harmful chemicals. In moderation, they have their place, but when you spread them broadly, you’re not only eradicating harmful pests but beneficial insects, too. Ultimately, this will disrupt the natural balance of your garden’s ecosystem, so go easy on that pesticide.
Relying on Peat-Based Products
Peat moss is a popular soil additive, but its extraction damages peatlands, which store large amounts of carbon. Sadly, peat depletion contributes directly to greenhouse gas emissions and destroys unique habitats for wildlife, so it’s best avoided whenever possible. As an alternative, consider using coconut coir or composted materials, which offer benefits similar to peat but without environmental drawbacks.
Using Single-Use Plastic Pots and Trays
You might think that plastic pots and trays are harmless and reusable, but over time, they break, eventually contributing to landfill waste and soil contamination. This might take a while if they’re reusing them, but they’ll still end up in landfills one way or another. In contrast, choosing biodegradable or reusable containers doesn’t come with this problem, so you’ll be doing your bit to help reduce waste without any disadvantages.
Ignoring Soil Health
Healthy soil is essential for a thriving garden, but don’t go overboard with practices like tilling and fertilization, which can actually do more harm than good. Soil organisms play a crucial role in nutrient cycling, and disturbing them can reduce soil health. Alternatively, support your soil ecosystem with plain old compost and mulch, helping to keep your garden’s foundation strong and sustainable without the effort of tilling.
Mulching with Dyed Wood Chips
As we just mentioned, mulch is an important and eco-friendly material to use around your garden, but only if it isn’t dyed. Unfortunately, dyed wood mulch can contain harmful chemicals, especially if it is originally made from treated wood. Sure, some dyes may be harmless, but the majority of them can leach contaminants into the soil, so in general, it’s not worth risking.
Excessive Pruning
Believe it or not, over-pruning shrubs and trees may weaken our plants and make them more vulnerable to diseases and pests, and you wouldn’t want that, would you!? Excessive cutting also reduces habitat for birds and insects that rely on dense foliage. On the other hand, by practicing selective pruning, you protect plant health and maintain natural habitats for local wildlife, supporting biodiversity.
Throwing Away Grass Clippings
Don’t feel bad if you’re guilty of discarding grass clippings–yes, it means losing out on a natural fertilizer that helps lawns thrive, but you’re certainly not the only one who does it. It’s never too late to stop, though, so consider leaving your grass clippings on your lawn, which will soon decompose and, subsequently, return valuable nutrients to the soil, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
Planting Large Lawns
If you’ve got a huge yard, it’s only natural that you’ll want to cover it all in fresh, green lawn, but it might be worth thinking twice about. Huge lawns demand huge amounts of water, fertilizer, and time-consuming maintenance, making them one of the least sustainable garden features. Furthermore, large expanses of grass displace native plants, which provide habitats and reduce maintenance needs. So, try to get creative with the different ways that you could use your yard space, and it will no doubt become more sustainable.
Using Herbicides Excessively
It might be tempting to reach for that bottle of herbicides when you see weeds popping up, but these harm soil health and affect nearby beneficial plants, creating imbalances in the garden ecosystem. Worse still, these chemicals tend to linger in the soil, impacting plant growth over time. Just stick to manual weeding tools or natural methods, which offer effective alternatives to chemical herbicides without environmental damage.
Building with Pressure-Treated Wood
You’ve probably never thought about this, but pressure-treated wood contains preservatives to prevent rot, and this can leach into the soil, affecting your plants and organisms. Eventually, this leaching will reduce your soil quality, particularly in raised beds or garden structures, which isn’t good news at all. Instead, use untreated wood or eco-friendly materials like stone to ensure safer, toxin-free gardening.
Growing Water-Intensive Plants
Another environmentally damaging thing that you might do in your garden without realizing it is growing water-intensive plants. Such hungry plants will strain your resources, especially in arid regions where water conservation is crucial. They’ll also keep you busy all the time, which might not fit within your schedule, so consider sticking to drought-tolerant species, which can conserve water while keeping your garden vibrant and adaptable to local conditions.
Leaving Bare Soil Exposed
This one might be surprising–bare soil is prone to erosion, water loss, and weed growth and, therefore, shouldn’t be left uncovered. More still, rainfall on exposed soil can wash nutrients away, depleting its fertility and encouraging erosion. Thankfully, the solution is simple–just cover your soil with ground cover plants or mulch, allowing it to retain its moisture while preventing nutrient runoff.
Filling Gardens with Non-Native Plants
We can’t deny that the exotic nature of non-native plants is visually appealing, but don’t go crazy with them, as they can disrupt your local ecosystem by attracting pests or competing with native species. Without natural predators, non-native species sometimes become invasive, leading to overgrowth and habitat loss. This can cause all sorts of problems, so while the occasional strategically planted non-native should be fine, you shouldn’t go overboard with them.
Using Stone Mulch in Hot Climates
The final gardening technique on this list that is terrible for the environment is using stone mulch. This might sound strange, but here’s an explanation: stones absorb heat, so when they’re surrounding plants, this heat will stress them by drying out the soil and requiring more frequent watering. Thankfully, this shouldn’t be a problem in cooler regions, but if you live in a hot area, consider using regular wooden mulch or straw instead.