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 Make your yard healthy and beautiful… without working too hard! Maintain a garden’s natural balance and you will have healthier plants and fewer pest problems. You’ll save water and use fewer chemicals too.
- Build healthy soil with compost and mulch. Soil is alive, and soil life matters.
These beneficial soil creatures improve soil structure and recycle nutrients. They store water for plants and protect them from pests and diseases.
- Plant right for your site. Get to know your yard.
Areas of shade, wet or dry soil, or slope all affect which plants will grow well. Choose plants that will thrive in those areas and that resist insects and diseases. Group plants by their needs for water, sun and soil.
- Practice smart watering. Many plant problems are caused by overwatering.
Water plants deeply to promote deep roots. Let the surface of the soil dry out before watering again.
- Learn to live with a few insects. Most bugs in your garden are actually helpful.
Killing them all eliminates the beneficial insects too, making the problem worse. Good bugs are a gardener’s friend.
- Practice natural lawn care. People often use more water and chemicals on their lawns than they need.
Try these easy steps instead,
- Mow high (2 to 3 inches) and mow regularly. Leave the clippings for free fertilizer.
- Use "natural organic" or "slow-release" fertilizers.
- Water deeply – 1 inch once a week during the dry season – to moisten the whole root zone, and let the soil dry out in-between. This prevents lawn disease and saves water.
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