A healthy wildlife garden relies not just on organic gardening methods, which are safer for animals and the environment, it also relies on sustainable methods, which conserve resources.
Fertilizers
In the organic gardening method, you feed the plants and the soil. A healthy soil begets healthy plants. We want to encourage healthy microbial and fungal growth, which will grow plants that can withstand less than ideal conditions and/or an invasion of pests. It is the foundation of a healthy garden, and it is a long-term solution.
Chemical fertilizers only feed the plant, not the soil, and they can be damaging to the delicate microbial life in the soil. They offer a temporary fix. Furthermore, chemical fertilizers can run off into our storm drains into our watersheds, doing damage to our water sources and harming our lakes and rivers.
Contrary to popular belief, in general, you really shouldn’t need to use fertilizers unless your soil is lacking a specific nutrient. This can be determined by doing a soil test.
That said, at the start of the season, I like to use a bit of nitrogen-based fertilizer to speed that early growth. (Note that nitrogen encourages the growth of foliage, not flowers or fruit.)
I use a bit of fish emulsion now and then for this purpose. Be advised, though, that it works well and is totally organic, but it can be stinky! I always apply at least one layer of compost too.
I also use some Medina HastaGro once plants begin to flower or produce fruit because it has a higher phosphorous content, which promotes fruiting and blooming.
Other good organic nitrogen sources (that I have not yet tried) includes:
- bat guano
- poultry manure
- alfalfa meal (Marlene the Plant Lady from the podcast “Flower Power Garden Hour” swears by this)
- compost
Pest Control
It goes without saying that if you are creating a wildlife garden, you must use organic gardening methods of pest control. Note that my definition of pests includes damaging insects, weeds, and fungal diseases.
Weeds
Pull them! Seriously. If you pull a few each day, it won’t get out of control. The best time to pull weeds is after a rain or after you’ve watered when the ground is soft.
Insects
For the most part, I recommend very few sprays/solutions–even organic. It’s always better to take a cautious approach. You don’t have to whip out the spray every time you see a bug. Lots of beneficials hang out on plants too. Just because an insect might look scary (see my post on that here) doesn’t mean they are bad!
Furthermore, although organic methods are safe for the environment, remember that they can harm the good insects too. Still, used judiciously, they can be helpful.
BT (bacillus thuringiensis)
This is a naturally occurring soil-borne bacteria that attacks the digestive systems of caterpillars and kills them. However, it is safe for use around birds, mammals, and fish.
While this is helpful for the caterpillars we don’t want, it must be used with caution because there are many harmless butterflies and moths that we do not want to harm. This is especially true about the Monarch butterfly, which is currently threatened.
We battle tent worms and cucumber moths in our gardens and have used BT with success.
Diatomaceous Earth
This is a fine powder made from sedimentary rock. It’s useful for controlling ants, pillbugs, and other crawlies, and is safe around mammals and birds. However, once it gets wet, you will have to reapply it. Also note that it is very dangerous if inhaled by humans, so please wear a mask when using it.
Insecticidal Soap
Insecticidal soaps are useful for many insects, including aphids and mealybugs. I’ve read that they are moderately effective against fleas, chiggers, mites, and thrips.
You can easily make these or buy a prepared product. The benefit of buying it seems to be that they have a longer shelf life.
It’s easy to forget that sometimes nature can provide the best solutions to insect infestations. Beneficial insects, aka soldier bugs, are an inexpensive and fun way to control insects that harm plants. They are also one of the most sustainable methods of pest control. I’ve used Nature’s Good guys for
Fungal Diseases
I don’t have a lot of experience with organic fungicides, except for cinnamon. Yes, cinnamon! It might sound weird, but the common spice (it must be 100 percent real cinnamon powder) is quite effective in halting the growth of fungi.
I’ve used cinnamon with great success on slime mold (if you’ve never seen it, it’s just as it sounds. Google it!), powdery mildew), and leaf spots.
I’ve heard sulfur dust is useful, but I’ll have to research that one and get back to you.
Sustainable Methods for Conserving Water
The best sustainable method for conserving water is to use rain barrels. Rain barrels catch the rainfall from your roof and collect it in a large container. You can then attach a hose and use that water to water your plants.
Even a small scale water collection can be helpful. I have a large clay pot underneath my rain chain, and I use that to water also. This was a particularly heavy rain!
Drip irrigation or using a soaker hose is also water-wise. It is better for plants if you do a long slow water fewer times a week than lots of fast waterings more often. This is because the long, slow water encourages plants to grow deeper roots. Deeper roots mean plants will be able to withstand hotter temperatures with less water.
Mulch
Using mulch is one of the best ways to help your plants conserve water. It also helps to suppress weeds. There are many different types of much, including
- Wood chips
- Straw
- Dried leaves
- Lawn clippings
- Pea gravel
Wood chips have the most aesthetic value. So, these are good choice for front beds that will be most visible.
My second favorite mulch is dried leaves. If you have trees, simply save up all those leaves you rake up each fall. We use ours to mulch our vegetable garden, and they work great. This is also one of the most highly sustainable methods.
Compost
One of the most cost-efficient sustainable methods you can adopt is composting. A compost bin recycles kitchen waste and yard clippings. I mean, think about it, with a little effort, you can have free compost whenever you want instead of buying bags of it at the nursery.
There are different ways to compost. You can have an open compost pile that you turn with a shovel every now and then.
Or you can purchase a tumbler style that has a crank you can turn the compost with such as this one
This style is good for keeping rats and other unsavory critters out.