From trimming a shrub to raking the leaves, there are plenty of garden chores that need to be done to keep yards looking their best.
However, one of the most challenging parts of gardening can come when it's time to get rid of the waste. Fortunately, there are many creative ways to reuse or recycle home and garden waste.
Gardeners have a lot of different options when it comes to what they can do with garden waste.
As autumn falls there will be lots of leaves, twigs and other garden waste that will need to be disposed of. If you live in a flat or a rented property there is a good chance that the council will collect it for you; however, if you have your own garden then you are probably going to have to get rid of it yourself.
There are many ways to do this, and you may already have a preferred method, but a good way to do this is by composting.
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If you have a lot of yard waste that needs to be disposed of and don't want to pay for regular trash collection, it's time for you to start thinking about your options.
There are many ways in which people can reduce their impact on the environment even if they live in the city
First things first - before putting any plant material into your crockpot, make sure that anything which might cause mold such as wet leaves have been removed from them. This will help maintain good air flow inside the pot and prevent smells and pests from building up.
You could also try donating unwanted items from around your property or hosting a neighborhood cleanup day. Just make sure everyone knows what kind of stuff they're expected to bring!
And remember: whatever solution you choose, never dispose of green materials by burning them; this releases harmful fumes into the air and is illegal in most places.
Whether you live in a city, suburb, or rural area, there are plenty of ways for you to reuse and recycle your yard waste - without adding to the burden on landfills.
A couple of common options include composting and recycling what's leftover; both have their pros and cons. Which one is best for you?
It depends on how much space you have available at home as well as what your preferences are when it comes to what you put into your garden.
A good compost pile needs to be kept damp, but not wet. Keep it covered with a tarp or something like plastic wrap (so that the sun doesn't scorch what you've been working on) and add water from time to time if necessary
Make sure your compost is in an area where air can circulate around it so as to maintain aerobic conditions inside - this will help encourage bugs which are important for breaking down material into nutrients. When adding materials such as kitchen scraps, mix them in well with other materials already present before piling more on top of them. This way they'll have plenty of oxygen circulating through them without sitting at the bottom getting moldy! Staggering what's added on top will also help in that regard.
It's a good idea to turn your pile with a pitchfork or shovel every few weeks because what is on the outside of the pile composts faster than what's at the center. Turning it helps redistribute nutrients and speeds up the decomposition process.
Composting worms are amazing for turning food scraps into nutrient-rich fertilizer, but they need to be kept moist so be sure not to let them dry out.
A simple tarp laid out between rows of plants can make an excellent row cover. These can provide protection from frost, snow, insects or birds while still letting air through if needed.
You may have heard that recycling helps the environment, but many people don't understand how it actually does this - or why they should even care about doing so in the first place. The reality of the situation? Recycling can help reduce our carbon footprint and save energy as well as natural resources like water and fossil fuels. Simply diverting materials away from landfills to be recycled instead not only reduces waste production at home, but also prevents these materials from contaminating soil and water supplies once they're discarded outside of a landfill site.
