There’s growing interest among gardening enthusiasts in adopting more sustainable practices and ideas to help mitigate and adapt to climate change… and if this is something you’re planning to prioritise in the new year, researching regenerative gardening now could stand you in good stead in the future.
The idea is to consider the environment when planting and managing your outside spaces so that the soil is nourished naturally, without the need for fertilisers. By focusing on soil quality, this way of working helps to increase soil fertility and deliver efficient use of natural resources… which is becoming more and more important as time goes on.
On a large industrial scale, regenerative gardening is great for the planet and can go a long way in the fight against climate change, but there are lots of benefits for individual gardeners as well, including healthier crops, drought resistance, habitat restoration, more fertile soil and less soil erosion, and a more sustainable lifestyle in general.
To get started, you need to find out what kind of soil you have so you can give it what it needs and so you can work out which plants will grow the best.
From there, you can start investigating the different techniques and practices, everything from cover crops and conservation tillage to crop rotation, composting and mulching. Some of these you may even do already, so you could be halfway there without even knowing it!
Composting and mulching are commonplace practices, for example, so you may want to consider starting with something like cover crops.
These are crops that aren’t intended for the harvest, but instead to cover the soil between growing seasons. This can help prevent erosion, improve water quality and keep weeds to a minimum – so you’ll have an easier time of gardening as a result, as well!
Need any help with landscaping in Chester? Get in touch with the LW Landscapes team today to see what we can do.