Bamboo has long held a special role in diverse and healthy garden ecosystems. Indeed, as highlighted by Country Living, when planted appropriately – using the right types of bamboo – they can be enormously helpful to the garden, tying together groundsoils and providing a reliable water store. Just as bamboo as a plant can help to grow the garden, so can the biodegradable products used in everyday life that are made from the helpful plant. When brought together with a seasonal, all-natural planting cycle, you can build an efficient and eco-friendly green space.
Bamboo in companion planting
One way to generate a plentiful garden that has natural boundaries is through companion planting. This involves putting friendly plants together in foot square boundaries. When square foot gardening what to plant together is relatively simple to consider, and can be linked to food groups; tomato and basil is a good example, as is green beans and corn. One key element of square foot planting is keeping the beds at appropriate heights, according to Cornell. A prime way of achieving this comes through proper pot boundaries, and using materials to help separate out roots. Consider using bamboo bags, even kitchen charcoal ones when they’re expended. The hardy material will ensure that the plants stay in their lane and continue to grow together properly.
Keeping it natural
Part of the fun of square foot gardening is being able to farm household-levels of produce without the effort that proper beds demand. However, planting out-of-region and out-of-season vegetables can stress out soils. To counter this, plant the rest of your garden with indigenous plants. These plants will lessen the need for fertilizers and pesticides, and also help to bring nutrients into the soil and retain water. One great way to prepare soil for them is using sisal bags, or fibers. These will create a matrix for the plants to latch on to, and further strengthen their networks, supercharging your indigenous plants and providing natural networks for them to rely on.
Retaining water
Water retention is another major factor in eco-gardening. Ensuring that your green spaces keep hold of as much water as possible, and provide proper runoff to the water table (instead of collecting water into flooded portions) is key. That’s partly achieved through plants, but it’s also achieved through smart use of water. Make the best use of every last drop you have, and ensure that you use products like bamboo cups to measure out what you use. Furthermore, instead of throwing water down the drain when you’re done, use it on the garden instead – as long as there’s no chemicals or other problematic compounds in it.
Taking these steps will help you to build a garden that’s not only productive, but eco-friendly, too. There is a social and moral imperative for garden owners everywhere to make their places a little safer for the environment – and that’s achievable with careful thought and the right products.
Photo by Martin Kníže on Unsplash
