Gardening is one of the best ways we can be reducing our carbon footprint as well as improving our eating habits, not to mention all the other benefits it brings with it.
Many conventional gardeners will tell you that without animal products abundant harvests won’t be possible. This simply isn’t true and in this guide we’ll show you how you can create a healthy and prosperous lawn and garden while keeping it Vegan friendly.
The first step to any successful garden is getting soil quality down to a pat, without it your plants and vegetables will struggle to gain any nutrients from the soil which in turn will hinder their growth and your harvests. Most fertilizers incorporate animal products, blood and bone or animal manure. Here are our favorite methods for creating nutrient rich soil for your garden to thrive in.
Start with composting
Every gardener swears by their compost, it’s the cheapest and easiest way you can be keeping the soil in your garden healthy. You’ll also recycle the natural food matter in your house such as paper, fruit and vegetable scraps. Get a bin either from wood or plastic, something that is two to three feet wide and up to your waste. Now fill it up with all the natural waste your house produces. Over time this waste breaks down and creates a moist nutrient rich dirt like substance. Spread the composts product on top of the soil, about one inch high will work well. You can cover beds that you intend to sew soon, or cover existing vegetable plants around their base.
Vegan Liquid fertilizers
Liquid fertilizers can be so important for producing rich nutrients that your garden so desperately needs. They can be a little expensive at times, either containing toxic or animal products. If you live close to the sea you’re in luck because seaweed can produce some of the most nutrient rich liquids. Collect enough seaweed that it fills up a large bucket quarter of the way, then fill the rest of the bucket full of water and give it a good stir, leave this seaweed mixture to sit for around two months.
After the two months drain what’s left of the seaweed so you’re left with the liquid mix. This seaweed liquid fertilizer does wonders for your garden. The resulting liquid is filled with all the beneficial properties of the seaweed. Pour this mixture either lightly on seedlings or the base of existing plants.
For those who don’t live on the coast the second vegan liquid fertilizer requires only the plant and weed matter your home produces. Get a large bucket and fill it quarter full with old fruit and veggies, as well as the weeds you’ve plucked out of your garden. Add water, give it a good mix and let it sit for one week. Strain the organic matter from the mix. Use this mixture less sparingly compared to the seaweed since it requires very little time to produce.
Deter pests the vegan way
Probably the biggest problem any garden will eventually face is pests, nothing’s worse than seeing a new harvest completely ravaged. Pests can produce a variety of different problems and being able to deter them effectively is something every gardener must learn. Most conventional gardening methods either kill the pests and use toxic or animal products. The vegan alternatives can be just as effective and animal friendly.
Companion planting
The plant life in our gardens are all in the same boat and if they can, they should help each other out in any way possible. Companion planting is the process of growing pest deterring plants in close proximity to the rest of your garden, especially vegetable patches that can get badly ravaged by insect pests. Herbs can be highly effective as companion plants due to their strong scents. Herbs such as Chives, Garlic or basil can deter a variety of different insects as well as being very useful in the kitchen. If you’re having trouble with a plant specific insect species, research what plant deters that insect species specifically and plant it around where your garden is being eaten most.
Grow a variety of different plant life
Plant specific insect pests can be a real problem and if the majority of your garden is made up of a specific fruit or vegetable it can be very vulnerable to a plant specific insect pest. If you’re unlucky you may be forced to uproot the entirety of your garden. This is why it’s recommended you firstly diversify what you grow and diversity the different plant categories in your garden. For example if your garden is made up entirely of different types of root crops, root crops will still be susceptible to similar insect pests. That’s why you should aim to grow root crops such as sweet potato or radish, leafy greens such as lettuce or spinach and Marrow vegetables such as Pumpkin or Yam. Creating a categorised garden will mean when pests do arrive it will be diversified and the least susceptible to their attacks.
In conclusion If you’re a veteran gardener or just considering the hobby, take up the vegan side of things and go completely organic. It’s not a difficult process and will provide a new challenge by staying away from any animal or artificial products. Gardening on its own is such a satisfying and fulfilling hobby and the vegan alternatives will only add to your enjoyment.
Tristan is a garden and veganism advocate who runs the blog Sydney Gardeners, he enjoys sharing and learning new ideas in the sustainability and garden niche.