Put ecology first in your garden

Yvette says it may be timeconsuming, but it’s easy to follow ecologically sensible principles in your own garden:

1

Know your soil. Have your soil tested – the type (clay, sand or loam), the pH level, as well as levels of other nutrients. You can then make the necessary adjustments over time with organic home-made compost, mulches or cover crops.

2

Remove everything toxic from the soil, including rubbish and plastic.

3

Get rid of aggressive invaders like couch grass (also known as kweek) or bamboo reed, but remember, it can take months – even years – to eradicate them completely. Persevere.

4

Diversity ensures balance. Plant a variety of plants that have adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, and are not as susceptible to diseases and pests. A variety of plants also provides a richer habitat for beneficial insects, birds and other wildlife. Keep your lawn as small as possible.

5

Don’t simply remove and throw away things. “Just about everything can be recycled. Find new uses for old items rather than sending them to landfills. At Cederkloof, for example, we placed the aggressive grass we removed onto the farm roads to reduce dust clouds; we remove the grass here, but must wait until it has completely withered before it’s safe to use in compost or as a mulch,” says Yvette.

6Make compost from a good balance of green organic waste (such as vegetable and fruit peelings, grass and coffee grounds) and brown waste (including old branches, leaves and paper) to enrich your garden soil.

7An organic mulch such as wood chips or compost is nonnegotiable – it helps retain soil moisture, reduces weed growth and breaks down over time to enrich the soil with nutrients that promote healthy plant growth.

8

Don’t till the soil and disturb the microbial life unless, you need to get rid of nasty weed banks.

9

Never try to take shortcuts with chemical pesticides or herbicides. In the long term it is better to control pests and weeds with beneficial insects like ladybirds and other predators such as spiders and birds, as well as crop rotation and companion planting.

10

Be water smart. Water deeper but less frequently to encourage the plants to form deeper root systems. Catch all possible rainwater.