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4 Truthful Eco-Friendly Tips For Growing Food At Home

4 Truthful Eco-Friendly Tips For Growing Food At Home

Less than one in every four children eat an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables per day, according to a US study. With so many people still struggling to have proper access to fruits and vegetables, we think it’s only natural to consider growing food at home to improve your family’s nutrition. Doing so in an eco-friendly manner means knowing where and how to grow plants in an efficient, and recycling-minded manner. Here are some eco-friendly tips for growing food at home.

You can do it

If you want to be growing food at home, the first thing you may worry about is how to control your growing space. Our first tip is to remember you don't need a yard or large garden to grow plants; a planter near a clear and unobstructed window or hanging baskets outside can help in smaller residences. Also consider a grow wall where you can grow vegetables and herbs right next to your kitchen, made possible by an LED grow light.

Get Started

To choose the best quality space, we suggest choosing a side of your home that gets the most sunlight, or explore dark rooms and corners of your home with grow lights. If you do have the luxury, consider setting up a greenhouse outside.

Save Money and the Environment

Using a greenhouse with its special heat-retention glass, or these areas exposed to excess sunlight can be a massive help in keeping energy costs down. Another costly area of home growing is fertilizer. Keeping planters or dirt rich with nutrients after the season ends can be difficult. Consider a do-it-yourself method for simplicity.

Composting

To that end, we recommend creating a compost pile, to make sure your plants have nutrient-rich soil. A compost pile is relatively self-sustaining and should consist of browns such as your plants that have died off, greens such as grass trimmings rich with nitrogen, and enough moisture to help them both break down over time. Plants that have begun to wither aren't the only thing you can recycle in home-growing though. Gray water is water that has been used for processes like watering plants or hydrating farm animals. It may not be fit for drinking but it is still beneficial for plants. When watering plants, consider setting a bucket under your planters or baskets to catch run-off. Then, recycle the gray water to cut down your water-usage footprint. Growing food in your home doesn't have to be limited by space or expenses. If you have an outdoor space, consider buying heat-retaining greenhouse glass or other means to convert your garden. Consider a hanging basket or a simple planter by the window if you don't have excess space. Also recycle dead plants into compost, as well as use gray water to hydrate your plants. Mold your home into a more eco-friendly growing environment.