Reducing your carbon footprint

Control your weeds:

Following these suggestions will help you control weeds in your garden. You will have fewer and fewer weeds each year that you follow these tips:

1. Get rid of weeds BEFORE they go to seed
2. Hand pull grassy weeds while they are still small, before the root system is too well established.
3. Pour boiling water, or straight white vinegar, will kill many weeds
4. To kill weeds in your driveway or pavement, boil half a gallon of water and add a quarter cup of salt and half a cup plus 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Pour onto the weeds while the water is still hot (remember that boiling so much water uses a lot of energy).
5. Once weeds have been removed, they can be composted. Most can be put straight onto your pile.

Electric lawnmower:

Many petrol / diesel / gas mowers are full of greenhouse gases.

A number of older or poorly running mowers create more pollution that many cars. Rather use rechargeable electric mowers which give you almost an hour of mowing time per charge. There are a large number of ‘greener’ options available now.

Starting a Compost Pile:

You can reduce the amount of wate you are responsible for, help wildlife, add fertility to soil, increase plant health and crop yield. Composting is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Home composting is simple. Throw your kitchen and garden waste in a pile and allow it to rot down with no management, but to keep it tidy, use a wooden or plastic bin, or put up two sides to the heap. A successful compost has moisture but isn’t waterlogged. It has air but it isn’t drying out.

Mix or turn your compost pile to help break up compacted layers and adding air.