Starting a home garden can feel like wading through a jungle of advice, especially when it comes to soil care and weed control.
It's easy to get tangled in conflicting opinions and hard to weed out the poor guidance (pun fully intended).
Home gardener Briana (@blossomandbranchfarm) shared their early gardening missteps in an Instagram post, highlighting how following popular but misguided advice led to long-term consequences.
In an effort to manage weeds, Briana initially used landscape fabric, a commonly recommended product. Unfortunately, it ultimately did more harm than good.
Not only did it fail to solve the weed problem, but it also degraded the soil and left behind microplastics. Even after switching to more sustainable methods, Briana occasionally finds remnants of plastic in their garden beds.
Realizing the toll that landscape fabric took on the soil's health, Briana began exploring better, more regenerative options. "I vowed to find a better way," they said.
That's when they discovered the power of mulching, especially with cover crops. As Briana put it, "Mulching provides amazing benefits for the soil, but when we mulch with cover crops, it's even more incredible and beneficial!"
After experimenting with mulching using leaves and other natural materials, Briana found that cover crops offered superior results. Not only did they suppress weeds more effectively, but they also improved soil structure and boosted the garden's overall ecosystem.
If you want to follow in Briana's footsteps and avoid common pitfalls, planting a native lawn is a powerful step toward healthier soil. Native plant lawns offer a range of benefits. They require less mowing, watering, and fertilizing than traditional turf grass, which means big savings on time and money.
Beyond the practical perks, native lawns support local biodiversity by creating a healthier ecosystem for pollinators such as bees and butterflies, critical allies in protecting our food supply.
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If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Making it look better 🌱 Even a partial switch to clover, buffalo grass, native plants, or xeriscaping cuts maintenance and helps the planet.
Commenters on Briana's post were thankful for the advice. One stated, "Thank you for sharing." Another said, "That's a great method for controlling weeds and maintaining soil moisture!"
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