Eco-Friendly Gardening in L.A.
Whatever your gardening goals, remember to include eco-friendly practices. This is especially important relative to water conservation in drought-plagued L.A. this year. From the installation* of artificial grass to drought-resistant plants, your choices matter.
Conserve Water
Replace live turf with artificial grass. This is the single most impactful way of reducing water usage, not only in your garden, but in your entire household. Turf Now!®’s soybean-based artificial grass comes with an eco-friendly BioCel Urethan coating and Celceram™ secondary backing made from recycled components. Plus, you may qualify for the LADWP rebate for removal of live turf.
Choose drought-resistant plants. Your best bet is always going with plants native to California, especially succulents.
Follow the 3-day watering rule. In the City of Los Angeles, you may only water three days per week. If your address ends in an odd number, water on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If your address ends in an even number, water on Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday.
Feed Plants Naturally
Instead of chemical pesticides and fertilizers:
Use organic fertilizer. The list of possibilities is a long one, including alfalfa meal, flax seed meal, cottonseed meal, soya meal, epsom salts, seaweed, eggshells, banana peels, coffee grounds,, manure, and more. You can also purchase ready-made organic fertilizers that combine multiple ingredients.
Compost. If you’re not already, start putting your biodegradable scraps to good use by starting your own compost bin or pile. Just be sure to toss in a good balance of greens, like vegetable peelings and garden debris, as well as browns, like leaves, pine needles, and straw.
Control Pests Naturally
Include pest-resistant plants. When you’re picking out your fave plants for your garden, remember to include aphid-repelling Marigolds and Chrysanthemums at the top of your list.
Attract ladybugs. They eat plant-destroying aphids…and a lot of them. Over the course of a year, one ladybug can eat over 5,000 aphids! So give ladybugs the plants they’re attracted to in your garden, like Queen Anne’s Lace, Fennel, Tansy, and Dandelions.
Attract birds. They eat slugs, snails, caterpillars, and other garden pests. Big bird attractions? Birdfeeders and nesting boxes.
If you would like information about installing* eco-friendly artificial turf on your residential property, contact Turf Now!® at 818-408-4639 or fill out our contact form and a representative will be in touch soon.