Use water-permeable hardscaping in your yard. This allows water to be absorbed into the soil beneath the hardscaping rather than flowing off and adding to the millions of gallons that end up in our water treatment plants or —during heavy storms — in our streets. Urban water runoff not only contributes to water waste and flooding, it also results in water pollution when it flows into our rivers. You can use pavers, gravel, and other similar water-permeable materials instead of impermeable concrete and asphalt.
Don’t use peat moss or products (such as some potting soils) that contain it. Peat moss is used in gardening to add acidity and bulk to soil and to increase its water-holding capacity. Peat is mined from wetlands, and is not a renewable resource. The wetlands take thousands of years to recover, and for all intents and purposes that ecosystem is gone forever. The process of mining the peat moss also releases greenhouse gases such as methane into the atmosphere. Coconut coir is a very sustainable alternative. It is a waste product of coconut harvesting and has been shown to perform as well as peat moss.
Use compost or organic fertilizers such as chicken manure instead of artificial fertilizers. Artificial fertilizers are not as nutritious for your plants, and tend to damage the microbiome of the soil. They also require a lot of fossil fuel energy to produce. Your own compost is best (stay tuned for an article on how to compost in the desert) but you can also get it at Tank’s Green Stuff.
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