IN THE GARDEN:

• Do not use chemical pesticides. They are dangerous to your health and the environment. Instead, focus on ecological methods:
  • Arrange your garden in a way that various carnivores will be able to live there - they will take care of the pests.
    
    >> Birds play an important role. To feed their young, they hunt down greenflies, caterpillars, and other larvae. Others also pick seeds from weed. Take a look how to arrange your garden, so that it is suitable for birds.
    
    >> Other friendly helpers for your garden are: bats, hedgehogs, shrews, slowworms, various reptiles, ladybugs, dermatopterans (carabus), earwigs, wasps, hoverflies, homopterans, arachnids and earthworms.
    
    
  • Try to arrange it in such a way, that apart from the plants you grow, you also have flowers in your garden; they attract insects, and this way your garden will function better.
    
    
  • You can also make use of a biodynamical calendar, which tells you when the best time for planting or sowing is, on count of the influence of the Moon.
    
• Care for the soil:
  • Good compost is the key to rich soil. Read more about compost.
    
    
  • Use crop rotation. By changing, what You grow in different areas each year, the soil will be able to rest and won't go arid.
    
    
  • Plowing is not strictly necessary. It causes strata the mix of the soil stratas, and thus causes death of many vital organisms inhabiting them. If you really feel you should do some plowing, the soil may be cultivated with a special rake or single-prong cultivator. More information is available in a book by Marie-Luise Kreuter "Der Bio Garten".
    
    
  • You can putmown grass into your compost bin, or leave it lying on the ground, so that it becomes natural fertilizer.
    
• Water in the garden:
  • A stream or a small pond is a joy not only for the owner. It's also useful for animals which can quench their thirst and rest there.
    
    
  • Watering the garden takes about 5-13 litres per square meter. By using a sprinklers and drip irrigation, you can save a lot of water.
    
    
  • Rainwater can also be caught and used for watering.