You’ve probably seen them on social media. More and more people are signing up for the fashion of urban gardens. With a small gesture, not only is a very ‘instagrammable’ space achieved, but it also gives you the possibility to change your diet, combat stress and make a stop in the dizzying daily rhythm to which, probably, like the vast majority, you are exposed. Do you need more reasons to take advantage of this new activity? Well, here’s another one: growing and caring for an urban garden will also help you take care of the planet.
You only need to put into practice the guidelines proposed by IKEA from its section “The home of change”. As experts in life at home, they know how to help you cope with the changes you live and get the most out of each one. Are you determined to give an echo to your life? With these simple guidelines, you’ll notice the benefits before you even get started.
If you want, you can
The mere fact of planning the creation of the urban garden has many benefits for your mental health. Among others, it allows you to have your head busy planning something that excites you, your self-esteem, with each step you complete, will be reinforced and you will feel more motivated when observing the results that your work is giving.
We know that setting up an urban garden in a flat or apartment may seem, a priori, complicated. But space is not an issue, despite what many people tend to think. You can place it in an area that fits a cart or a shelf. And, if you opt for a greenhouse there are some models that can be placed on top of a shelf or window.
Lighting is important, but when not enough natural light is available, grow lights can be used. Thanks to its special spectrum of blue and red tones, it helps your crop grow and you can enjoy the fruits of your labor, literally. Of course, to be faithful to the purpose of protecting the environment, the lights should be LED, low consumption.
Taking advantage of the space of the walls is another simple trick that will allow you to set up your urban garden even if the space is not large enough. It consists of placing a bar with hooks to leave the pots hanging with your plants and tools. Not only does it fulfill the functional part of having everything at hand to take care of your crops, but it decorates the room wonderfully. Using a ladder to place different pots is an original option that also allows you to save space.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO NEED FOR YOUR URBAN GARDEN?
- A cultivation module: a support with shelves will allow you to place different crops in an orderly manner and best of all is how beautiful it is.
- Pots and planters: play with different size and style depending on the space you have and the aesthetic result you want to achieve. Do not forget about a trellis for tomatoes, cucumbers and other climbing plants.
- A seedbed: it can be a mold for muffins like Practical and fit several floors at once.
- Seeds: some of the most recurrent for urban gardens are those of aromatic plants, thyme, basil, parsley, rosemary …
- Water: do not forget to always have sprays on hand. You can also install a sustainable irrigation system that will help you not waste water.
- Growing substrate: you can buy it, but we recommend that you make your own compost. It is very simple and with it you will reduce the accumulation of waste.
How to plant the seeds and make them germinate
The first news that will surprise you is that, for this type of garden, you do not need land. How is this possible? Very simple, with the techniques of hydroponic gardening, a way to grow plants that does not require soil, just buy what is known as growing substrate, which helps fix the seed and provides its necessary nutrition based on minerals and water. Result: more plants in less space, since they do not require soil.
What you will need for your seeds to germinate and grow, are small containers, seedbeds and cultivation modules that you can place in any hole you have at home. some jars can serve perfectly and will also be decorative.
Place the seedbed inside the container, cover it with water, fill the holes in the lid of the seedbed with the growing substrate. Place this lid on the module with the seedbed and then put the seeds inside the substrate. Ready, now to take care of them so that they grow.
This method will also allow you not to use herbicides or pesticides and the plants will grow in half the time of conventional agriculture. More food in less time and without any health risk.
If the irrigation system is sustainable, better
Water is a precious commodity and that is why we must take care of its consumption even when it comes to watering our urban garden. For this, we can use sustainable irrigation systems, which consist of techniques or parts that reduce water consumption.
If you usually forget to water the plants and you are one of those who die even a cactus, will come in handy. The accessory keeps the soil moist, so your plants will be able to grow happily despite your forgetful head, or in case you go on vacation.
Compost for the soil
Did you know that almost a third of your garbage can is organic? Peelings of fruits and vegetables, eggshells, food scraps, coffee grounds, foods that expire … All this if you do not recycle it in the organic container ends up in a landfill or in an incinerator … The result: more CO2 and more pollution.
What if all those organic remains end up being transformed into compost, a natural fertilizer that enriches the soil? You need a bin for organic garbage followed by a a olanter or box to store the organic remains.
To make your compost, it is better to use vegetable and plant remains, but you can also incorporate cardboard and paper without ink. Compost only requires you to remove it from time to time and takes about three months to generate. From there, you can throw it into the soil of your plants while taking care of the planet.
