Environmentally Friendly Chemicals for Your Lawn & Garden

There are many alternatives to harmful chemicals that we could use to fertilise plants in our green spaces, shares Ivy Delfin.

Replacing chemical-based fertilisers with more environmentally-friendly products is a great way to be more protective of the environment around you. Gardeners are well-placed to lead the charge when it comes to the natural environment. Whether you like to grow gardenias, cultivate fruit trees or like to spend time looking after the lawn, choosing what you put on (and in) the soil is important.



Keeping your lawn aerated is vital to the health of your lawn as well as to the rest of your garden. The best lawns have a thick layer of topsoil and perfect drainage that limits soil loss over time. However, fine soil particles are gradually lost through fluctuations in the weather, creating an even thinner layer of topsoil. Protecting this soil is fundamental. Ensure that you aerate your lawn as this will allow water to seep into the soil rather than running off the top which means less soil loss, increased moisture levels and better root growth. Healthy soil is important for any lawn or garden.

Environmentally friendly fertilisers can be used on your lawn like compost tea as it does not burn the grass or cause any chemical run-off that might infiltrate the soil. Building your own compost heap in the back garden or regularly using a mixture of manure on the garden and lawn will add healthy organic materials. You could also create your own worm farm to breakdown the organic materials. Worms produce nutrient rich worm castings, a high quality, pH neutral soil conditioner which improves the physical qualities of soil.



For the garden, permite from the Exfoliators is a natural mineral which comes in the form of siliceous rock, which improves the soil's physical qualities. Permite improves the soil's ability to provide nutrition for plants, as it has high permeability, low water retention and helps prevent soil compaction. And many gardeners use permite for growing plants, cuttings and seedlings as it can it is easy to dig into potting mix and will not rot or breakdown, making it safe for your garden plants. It is a lighter insulating growing medium for your plants and will help protect their root systems against extremes of weather.



Coffee grounds are also good for your garden as they add nitrogen to the soil, increase the acidity for acid loving plants, and can protect your garden from creatures like slugs, snails and even your (or your neighbour's) cat.

Ivy Delfin is a copywriter working with Exfoliators, the leader in manufacturing Premium Perlite, Premium Vermiculite and Passive Fire Protection products used in a large range of applications such as lightweight plasters or hydroponics. When Ivy's not writing content she enjoys swimming, shopping and taking her Golden Retriever for a walk.