5 Great Uses for Your Garden Waste

Garden waste around here all goes to our wonderful visiting critters plus our horses! However, I’ve been really debating on one year starting a compost heap. Lodi and I don’t eat a lot and, goodness knows, when I get behind in the garden even my horses get tired of giant cucumbers lol

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)

If you’re looking to get rid of all that garden waste you’ve cleared out of your yard this summer, there are plenty of ways you can put it to good use. A yard decluttering project is great for the summer, but you’ll probably be left with a few wheelbarrows full you don’t know what to do with. Garden waste is mostly organic, so it can be repurposed in the yard, either as compost, or structures for plants or even wildlife. Here are five great uses for your garden waste.

Compost heap

First things first, separate your garden waste into organic or otherwise, and only keep what you think you can really make us of. If you need the remainder of your waste collected, you can contact a same day removal service such as https://www.samedayrubbishremoval.com.au/ to take care of this for you. Organic material such as leaves, vegetables, and other food waste such as fruits, eggshells, or teabags make excellent compost, so hold on to these. These types of materials break down quicker than others, so you can make a compost heap with minimal effort.

Support for climbing plants

If you have long twigs and branches that you’ve cut down during your summer yard clearout then these can make excellent support for climbing plants. This saves you money on ordering new frames and posts for your garden. For inspiration have a look at these best climbing plant support ideas, and try to make your own from recycled materials. It’s much better for the environment than buying new ones.

Keep your lawn moist

You’re finally ticking off those summer goals and have managed to achieve that perfect lawn, but don’t forget to maintain it. Grass trimmings from your lawnmower are an effective moisturizer for your lawn. They also help to enrich the soil so sprinkle them around trees and in your flowerbeds.  

Build a home for wildlife

Now that summer is coming to an end it’s the perfect time of year to make your own wildlife homes. Give the local critters a helping hand by building them a shelter to hibernate or nest in. Depending on your local wildlife, you could build a home for insects, birds, or even small mammals. Sometimes even a pile of logs and twigs is enough to provide a home to many kinds of minibeasts. This will help to boost the eco-system of your garden and keep unwanted pests away.

Keep pests away

If you’re looking for more tips to keep pests out of your yard, use your garden waste to cover patches of bare soil where certain larger animals might like to do their business. Sprinkle cuttings of prickly edged plants such as holly and conifers to make your flowerbeds a not so comfortable toilet for unwanted visitors such as cats, racoons, or foxes. 

Other pests like mice and rats may not mind prickly-edged plants. That is because these rodents have a knack for maneuvering through the trickiest of places. Before you know it, you will be dealing with an extensive rodent infestation in your garden waste. It is in your interest to call pest control services as soon as you see signs of a pest invasion in your garden waste.

There are plenty of uses for garden waste, so have a think about what you can repurpose after your summer clearout. You’ll do your yard a lot of good.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)