- Know your soil. Understanding the type of soil in your garden is crucial to determining which plants will thrive, and which won't.
- Use a watering can or a soaker hose to deliver water directly to the roots, and avoid getting the leaves wet.
- Soak weeds in a container to extract nutrient. Water your plants with that every now and then. If it looks sad, it needs water (a good rule for houseplants and humans).
- Adopt permaculture principles, which mimic patterns found in nature to create a self-sustaining ecosystem. The 12 principles are:
- Observe and interact.
- Catch and store energy. For example, capturing rain water.
- Obtain a yield.
- Apply self-regulation and accept feedback.
- Use and value renewable resources and services.
- Produce no waste.
- Design from patterns to details.
- Integrate rather than segregate.
- Use small and slow solutions.
- Use and value diversity.
- Use edges and value the marginal.
- Creatively use and respond to change.