Spring has sprung, and for budding gardeners that means it’s time to start planning for the year ahead. This year Yorkshire Wildlife Trust are encouraging gardeners of plots big and small across Yorkshire to consider their local wildlife in their plans. Each week we’re focusing on a different area of wildlife gardening that will make a big difference to your local wildlife, whilst still giving you space to grow your prize-winning tomatoes!

This week we’re looking at ways you can manage your garden for wildlife…

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Making your own compost at home will reduce plastic from compost bags, but if you’re unable to do so then make sure the compost you buy is peat-free. Request peat free plants at the garden centre too. Peat-based compost will be banned for home gardening in 2024 to help our rich peatland habitat and lock in the carbon – a big contributor to our rapidly changing climate.

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A compost area or bin is a fantastic way of recycling garden waste and vegetable scraps, and saves money. There are lots of different ways you can compost your green waste to benefit your garden – use a dedicated compost bin, create your own area out of pallets or wooden planks or make one out of wire. Make sure to turn it regularly, keep it moist and avoid adding food waste like meat or fish scraps that could attract rats.

There are also simple and straightforward methods for ‘green’ plant feeds and pest control. To keep your plants well-fed, make a green plant feed out of comfrey, seaweed or even coffee grounds –check which nutrients your plants are lacking and choose the appropriate feed.

Avoid using pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or slug pellets. All of these can have a catastrophic effect on your local wildlife. Annually, we apply 16.9 thousand tons of pesticides on our countryside every year, and that does not include what we spray in our towns and our cities, in our gardens and the chemicals we pour down our drains.

Pesticides and herbicides enter the food chain and build to harmful levels in our pollinators, which are already struggling – three-quarters of our crops require pollination by pollinating insects, and we have lost 50% of our pollinators since 1970. These chemical pest-eradicators also target species we need which may eat or absorb them accidentally, and run into and contaminating our waterways. There are many green ways to control your garden pests, including companion planting, encouraging natural predators and using deterrents or barriers.

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A wormery is a fast and efficient way to turn your vegetable and kitchen scraps into nutritious compost. Wormeries also produce liquid feed which is nutrient rich and full of microbes to improve your soil and feed your plants.

To go the whole mile, try out plastic-free gardening. 80% of marine pollution comes from the land, a large proportion of which is choking micro-plastics. Switch to plastic-free planting alternatives such as wooden seed trays, loo roll or egg-box modules, twine, hessian, terracotta pots and glass cloches. 

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have launched a Wildlife Gardening Award to inspire people to do more for wildlife in their gardens. This award recognises the valuable contribution that gardeners are already making, and encourages keen wildlife gardeners across Yorkshire to share what they are doing and the positive impact they are having.

The Trust is welcoming applications from everyone, no matter how large or small their garden is – as well as gardens in community spaces, schools, workplaces, care homes… in fact, any type of garden you can think of!