Top 10 Ways to Increase Garden Biodiversity

Biodiversity in a garden creates a balance which in turn creates a healthy garden.

The key is to mimic our natural ecosystems, but on a garden-sized scale. This will then create a healthy balance of plant species, insect populations, frogs, reptiles, birds and more.

Some great additions to backyard biodiversity would be to keep chickens and other forms of poultry. Invest in a native beehive or two. Maybe even delve into the world of honeybee beekeeping. Integrating domestic animals and wildlife, including frogs, reptiles and insects within your backyard is a fantastic way to create a natural, biodiverse backyard or property.

Top 10 Ways to Increase Garden Biodiversity

1. Healthy soil – micro-organisms. Add a variety of organic matter to soil profile on a regular basis in the form of compost and worm castings, and don’t forget to mulch.
2. Plant selection – keep it complex with a mix of annual, perennial, native, edible, and ornamental plants.
3. Mimicking nature with layers, such as ground cover, climbers, shrubs, and trees
4. Encouraging pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Get a native beehive or bee hotel that will house solitary native bee species and more.
5. Use no chemicals (pesticides and herbicides) or limit usage.
6. Attract birds to your garden by planting a variety of nectar, seed and habitat producing native plants.
7. Add water to your garden in the form of a pond and bird baths. This will attract frogs and if you include a few native fish to your pond (guppies) this will keep the mosquito larvae under control.
8. Remove weed species. Try making a weed tea with them and use this as an organic fertiliser on your garden.
9. Have a wild section where it is left undisturbed with leaf litter, logs, rocks etc.
10. Encouraging beneficial insects such as lacewings, mantis, predatory wasps, beetles, and spiders that will prey on pest insect species. You can do this by planting favoured flowering plants and having insect hotels.

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