Welcome to The Feed! This is where we share good news stories about the environment and composting tips with our community every week. Subscribe to our newsletter to get a short & sweet version of The Feed delivered to your inbox every week!
26,000 trees planted in counting!
We’re all about doing great stuff for the planet, and we haven’t stopped at just compost. Over the past year, the Subpod community has been planting trees with their purchases – and our forest just broke the 26,000 tree mark!
We plant our trees with Ecologi, who've used your support to help restore peatland in Indonesia and convert landfill emissions into green energy in Turkey – and that's just this month! Collectively, our community has diverted 15 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere (and that's not even counting what you divert with Subpod).
We're so proud of the impact our community is making on the world. Every banana peel composted & tree planted is a huge victory! Thanks to you and your fellow composters, there’s 26,000 more trees on our planet than there was this time last year, and even more new composters fighting to end food waste.
Feeling lockdown fatigue? Triple J says get in the garden
A recent survey in the UK found that 83 per cent of 18-34 year olds were happy to describe gardening as 'cool', and lockdowns have a lot to do with it. Clare Scrine, an Aussie 27 year old cookbook author, is just one of thousands of younger people who’ve gotten into gardening as a way to de-stress during lockdown.
"There have been times when it's been literally the thing that I wake up in the morning and think about - am I gonna water the garden? I wonder how the tomatoes are doing?" she told Triple J’s Hack. "It's really good for dealing with some of those bigger things, with depression and anxiety."
But why is that? Well, it doesn’t take a scientist to figure out that being outside is good for us – but here’s the opinion of one anyway. Dr Simon Lush is a (perfectly named) clinical psychologist who uses gardening in his therapy practice. He’s said there’s growing evidence around the benefits of spending time with plants.
"[It] activates what's called the parasympathetic nervous system, which is basically just our kind of calming response after we've been stressed out. These cues come from nature, so from green environments.” Lush thinks gardening can almost be like a little holiday for the mind – and, honestly? We’ll take any holiday we can get right now.
Feel like your gardening skills (or lack of) are holding you back from starting a feel-good garden? Read the rest of the article from Hack to hear some reassuring words from Gardening Australia’s compost king, Costa.
Irrigation system cuts water use 30-50% by talking to plants
If that last article has gotten you hyped to start a Spring Garden, don’t buy a drip irrigation system for it just yet – because there’s a new kid in town.
Most irrigation systems work on timers, calculated by you to fit your plants water needs based on its species and what the weather is like in your area. But a new type of watering system has been developed, and your plants can tell it when they need more water!
It’s called Responsive Drip Irrigation (DRI), and it works by ‘translating’ the biochemical signals plants give off, allowing it to ‘listen’ for a plants’ cry for water. It’s a huge breakthrough in the industry, and early tests have shown it can help farmers (and hopefully soon, gardeners) reduce up to 50% of their water use.
In the face of a warming climate, droughts and water shortages, this technology will be invaluable for anyone who grows food – and not just because it saves water. In Pakistan, near the dry area around Islamabad, vegetables like tomatoes and bok choy were grown 81% faster and twice as large than with a regular drip irrigation system! So there’s also early evidence this new technology will also increase overall crop yields.
From the community – Another Mini has found its garden
After secretly working on Subpod Mini for two years, every photo of a Mini in its new garden is exciting! This one was set up in a wicking bed that @moniquekawecki will use to keep her plants well hydrated in the coming warm weather.
"The @subpod is another brilliant design I love, making composting ever so easy (keeping your organics out of landfill) and keeping 🪱, soil and 🐝🪲🦋🐞🐛🐜🕷️ happy! So excited to use modern designs of nature’s existing inventions."
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