Many factors can affect your garden’s health. In particular, our article “How to Keep Your Garden Healthy” reminds you to check for bugs when bringing home new plants and ensure that your fertilizer doesn’t have an overabundance of certain nutrients—like cadmium, which can disrupt plants’ nutritional balance.
Yet there’s another factor you may not have thought about that can affect the health of your garden: smoking. Cigarettes contain toxic materials that can affect your plants in the long run. That means quitting the habit can benefit your garden. To find out why and how to stop smoking, keep reading below:
How does quitting smoking benefit garden health?
It reduces your garden’s exposure to toxic materials.
The Environment News Service reveals cigarette butts leak thousands of killer chemicals and microplastic fibers into the environment. Lead alone can inhibit seed germination and root elongation.
Meanwhile, microplastics can alter soil’s bulk density and water-holding capacity, preventing plants from absorbing vital nutrients like potassium. By quitting smoking, you control your plants from further being exposed to and affected by these compounds.
It improves the air quality on your property.
Cigarette smoke carries many harmful chemicals, including those previously discussed. When you exhale smoke, these toxic ingredients become air pollutants that can’t just be absorbed into the soil—it can also coat plant leaves.
These can block the pores or stomata in those leaves, affecting their metabolic function and capacity for photosynthesis. You’ll improve your garden’s overall air quality and plant health by quitting smoking.
It prevents Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV)
Plants can get TMV when a person who handles tobacco products touches a leaf. TMV can infect other plants when the contaminated area comes in contact with other leaves. This results in leaf discoloration due to tobacco potentially carrying a virus that disturbs cell activities in the plant. As a result, it disrupts photosynthesis and the size of the fruit and flowers that plants bear. Quitting smoking will stop TMV from damaging your garden.
How to quit smoking
Do another activity to replace smoking.
People usually smoke as a response to feelings like stress or due to the nature of habit. Despite smoking being part of your daily life, WFMZ notes changing bad habits is possible by replacing them with healthier ones.
For instance, you can exercise to release pent-up stress and tension instead of smoking. You can also call a friend or take on a non-gardening hobby—like baking—to keep your mind off cigarettes while having an outlet for your emotions.
Try nicotine replacement therapy.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) involves using alternative nicotine products like pouches and tablets—both biodegradable and tobacco-free—to reduce cigarette consumption gradually. A nicotine pouch releases nicotine into the bloodstream when placed between the gum and upper lip.
ZYN is a famous brand that makes various pouch flavors (like cinnamon and coffee) and strengths (3 or 6mg) to meet people’s preferences. Meanwhile, nicotine lozenges fully dissolve in the mouth. Nicorette is famous for making several flavors, such as cherry and mint.
However, note that you must use them in moderation to quit smoking over time sustainably. The side effects of ZYN include an upset stomach and mouth soreness. These may mean you’re using a nicotine flavor and strength too strong for you so that you can explore unflavored pouches in lighter doses.
Otherwise, try reducing the number of pouches you use daily. You can also get adverse reactions from Nicorette and tablets, including nausea and heartburn. These are avoidable if you consume less than 20 daily and don’t eat them consecutively. Avoiding such side effects can push you to quit gradually while staving off smoking withdrawals.
Overall, smoking can stop you from keeping your garden in good health. Establish healthier habits or use NRT products to quit and see your garden flourish.
