You don’t need a by-the-numbers guide to have a thriving garden
In fact, many successful farmers and home gardeners use a little creativity to solve common problems like pest prevention, ineffective seed starters, and landscaping designs. Best of all, many of these gardening hacks don’t require any special skills or equipment. All they need is a little time, energy, and items you were probably going to trash anyway. Like many hobbies, gardening takes some problem-solving, trial and error, and creativity, so here are some unique solutions to expand your skill set.
The Plastic Fork Gardening Hack
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It’s wonderful to see wildlife interacting with your garden. But not if the animals are destroying your hard work. However, it may be difficult to discourage intruders without accidentally hurting them. Fortunately, Lorraine Thompson, a garden expert and the founder of Best Florist Reviews, has a simple and creative solution.
“If you have problems with animals like squirrels and raccoons digging up your plants, try sticking plastic forks into the soil around the base of your plants. The forks will make it difficult for the animals to dig, without harming them.” Strung up CDs may also help to repel birds and other wildlife.
Read: Say Goodbye to That Pesky Toilet Bowl Ring With This Hack
Plant-in-a-Pot
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Would you like to redesign your garden by swapping around plant varieties and colors? Of course, replanting fully-grown plants on a whim can hurt their growth. Unless you are not replanting the plants themselves, only the pots they are growing in.
The trick is using two pots. One holds the plant and the second is buried at ground level. When you want to swap landscaping around, lift out the first pot and place another potted plant into the second. This method also makes it easy to bring plants inside when cold weather comes around.
Caffeinate the Soil
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Waste not, want not. So keep your used coffee grounds for your garden. They contain nitrogen, which can encourage the growth of microorganisms in the soil. So add them to a compost bin and combine with equal parts of dry leaves or shredded paper, and add the mixture to wet soil along with a nitrogen fertilizer. Some people also found that coffee grounds attract earthworms, which enrich the earth, and repel the unwanted slugs and snails.
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“Every year, I take a few seeds of the first nice tomatoes we get, put them on a piece of paper towel, and dry them thoroughly. Then I store them in a little homemade sleeve in a dry and cool place,” explains Anja Eckert, a homesteader and creator of Our Gables Home. “With this hack you are also ensuring that you have seeds of those tomatoes that grow well in your particular microclimate and situation.” You can also save seeds from peas, beans, peppers, and cucumbers.
Recycle Eggshells
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Don’t throw away eggshells; keep them for your garden. In fact, they can serve two purposes. Crushed eggshells can keep slugs and snails away from delicate plants. These creatures are sensitive to rough terrain so sprinkle shells around plants to dissuade them from getting too close. At the same time, eggshells are filled with calcium, a mineral crucial for plant health and development. So blend them into a powder and mix it with potting compost.
DIY Fungicide Gardening Hack
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Prevent fungal diseases in your garden with a homemade fungicide. Simply mix a teaspoon of baking soda, a few drops of liquid dish soap, and four cups of water. Spray this solution onto plants every week or two or after rainstorms. Look for signs of diseases such as rust, black spots, and powdery mildew on your greenery.
Reusing, Recycling, Regrowth
You don’t need to break the bank to have a beautiful garden. There are many more tips on how to turn food scraps and other items destined for the trash into gardening tools. So don’t just save old nylon stockings, eggshells, citrus rinds, and plastic forks. Look for more items you can recycle, saving money and the environment, and don’t be afraid to get creative. For example, you can turn old pots and pans or even tubs into planters, grow seedlings in egg cartons and toilet rolls, make compost from kitchen scraps, turn soda bottles into mini-greenhouses, and use condiment squirt bottles to mist plants.
Keep Reading: The Best Ways to Remove Pesticides from Your Fruit and Vegetables
Sources
“8 vegetable garden hacks that can save you time, money, and give you better crops.” Home and Gardens. Drew Swainston. April 4, 2023
“24 Genius Gardening Hacks You’ll Be Glad You Know.” Family Handyman. August 23, 2023
“20 Gardening Hacks to Help You Get Growing, Approved by Experts.” The Spruce. Nadia Hassani. June 13, 2023
“12 amazing gardening hacks everyone with a garden needs to know.” Good Housekeeping. Charlotte Brouwer. June 15, 2016
“13 Garden Hacks From the Experts.” Tree Hugger. Tom Oder. November 8, 2021 . If the provided articles seems to be less than 200 characters or it is an intro of the author, then try to generate an articles using this title.8 Gardening Hacks That Will Help Flowers, Veggies, And Fruit Flourish : The Hearty Soul
