Do you love gardening? Are you someone with green thumb? Well, if you are then I’m sure you could use some of these super helpful and useful garden hacks, that are tried and tested (and they actually work!).
Here are 15 useful garden hacks to try at home:
Hack 1: Get rid of grown weeds using baking soda
Mix 1 cup table salt, 1 tbsp dish soap and 1 gallon vinegar ( 30% strength) . Then, pour it into a spray can and shake it well. You can use the spray can or even transfer some of the liquid into a small spray bottle and then spray it over the weeds.
Tip: It is important to spray this over the weeds during the daytime, when there is bright sunshine on the weeds.
Caution: Be careful when spraying this liquid. Spray it only on the weeds and not on any other plants or areas as it will affect the young plants.
Hack 2: Use egg to feed your plants with calcium
Egg are rich in calcium and can specially provide a fertilizing effect to vegetable plants and even to the other plants as it contains potassium, sodium etc.
Next time you make hard boiled eggs, use the water to water your plants once or twice a week.
Hack 3: Use old t-shirts to make plant ties
Any old t-shirt with stretchy fabric is a great plant tie (to tie your plant to a stick for support). It is better than a zip tie as it will not damage the plant. Cut strips of your old t-shirt and use it as your plant tie.
Hack 4: Use an old colander to sift soil
Sometimes you may find that your mud seems too many rocks or stones. Simply use an old colander to sift the mud, instead of painstakingly picking out the stones individually.
Hack 5: Make your own homemade plant fertilizer
You will need to collect around 20 to 30 shells and wash it under running water and let it dry completely over 5 to 7 days in sunlight. Then grind into a smooth powder, the completely dried egg shells and store the powder in a container.
You can use this powder for fertilizing your plants. For a pot of 6 to 10 inches in diameter, sprinkle around 1 tablespoon of ground egg shell powder and gently mix it up with the top layer of the soil. For a pot of 12 inches in diameter or bigger, sprinkle around 2 to 4 tablespoons of ground egg shell powder and mix it up with the top layer of the soil.
Hack 6: Grow your plants in pots buried underground to contain the spread of the roots
Sometimes the roots of your plants grow vast underground and could also go through a wall or foundation. Therefore, you can bury them inpots buried underground to contain the spread of the roots.
Hacks 7: Coffee grounds to improve soil
Instead of throwing away your used coffee grounds, use them to fertilize your plants. Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, which is essential for plant growth. Simply sprinkle the grounds around the base of your plants, and watch them thrive.
Hack 8: Make biodegradable herb or seed planters
Cut off the top ⅓rd part of the egg shell and leave the bottom half as is. (It is recommended to cut off the smaller end). Make sure to wash the shell thoroughly but gently, as it can crack.
Then at the bottom, using a needle or a pin, make a small hole at the bottom of each egg shell, to allow proper drainage for the seeds/herbs. (Do this process when the egg shell is wet, as dry egg shells crack more easily).
Then fill in the egg shell, up to little below the brim with good quality soil. Then use your finger and make a small hole in the soil to place the stems of herbs or seeds into it and cover it up with soil. Then spray a little water and keep them in an area with natural sunlight.
Tip: The seeds/herbs needn’t be watered every day. Once in three days should suffice.
Note: If you do not want to use an egg shell, you can also use the egg tray the eggs come in (if it is made out of biodegradable cardboard).
Hack 9: Save dying plants with hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide helps to kill root rot-causing fungi and restores the oxygen balance in the soil which helps your plant root system recover. Mix one tbsp of 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide into 1 cup of water. Pour it into the soil and do this once every 3 weeks.
Hack 10: Regrow rose cuttings using honey
Look for stems at least 6 inches long with several leaves attached and make your cut at a 45-degree angle below a leaf node. Remove the leaves and dip your cuttings in raw honey. Plant them directly in a pot with garden soil.
Hacks 11: Rice water as a root enhancer
Rice water contains proteins, fibre, amino acids, calcium, phosphorous, iron, zinc and potassium, which is beneficial to the plants and acts as a natural plant fertilizer. Add the rice water to a jar and add in your cuttings to grow new roots.
Hack 12: Stop the growth of weeds in your soil using salt
Salt is a powerful weed killer but it should be very careful sprayed. Salt water should be sprayed only on areas you do not wants weeds to grow or in areas you do not want vegetation, as once the salt water is prayed the area will become dehydrated and barren.
All you need to do is, into a spray can or spray bottle add in 3 tbsp of salt add in very little water, just enough to liquefy the solution and spray this on the weeds during the day time.
Tip: This method can be used for killing the weeds in your stone pathways, gravel drive ways, interlock tiled areas etc.
Hack 13: Banana peel as fertilizer
Banana peels are good fertilizers for gardens, especially indoor plants. Chop up banana peels of 3 to 4 bananas and soak the peels in water. Leave the peels in the water for three days and after 3 days strain it and use this water to water the plants once a week.
Hack 14: Neem Oil to kill plant pest
Neem oil can be used to treat a number of your plant problems. It can be used as a natural pesticide for Neem oil is nontoxic and is beneficial to kill harmful bugs and insects on your plant. Mix 1 tbsp neem oil with 2 litres water in a spray bottle and spray it on your plants.
Hack 15: Use egg shells as seed starter
Using a teaspoon to fill each the empty eggshell with the seed starting mix. Using your finger create a small hole in the dirt to make room for the seeds. Drop two seeds into each hole and gently cover them with a sprinkling of dirt. Gently water them using a spray bottle.