When the weather starts to get warmer, people start thinking about what flowers, vegetables, herbs, and many other nice staff to plant. Nobody wants to see their gardens looking empty when they have great things they have put in.
But how can you make sure you are getting the best out of your small garden. If you visit morninghomestead.com for instance, you will get a lot of nice tips for beautifying your garden. That is just one way you can get ideas – the internet.
Apart from that, we are going to share several simple hacks you can apply for your garden. They are all great way of enhancing your garden without even spending anything.
Some of these tips are things you do every day, but you probably didn’t know I can help you out in the garden. Continue reading to discover more.
- Eggshells are more beneficial than you may think
What do you do with your eggshells after consuming what was inside? For many people, this is just another type of waste that must be disposed of.
But wait a minute; do you what is contained in those eggshells? These simple things have the same contents as what you have in your teeth. That is calcium.
And your plants need a lot of calcium to survive. Therefore, instead of trashing out the eggshells, sprinkle them around your plants.
They also deter snails and slugs that may eat up your plants. With them, you don’t need to use harmful chemicals. It is the same as letting nature handle everything for you.
- Looking for starter pots? Consider toilet paper rolls
Having seedling in starter pots is one way of keeping them up until they are ready for planting. There are many types of materials used for these, mostly plastic bags.
The only problem is, some of these materials can be quite harmful to the soil and environment. But there is an easier way of getting starter pots.
After consuming your toilet paper, don’t throw away the rolls. They are biodegradable and will hold your plants in place effectively. (They can also be used for some great crafts, too!)
When transplanting, you don’t need to take your young plant out of the pot, risking damage. Put everything in the soil and then you won’t get any problems.
- Cinnamon can get rid of molds
One of the biggest problems gardeners face is the issue of molds and mildew. Those are the things you don’t want getting near your plants.
We use chemical items and other expensive staff to get rid of the mould when there are simpler approaches to it. Simply sprinkle cinnamon on the surface of the soil.
It is the easiest way to get rid of mildew and molds without endangering the environment. It is one of the most helpful consumables for human beings as well.
- You don’t have to buy a watering can when you have a milk jug
As a gardener, you cannot live without a watering can. This is an important tool since plants depend fully on the water to grow healthy.
Just like human beings need water, you will have to water your plants regularly. You will need a watering can because it makes the water even.
But you don’t need to spend a lot of money buying a watering can. If there is a milk jug in your house you don’t need, use it as a watering can. Simply make some holes in the lid, and you have yourself a great watering can. You can use it for both indoor and outdoor plants.
- The coffee ground is a great source of nitrogen
Plants need nitrogen for survival. As human breath in oxygen, nitrogen helps plants make their own food without depending on other beings.
But how do you get nitrogen into the soil? Some use chemical fertilizers for quick nitrogen fixation. But that only ends up destroying your soil fertility.
Let nature help you. Consider using coffee grounds which are rich in nitrogen, tannic acids, and other nutrients. Your plants need these nutrients to stay healthy.
And we all know that a healthy plant is healthy for consumption as well. This practice is part of sustainable gardening.
- Those empty wine bottle can serve as a great watering solution
There are many plants watering techniques recommended by experts. Among them is the gradual watering process.
Instead of having to carry a watering can every morning, you simply use containers to slowing release water into the soil. Some of the containers are sold at very high prices.
Buy there must be some wine bottles in your house. Instead of throwing them away, why not use them for watering your plants. They are quite effective and will give your soil just enough water without flooding it.
As much as plants need water, too much of it will be a problem and one must put a control on how much water they give the plants. These watering containers are like automated controllers.
- You need pot liners? Use coffee filters
When making starter pots for seedlings, it is very easy to make pots that leak. The last thing you want is soil leaking in your house.
Use a coffee filter as liners. Simply put them at the bottom of the pot, and you have yourself as safe pot. They will keep soils from leaking while ensuring the drainage holes are still functional. You don’t want to cover the drainage holes and suffocate your plants.
Coffee filter is soft enough to allow water in but hard enough to keep the soil intact. You don’t have to spend money when you have some of these used materials.
Gardening is about inventing new methods to make the whole process fun. That is why you find helpfulness in the material you would otherwise throw away.
The fact that coffee filters are biodegradable makes them safe four plants and soil.
- A hanging shoe rack can turn into a great garden
Well, you may think that it is a must to have a huge garden for you to enjoy nice, green, sweet veggies. That is not very true.
If you live on a balcony, you can turn a hanging shoe rack into a garden. They are perfect also for small gardens.
- Going away for a few days? You will need an automatic water supply
If you are going on a vacation, your plants will still need water. We a few paper towels and a glass of water, you have everything set and going. This system will set the water on an automatic flow until you come back.
- Having animal problems? Here is what to do
Use plastic forks as a preventing measure. They don’t cost much, and most of them you will find free with parked foods. Instead of throwing them away, Place them in your garden so animals won’t poop on your fresh produce.
- You can have a mini greenhouse with a milk jug
Frost and pests are the most annoying things for a gardener. But you don’t have to suffer when you have milk jugs. Simply use the top part of the jug to cover and protect the plant. You will have created a greenhouse very easily.
- Diapers are good for your soil drainage
This may sound funny, but they are very useful. When you have diapers, you can easily use them to keep your soil most for days. Diapers are very absorbent and can hold water for a long time. Using them will keep you from having you water your plants all the time. Just ensure the absorbent part is facing up side.
- Mark your plants using broken pots
Most people like to mark their plants especially when they want other people to see what they have done. There are many ways of marking plants.
When you have broken pots, you can still save the parts by using them as markers. Since clay pots are very costly, you will have some value for the broken ones.
- You want to organize seeds?
Getting seeds in order helps you remember which ones go where and which one you haven’t tried yet. You don’t have to think too much about it. Simply get a basic photo album and lay the seeds in different spaces. All your seeds will safe in the same place with labels for easy identification.
- Don’t pour away vegetable cooking water!
The best nutrients for plants come from plants. The next time to boil vegetable, cool the water and return those nutrients to your garden.
The 15 hacks shared above should make your gardening life a lot easier!
You have some wonderful information here! Some of your hacks are a little vague and left me curious. I think a few more pictures would solve this almost completely. I would love more information on number nine. What should I do with the paper towels and a glass of water? Also on number six, I clicked the link to see if I would turn the wine bottle upside down and stick it in the dirt, full of water like the glass balls I’ve seen online. When clicking the link I saw advanced watering systems. I didn’t see a correlation with the wine bottles but, I also didn’t scroll to the bottom of the linked page. I loved that you told me to simply sprinkle the cinnamon on top to rid mold! When using coffee should I mix it in the top layer of my soil or simply on top too? I LOVED all of your milk jug tips! You have tons of great information to share! After you write I suggest reading your blog as if you knew nothing of your topic. It’ll ensure noobs like me don’t boggle you down with simple questions. 🙂
The tops of the 1 gallon milk containers can be used for cloches to protect young plants from snow and pests. I had a good lettuce crop last year that made it through 3 snows that way. use the caps overnight and remove them for aeration when the sun comes out.
Do you simply fill the wine bottle with water and stick it upsidedown into the dirt?
Would love to see a few more photos or more detailed info.
Lots of great ideas!
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Wine-Bottle-Plant-Waterer
You can put coffee grounds, or well composted materials, into the hole where young plants will be planted. Otherwise, you can sprinkle them around established plants.