Are you intimidated to start a backyard garden? Convinced that you have a black thumb? Worry no more, because I have five easy and all-natural hacks that will help you cultivate your gardening skills. The best part about these hacks is that you probably already have everything you need in your kitchen right now, like water bottles, garlic cloves, orange peels, and coffee grounds. So, roll up your sleeves and get down and dirty. You’ll be amazed at how well your Summer garden grows.
Plant-in-a-Pot Landscaping Design
Ever wish you could reorganize your garden after seeing how the mature plants look? Here’s a clever way to do it. You’ll need a bunch of pots of the same size, so they’ll nest in each other. Put your plants in doubled pots, and then bury them at ground level. Whenever you want a change, lift out the top pot and put in a different one. This method is also really slick for bringing plants indoors over the winter. This method is great for quickly changing out seasonal plants, and allows for easy experimentation with color and placement of plants and flowers.
Micro Greenhouse
Do you have a hard time starting seeds or cuttings? Try soda bottle greenhouses. Cut the bottom off 2-liter soda bottles and remove the labels. Each seed gets its own micro greenhouse! Remove the greenhouses once the seeds have germinated and cuttings are rooted.
Cardboard Seed Tubes
For an easy and green way to start seeds, save your toilet paper and paper towel tubes. Cut the tubes into 2 in. lengths and set them in a waterproof tray. Fill the tubes with potting soil and plant your seeds. When the seedlings are ready to move to the garden, plant them right in their cardboard tube. The cardboard will decompose. Be sure to keep the tube below the soil surface, so it doesn’t wick moisture away from the roots.
Fertilize Dense Plants
Fertilizing bushes or other dense plants requires getting the fertilizer to the base of the plant, so I use a length of 2″ PVC. Slide one end down to the plant base and pour the fertilizer into the pipe. Cut the top of the pipe at 45 degrees to give yourself a larger opening to pour in the fertilizer. – Gordon R. Watson
Grow Rose Cuttings in Potatoes
If you want to help your rose cuttings to survive, you might want to use potatoes. All you need to do is place the cutting in a potato before you put it in soil, then add some extra moisture from the vegetable, because this will help you garden a beautiful rose plant.
Use Paper Towels for Watering Plants When Away
There is a very easy way to water plants when you are out of town, and it makes use of paper towels and water filled jars. Its easy and you have to merely roll up a few paper towels like ropes and then, put the ends in the jar to soak them with water. Now, dunk one end of the towel into the pot, near your plant. This will keep the soil moist for a long time.
Protect Your Plants From Pests by Using Eggshells
The sharp edges of the shells will deter the snails, slugs and other pests. The shells will serve as the barrier and these pests and will scare insects and pests away from your garden!
Layer Your Planter With Soda Cans
A deep planter or garden box may really help your plants stand out. Unfortunately, you may end up spending hundreds of dollars on dirt merely to fill the planters. If you don’t want to deal with it, recycle some of your old cans and use them to line the bottom of your planter. This hack allows you to use less soil while still ensuring proper drainage and airflow. If you don’t want to use old soda cans, you could simply buy some cheap plastic plant pots from the dollar shop to fill in the gaps.
Line Your Walkway
Another technique to repurpose empty wine bottles is to use them as garden edging. Simply insert the bottles into the ground neck-first so that the base of the bottle is sticking up. Make sure they’re buried deep enough to avoid being easily knocked over. This is not only a beautiful decorative element, but it also protects developing seedlings and other vulnerable plants from children and pets. However, if your yard is frequently utilized for play, it might not be a good option.
Sprinkle Cinnamon On Your Seedlings
Plants are living organisms, and they, like humans, are susceptible to disease. Damping off is a frequent disease that affects seedlings. It occurs when a white, hairy fungus forms on the seedling’s stems and prevents the seedling from taking the beginning mix. This occurs in extremely humid settings, such as those seen in greenhouses. Sprinkle cinnamon on your plants if you don’t want to get rid of your greenhouse but want to deter illness from “damping off.” Cinnamon has antifungal properties and, as an added bonus, it smells nice!
Check Soil pH With Baking Soda & Vinegar
The availability of critical nutrients is influenced by the pH level of the soil. Most horticultural crops will thrive in soils with a pH of 6 (slightly acidic) to 7.5 (acidic) (slightly alkaline). It’s simple to check the pH levels in your home. When you add vinegar to your soil, it bubbles, indicating that it is alkaline. When you add baking soda to your soil, it bubbles, indicating that it is acidic. By doing this regularly, it is easier to keep your plants healthy and last longer!
Garden In A Can
Empty cans can be recycled or turned into adorable planters for herbs or other tiny plants! To remove the tops, simply use a can opener; however, be careful not to cut yourself with the lid. After that, puncture a few tiny drainage holes in the bottom of the can, then fill it with soil and seeds, and watch them develop. You can even go above and above by customizing the cans before filling them. With just a bit of creativity and old cans, you can come a long way!
Greenhouse from the Salad Bar
The next time you hit up a salad bar for lunch, save the plastic clamshell container. It can be reused as a mini greenhouse for starting seeds in the spring. When you’re finished with your lunch, wash the container thoroughly. Use an awl and hammer to punch a few small holes in the top part of the container for airflow. Then fill the bottom half with potting mix or your own special seed-starting soil. Plant your seeds, spreading them out in the container as suggested on the seed packet. Give the seeds a small drink of water and close the lid. Place the container in a sunny spot, and patiently wait for your seeds to sprout!
The clear plastic container acts like a greenhouse, allowing the sun and warmth to reach the plants while holding in moisture.
