Save time and effort with these ingenious gardening hacks.
Whether you have just picked up a shovel for the first time and are starting to learn your way around the garden, or you are green-fingered and have been pottering around planting flower bulbs and pruning shrubs for many years – hacks are always welcomed, aren’t they?
Garden hacks will make your life much easier and therefore the experience of gardening, far more enjoyable.
So, with that in mind, here are a few you should definitely know about and probably give a go:
Use beer to deter slugs and snails …
Do you find that slugs and snails keep eating your plants? Have you tried countless ways to deter them without much success? Then you will be pleased to hear that there is a simple, eco-friendly way to do it, using household goods. Slugs and snails can’t resist beer, so create a trap by burying a container so the soil level is just below the top of the carton, then fill this with beer. Coffee grounds, grapefruit skins (cut in half and turned upside down), crushed eggshells, rooibos tea leaves can also keep slugs away from your plants.
… and use cider to encourage your wisteria to grow
Is your wisteria refusing to flower? Then simply pour rotten cider over the roots and you will quickly start to see results.
Change the colour of your hydrangeas with coffee
Did you know that, unlike other plants, the colour of hydrangeas can change dramatically depending on the pH of the soil? If the soil is acidic they will be blue and if it is alkaline they will be pink. Coffee is acidic and so will help to turn it blue, or you could use mushroom compost, which is alkaline to turn it pink.
A shot of vodka for fresh flowers
It is lovely to have cut flowers displayed around the house, isn’t it? They look beautiful and smell gorgeous, really brightening up the area in which they sit. However, you might find that the flowers quickly droop – meaning you only get to enjoy them for a few days before they have to go in the bin. But, did you know that a few drops of vodka (which inhibits bacteria growth) in a vase of water, would help it stay clean. A teaspoon of sugar and pennies will help too – keeping your flowers fresher for longer.
Fill your flower pots with nappies
Keep soil moist by using a clean nappy soaked in water – the granules absorb a large amount of water and so will release this as the plants need it. Perfect if you are going on holiday or don’t have time to water them.
Soak seeds in warm water before sowing
Soaking seeds in warm water 24 hours before sowing them will break dormancy and speed up the germination process.
Use your old wellies as plant pots
Once you outgrow your wellies or they start to look a little old and worn, what do you do with them? Probably just throw them away – most people do. But, why not use them as a unique way to display your flowers. This will be fun to create and will definitely be a talking point among guests.
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