Regardless of why you love to garden, you know it’s worth every second. Whether it be to grow fruits and vegetables to live a sustainable lifestyle, add character to your yard by growing flowers of different colors, or just to reconnect with nature from the comforts of your own home, it’s all worthwhile. That said, gardening is a vast ocean filled with secrets waiting to be discovered.
For instance, did you know that some experts put clean diapers in their plants to help them thrive? Whether you’re an expert gardener or one learning the ropes, we could all use a little help in the garden from time to time. If you’re looking for unique tips to create a beautiful, blooming garden, here are some tried and tested hacks from experts that have withstood the test of time.
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9 Gardening Secrets the Experts Never Tell You
1. Diapers Can Help Your Plants Thrive
Who says you must have toddlers to bring home some diapers? Clean disposable diapers can help your plants thrive due to their ability to retain moisture. Not only do diapers minimize the need for irrigation to prevent overwatering, they also help keep the soil in place. If you’re ready to try something new, diapers might be suitable for your thirsty plants.
Clean diapers are extremely easy to use but if you can’t find them at your local store there are alternatives. For instance, kitchen sponges work the same way!
2. Hire Hummingbirds to Get Rid of Aphids, Gnats, and Mosquitoes
According to ornithologists, hummingbirds prefer to eat carbs from nectar and sugar water, and proteins from insects and spiders every day. To prevent aphids, gnats, mosquitoes, beetles, fruit flies, and mites from attacking your garden, hang hummingbird feeders above your plants, especially ones that are prone to these pests. This way, you’ll be serving hummingbirds a full meal as a reward for keeping your garden pest-free. If you live in an area with hummingbirds, there are some plants you can grow to attract them to your garden.
3. Store Your Tools in a Pot of Sand
Storing your tools in a pot or bucket of sand keeps them from rusting and helps them retain their sharpness and polish for the next time you use them in your garden. You can either rub baby oil or linseed oil on your tools and plunge them inside a bucket filled with sand or mix the oil with the sand until it’s thoroughly moist and place your tools inside. Avoid using motor oil or vegetable oil as they can contaminate the soil.
4. Add Compact Disks In Your Garden
To make your own DIY scarecrow, tie a few compact disks in your garden and around some of your prized plants and trees to keep animals, pests, critters, and birds away. Compact disks move with the wind and reflect light from the sun, thereby scaring and preventing birds from pecking and eating your flowers or crops. If you have some old CDs lying around the house, give them a new purpose in your garden! You can combine this with plastic forks to give your garden the protection it needs to thrive.
5. During Summer Months Water Your Plants At Night
During the summer months, if you water your plants at night, you provide them ample time to absorb the water before the sun rises again. Watering your plants in the morning will quickly dehydrate them as the water will evaporate faster than the plants can absorb. Watering at night not only gives them the time they need to quench their thirst but also lowers humidity which, in turn, reduces the risk of root or crown rot.
6. Use Copper Tape Around Your Garden To Deter Slugs and Snails
According to experts, snails and slugs avoid copper because it reacts with the slime that they secrete. According to experts, copper has a negative effect on their nervous system causing some sort of an electric shock. Using this information, you can use copper pennies, copper tapes, or copper rings around plants that are prone to snail and slug attacks. If you’re growing plants in containers, glue pennies on the top of the container rim or wrap a copper tape around the container and secure it with glue.
So, try using copper rings around your plants to keep them safe from slugs and snails!
Pro Tip: Did you know that pennies that were minted before 1982 can help prevent blight? This is because pennies minted before 1982 have 95 percent copper compared to pennies minted after 1982, which have less than three percent copper. All you have to do is bury them five inches deep around your plants and voila!
7. Stuff the Fork Up
Might sound weird, but that’s exactly what you’ll need to do to prevent your pets or wild animals from spoiling your garden. All you need is a bunch of plastic forks that you’ll stick in the ground, fork up, at least six inches apart. This will deter animals like rabbits from digging and stealing your crops. Not only will this help with soil aeration, but you can also use them as labels for easy plant identification.
8. Boost Plant Growth With Aspirin, But There’s A Catch
For healthier plants, take three aspirins and let them dissolve in four gallons of water. Spray your plants with this aspirin-infused water early morning every three weeks to boost growth and yield as well as improve the plant’s resistance to diseases and pests. However, this method only works with plants that don’t naturally produce more salicylic acid, which is Aspirin’s active ingredient. For instance, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes love the occasional aspirin shower, but radishes don’t.
9. Let Rusty Nails Handle Iron Deficiency
Plants need iron to grow big and strong, so if there’s a deficiency your plant’s leaves will turn yellow causing a condition called iron chlorosis. Before you try this step, it’s important that you test your soil first. If you’re sure your soil lacks iron, wear your gloves and add a few rusty nails inside the watering can before you water your plants. This will ensure that your plants get a regular supply of iron.
Can You Keep A Secret?
Whether you’re a beginner or an expert at gardening, we all need some help in the garden from time to time. This article summarized a handful of tried and tested gardening secrets that experts have learned and used for many decades. It’s time we use these secret tips and hacks to help our gardens thrive!
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