5 Gardening Hacks to Improve Your Garden

For a long time, gardening was regarded as a preserve for the elderly.

However, with lots of research, it has been established that gardening comes with of number of health benefits that it is being recommended for everybody who has the space and time to garden.

Some of the benefits of gardening include; it reduces the risk of stroke, helps relief stress, it improves responsibility as well as providing healthy organic vegetables and fruit. In addition, gardening is therapeutic as it helps settle thoughts and dissipates anger as you work on your plants in the garden.

It is therefore not a surprise that many people who have the space and time to garden are flocking into gardening.

For the newcomers, gardening may seem like a dirty chore and may be frustrating at first before you start seeing the benefits. That’s why we are providing these 5 gardening hacks that will not only help improve your gardening skills but also improve the look of your garden.

Using eggshells for pest control

When you start planting, you will notice over time pests attacking your crops. This may be discouraging especially if you are just starting out.

While there are many forms of pest control out there, many cause damage to the environment while others may even cause harm to you. We therefore recommend that you use environment friendly pest control measures.

One environment friendly form of pest control is the use of egg shells. Egg shells that are coarsely crumbled are quite effective in keeping soft-bodied pests such as slugs and snails from eating your plants.

All you need to do is to encircle a layer of crushed eggshells around your plants that are sensitive to such manner of pests. The pests won’t risk going through this uncomfortable and sharp shells thus providing an effective barrier.

Keeping your plants watered all through

Plants require moisture regularly to thrive. Therefore, if you are going to be away from home maybe on a vacation you need to keep them watered throughout the period; especially your indoor plants.

Keeping your indoor plants watered while you are away is one of the most important gardening hacks you need to know as a gardener.

Roll a number of towels as tight as possible and to cover the length of your potted plants and leave some spare length. Fill a jug of water and then dunk one end of the rolled paper towel into the jug. 

Lay the remaining length of the rolled paper towel across the soil and make sure that each plant is a few inches away from the paper towel.

The paper towel will wick the water from the jug and provide moisture continuously for your potted plants which will guarantee they will be alive when you are back from vacation.

Propagate cuttings using honey

When you have settled into this gardening business, you may need to start propagating cuttings. Sometimes this may be frustrating as some cuttings may take long to root or not root at all. This may be for several reasons but that should not discourage you.

However, to promote root growth for propagated cuttings, honey is the ultimate hack. With all its goodness, honey also enzymes that aid in root growth. Therefore using it will help the plant cuttings to set roots and thereby propagate easily. Honey also has anti-fungal properties and thus protects your cuttings from fungal problems.

Retain moisture during warm weather using diapers

Don’t like the withered look of your plants during warm weather? Here is a quirky idea to deal with that. Your plants may look withered especially when you are using shallow pots or hanging baskets. This is basically because of insufficient moisture.

To improve the moisture retention and maintain the look of your plants, lay diapers on the soil with the absorbent sides facing up. They will help your plants retain moisture for a long time and therefore you won’t see the withered look.

Transplant using Epsom salt

As a gardener, another chore you will have to do from time to time is transplanting. You may need to transplant your seedlings from the seed bed to your pots or garden from time to time.

Just like animals, plants also suffer from transplant shock. Therefore, if not done well, they may end up dying and disappointing your efforts. Luckily for you, we are sharing this gardening hack to prevent plant transplant shock.

When transplanting new seedlings or plants, dig a hole and pour about a tablespoon of Epsom salt at the bottom of the hole. Cover the Epsom salt with a thin layer of dirt before placing the plant and finishing the planting. The Epsom salt will save your plants from transplant shock and they will thrive amazingly.

If you have been thinking of getting into gardening, we hope these handy hacks will propel your decision and soon you will join the happy community of gardeners around the globe.

The beauty of gardening is that it is responsive and rewarding. You get the opportunity to watch as seeds turn into seedlings and plants over time. It is one of the most satisfying chores you can ever do as a human being, nurturing life.

Moreover, this is one of the activities that you can involve your young ones to teach them about responsibility and to prepare them for life. If a kid can adopt a plant and take care of it; watering, mulching, and even pruning, they will turn to be useful citizens in this world.

Did I also forget to tell you that gardening is one of the most authentic sources of organic and healthy foods?

While the world is struggling with climate change and other ills, you can make your positive contribution to healthy lifestyles by promoting healthy eating through your gardening activities.

Gardening will provide you with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits which will provide healthy and nutritious eating options for your household. So why don’t you go ahead and start a garden today?