Family Encyclopedia >> Home & Garden

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

For the first time, I finally have a garden worthy of its name .

And I have to tell you something...

I love having my hands in the dirt and enjoying the sun!

It's true, with all the time I spend in front of my computer, my little gardening breaks really do me good :-)

Even though I've only just started, I've already discovered some great tips that make my life easier when I'm gardening!

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Whether you are a beginner or already have green hands, it is important to know the best gardening tips.

So, without further ado, I reveal my best gardening tips and ideas.

For me, these clever ideas have become essential. But as they say, I'm just a humble budding gardener;-)

1. Use flower pots to change plants easily

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Annual plants need to be changed according to the seasons. And I don't know about you, but personally I'm really not a fan of having to redo my landscaping 4 times a year...

I have nothing against spending some time outdoors, but I admit that the shovel and the spade are not my best friends! Here is a solution so easy that we are almost ashamed of never having thought of it.

Dig a hole for your annuals. Then insert an empty flowerpot into this hole. There you go, now you can easily plant all your seasonal plants, herbs and potted vegetables. And when these plants are at the end of their career, you can remove them in 2 seconds flat. Handy, right?

2. Use polystyrene balls in flower pots

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Wedging particles are perfect for lightening your flower pots, as they help water run off and avoid possible stagnation.

In addition, at only €14 for 100 liters, wedging particles are much cheaper than buying soil or clay pebbles.

But take care to cover them with burlap, to prevent the soil from sinking to the bottom of the flowerpot.

3. Use eggshells to provide calcium to your plants

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Truth be told, it's not very often that I take my blender out of the closet. But I have a feeling it's going to have its place on my countertop now that I've discovered this genius trick to provide more calcium to my plants.

Indeed, now that I have started gardening, I understand better and better the benefits of compost and fertilizer. Just as we grind the food we eat to better digest it, it makes sense to break eggshells into small pieces.

This way, your plants can better absorb the calcium from the shells, which is highly beneficial to their health.

To discover: 10 Incredible Uses of Eggshells.

4. Use forks to protect your plants from animals

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Pets, especially cats, have the annoying habit of taking your beautiful garden for their own little private corner.

To prevent them from leaving you unwanted gifts, plant plastic forks around your favorite plants.

It's an easy way to prevent them from polluting your herbs, fruits and vegetables.

To discover: 6 Effective Tricks To Keep Cats Away Easily.

5. Use storage boxes to make planters

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Just because you don't have a garden doesn't mean you can't do some gardening!

The proof:you can easily recycle simple storage boxes into planters. You will see, the storage boxes are light and the perfect size to plant your favorite plants .

To make your homemade planter easier to transport, don't forget to put a layer of cushioning particles on the bottom of the box and cover it with burlap, as we told you about in tip #2 .

And as you can see in the photo above, this trick is perfect for people who want to grow plants on their balcony !

6. Use baby diapers to retain moisture in flower pots

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Yes, diapers aren't just for big bucks!

Lay a baby diaper at the bottom of your flower pots to retain moisture even longer.

This method is ideal for annual plants that require daily watering in the summer.

7. Use Epsom salt for a healthy garden

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Epsom salt, also known as magnesium sulfate, has many uses for a beautiful, healthy garden.

This is because it contains sulfate and magnesium, two minerals that are essential for good plant health.

For potted plants, add 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt to your watering can once or twice a month.

You can also sprinkle it directly on the soil to make plant sprouts more robust.

On the other hand, tomatoes and peppers respond particularly well to Epsom salt, as these two plants often tend to be low in magnesium.

Before putting your plants in the ground, add a good tablespoon of Epsom salt directly to the soil. And once the plants are mature, sprinkle some more of this magic powder into the soil.

To discover: Here's Why I Use Epsom Salt In My Garden and Vegetable Patch.

8. Use cooking water as a natural fertilizer

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Never throw away the cooking water from your vegetables again! Indeed, the cooking water is particularly rich in nutrients that help plants grow.

It is an excellent fertilizer:just let it cool and then use it to water the plants in your garden and your potted plants.

Your garden will thank you and be even lusher!

And for the more adventurous among us, know that you can also drink cooking water :-)

To discover: 14 Ways to Reuse Cooking Water and Never Waste It Again.

9. Use citrus peels to grow your seedlings

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

This trick is not only adorable but also perfect for growing seedlings for transplanting.

Indeed, citrus peels are easily recycled into nourishing compost for plants.

Therefore, when they are mature enough, you can plant your seedlings directly, with the bark.

But don't forget to drill a small hole in the underside of the bark for good water drainage.

10. Use cinder blocks to make a raised bed

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Raised beds are perfect for effortless gardening. The problem is that not everyone has the carpentry skills to make one out of wood.

The easy and practical solution to make your raised bed is to use simple cinder blocks. Small bonus, the blocks are hollow, which is perfect for planting and separating your aromatic herbs.

If your garden is not very spacious, just use fewer blocks to make a narrower bed. Choose a flat spot in your garden and the rest is easy as pie, as you can see in the photo above.

To discover: How to Make a Raised Vegetable Garden:The EASY and CHEAP Method.

11. Use coffee filters to prevent soil from escaping

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Here's one of my favorite houseplant hacks! Everytime it's the same. When I water my plants in the sink, I lose a lot of soil in the pipe which ends up clogging...

And hello all the dirt it leaves under flower pots... The solution? Simple coffee filters that allow water to flow but prevent soil from falling. Check out the trick here.

12. Use eggshells to grow your seedlings

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Get a head start on sunny days by growing your seedlings in eggshells, indoors.

Eggshells make a perfect flowerpot for several reasons.

Almost free, they are not expensive at all. In addition, eggshells have a high calcium content to help your seedlings grow better.

Finally, they are super easy to plant once your seedlings are ready to be planted. Just plant them with the shell! Check out the trick here.

13. Grow rose bushes by planting the cuttings in potatoes

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

First of all, I must admit that I didn't even know that you could take cuttings from a stem!

But I can tell you that I am super happy to have made this discovery! Basically, just cut the smoothest young stems possible from the mother plant.

Plant the tips of the stems in the middle of the potatoes. This method will help the stems retain their moisture while they develop strong roots. Check out the full tip here.

To discover: Want to Have Beautiful Roses? Use Banana Peel To Fertilize Them.

14. Prevent certain plants from becoming too invasive

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

The easy trick is to put the invasive plants in the ground in a flowerpot with the bottom removed, like in the photo above.

It's an easy method against ornamental plants that get too big and spread all over your garden.

The trick helps curb the root growth of invasive plants. Once they become adults, you can control their size and protect neighboring plants.

15. Use a perforated bucket to easily water your plants

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Choose a place in the middle of your plants and plant a large bucket with holes in it. This method will considerably optimize the watering of your plants.

It will allow deep irrigation the roots of your plants, especially those of squash.

Indeed, the more the plants grow, the deeper their roots become and more difficult to water, especially in hot and dry climates.

16. Make mini greenhouses with plastic bottles

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Make a small individual greenhouse to help your seedlings grow well. Not very complicated, just cut the lower part of a plastic bottle (about 3/4 of the length).

And voilà, you have a dome perfectly suited to cover the small pots of your precious seedlings. A fun project to do with your kids!

To discover: 18 Creative Ways to Recycle Your Plastic Bottles.

17. Pinch the ends of the basil stems for more leaves

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

Some aromatic plants, especially basil, should be pinched at the stem ends to encourage leaf formation.

Why ? Because plants have a natural instinct to stay alive and reproduce.

Pinching the stem ends of herbs sends a signal to the flower spikes to produce even more leaves.

The trick may seem unusual, but it works perfectly for most plants.

To discover: Herbs:18 Clever Ways to Grow Them Indoors.

18. Use a gutter to collect rainwater

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

This is surely one of the most ingenious tricks on this list! Use your gutters to collect rainwater in a large plastic bin.

With the collected water, you can water your garden for free, but also the lawn and your potted plants.

All you need is a large, sturdy plastic trash can and some basic tools, like a drill and pliers. Fastoche! Check out the trick here.

19. Make a stream bed with rocks and pebbles

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

If you have a large garden, create a beautiful stream bed to create a more harmonious look.

It is more aesthetic, but in addition it helps water to accumulate naturally. You will have understood:it means even less maintenance for your garden!

20. Get rid of weeds easily with this homemade weed killer

20 Gardening Secrets EVERYONE Should Know.

White vinegar, salt and dishwashing liquid:this homemade weed killer is super easy and impeccably effective .

We love gardening, but nobody likes weeding. What torture!

And besides, I'm sure you already have all three ingredients in your kitchen! Check out the trick here.