We bought our first house this last year so I have been so excited to start gardening projects that simply were not possible when living in a one bedroom apartment in LA. Now, I don’t have a green thumb by any means, so I am always on the look out for some gardening tips & tricks to help me out. So, I thought I would share some of my favorite recent gardening tips I’ve found.
1. DIY Seed Bombs
These DIY seed bombs are so quick and easy to make! You only need a few ingredients and under an hour to whip them up and they would be a great activity to do with kids. (via Hello Nature)
2. Two-Ingredient Weed Killing Spray
I love love love vinegar! It is a miracle product that I use for a million different things around the house. So, I was thrilled but not surprised that I could now use it to make my very own weed killer. All you need is Dawn and vinegar (both things you probably already have) to mix up your own batch. Plus, I love that it is gentle without any harsh toxic chemicals that may harm the environment or your family. (via One Good Thing by Jillee)
3. Tic-Tac Seed Containers
No need to buy seeds next year if you simply save some from your garden this season. Since seeds are so tiny though, the hardest part is keeping track of them. So this gardening hack to use a Tic-Tac container to store your seeds is so genius! (via Pinterest)
4. 2-Liter Bottle DIY Greenhouse
Start your own indoor seedling using items you may already have laying around your house like a 2 liter soda bottle. It is the perfect size to fit a small terracotta pot and keep it moist for optimal growing. (via Listotic)
5. How to Grow Vegetables From Kitchen Scraps
Next time you go to throw away the bottom of your celery stalk, think again! Did you know that there are tons of vegetables that you can regrow in your kitchen using these pieces you would ordinarily throw away? It’s so much easier than you think! (via BuzzFeed)
6. Potato Container Gardening Hack
This amazing technique was originally shared by gardeners in Japan and is absolutely brilliant! I searched all over to try to find the original source of the photo above, but couldn’t. So, I linked a great tutorial from Instructables instead if you are trying to find out how to make this DIY potato container yourself. (via Instructables)
7. Origami Newspaper Planter
With this next hack on our list of gardening tips and tricks, you can recycle your newspaper and create a biodegradable pot that is perfect for starting seeds at the same time! (via Oh, The Things We’ll Make!)
8. How to Use Banana Peels in Your Garden
Don’t throw away that banana peel! Using this brilliant idea, you can dry and use your banana peels as a potassium supplement for your garden. So, next time your bananas get a little too ripe, peel them and freeze the inside while saving the peels for your garden. (via Preparedness Mama)
9. Gardening Hack Using Diapers
Did you know that you can place diapers at the bottom of a pot to help retain moisture in the soil? Why didn’t I think of that?! (via Listotic)
10. Use Eggshells to Plant Seedlings
If you weren’t amazed at the gardening tips & tricks above for reusing your kitchen waste, check out this genius hack. You can use empty eggshells as nature-made containers to start your seedlings. Not only is it a great use for what would otherwise be trash, but they look absolutely adorable on your kitchen windowsill. (via Magnolia Market)
11. Self-Cleaning & Sharpening Garden Tool Holder
Not only with this next tip on our list of gardening hacks keep your gardening tools organized, but it will also keep them sharp and clean! Simply use a terracotta pot filled with X to create this genius 2-in-1 storage and cleaning tool holder. (via One Good Thing by Jillee)
12. How to Water Your Plants While You’re on Vacation
You don’t want your plants to die during your summer vacation, but having your neighbor over to water them sounds like a lot to ask. So, we have the perfect solution! Use a wine bottle to make a DIY plant self-watering system. (via wikiHow)
13. Help your plants retain moisture with a coffee filter.
Don’t you hate when you go to water and it seems like it goes straight through and right out the bottom. To keep from having to water more often, help your plants retain the moisture better by using this genius gardening hack: simply place a coffee filter at the bottom of the pot. (via Popsugar)
Now for some great gardening tips & tricks to keep pests away…
14. Use plastic forks to keep animals out of your garden.
Do you live in an area with lots of bunnies or other animals that love to enjoy your garden harvest before you do? This may be the trick you need! Use plastic forks to deter these critters and save your veggies. (via Positive Gardening)
15. Sprinkle cinnamon around seedlings to keep them protected from pests.
Especially in humid environments, fungus can grow and harm your fragile new seedlings. But, who knew that the trick to fighting off these nasty fungi is sitting in your spice cabinet?! Simply sprinkle cinnamon on any infected plants and its anti-fungal properties will get to work. (via The Rusted Vegetable Garden)
16. Repel slugs with crushed eggshells.
As you might expect, slugs are not fans of crawling over the sharped edged of crushed eggshells. So, they make the perfect natural, non-toxic deterrent to sprinkle around your plants. (via Bob Vila)
What to Read Next: 9 Essential Indoor Plant Resources
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I love that these clever gardening tips and tricks not only help your garden thrive, but they also help you reuse everyday objects and reduce waste!
Which of these gardening tips are you excited to try in your yard?
