We have brought together some of the best gardening hacks to help you make your backyard as green as ever. Here are some tips, tricks, and DIY ideas for your favorite part of the house.
Mildew? More Like Mil-don't!
When buying furniture for your backyard, you're probably going to go with a rustic finish, right? There's something about wooden furniture that pulls the outdoor space together. While picking out furniture, one thought may come to mind — wood in the backyard may cause mildew.
That shouldn't be what stops you from purchasing the set. Keeping wood protected from mildew can be done with some WD-40!
Automatic Watering System
Begin by cutting off the bottom of a plastic bottle and then poking or drilling holes into the bottle's lid and neck. Bury the bottle upside down near a plant so that the holes are about four inches (10cm) below the surface.
All you need to do is refill the bottle every few days. Plants that need regular hydration at their roots, like tomatoes and squash, will love this watering hack. Additionally, you may reduce the pace at which the water drains through the bottle by removing the top and putting a tight-fitting piece of sponge inside the bottle's neck.
Miniature Greenhouses
Bottles make excellent small greenhouses for protecting newly transplanted seedlings from dropping temperatures and severe winds. It's great for acclimating them to the outdoors or kicking off the new growing season. Additionally, they will deter birds. Peel the label off a transparent plastic bottle, snip off the bottom and place it over seedlings or young plants.
Narrower bottles are ideal for individual plants, and you can keep them from blowing away by pressing them down into the earth. Bigger bottle sizes, such as five liters, are ideal for clusters of seedlings. Another tip is to leave the lid off for ventilation. (Unless it is chilly.)
Fruit Collector
You want to get those fresh fruits off the tree before they rot and fall. Use a bottle to build your own personal fruit picker. Cut a circle around the bottom of a bottle and tie it to a cane or pole placed through the bottle's neck.
There's no such thing as forbidden fruit with this contraption. It'll help you extend your reach and grab any fruit you want!
Start With Your Soil
The foundation of any good garden is well-amended soil. Prepare it by enriching it with organic compost that will assist in trapping moisture and encourage deep roots to grow. Biochar, a charcoal-like substance that is made from burning organic forestry wastes, can be a helpful additive.
It both promotes fertility and helps retain water. Mulch is also helpful as it keeps down weeds that may compete for your nutrients and water.
Plant Smart
Forget boring garden designs! Instead of the traditional row layout that you would normally do, try planting your vegetables in a block style. Grouped together, this can lessen water requirements.
You can also choose ones with similar water needs, such as zucchini, cucumbers, eggplants, and squash. Avoid broccoli and cauliflower, as these tend to hog space and water. We all want a unique-looking garden!
Time Your Planting
Like everything, a great garden relays on timing too. Plant your vegetables before the peak of summer. This way, they will have time to establish a strong root system that will that survive on hotter days.
Use a drip irrigation system so water will be deployed when needed, thus reducing water consumption by almost 50%. Just imagine your garden brimming green and inviting on a mid-summer day!
Winged Friends Only!
Adding a bird feeder to your patio may seem splendid until you notice the non-bird creatures taking the feed for themselves. We don't want that, now, do we?
If you spray WD-40 on the edges of your bird feeder, it will make it too slippery for non-winged friends to hang on to! Another thing that might help is setting up a feeding station for other creatures in a more distant corner of your garden, which will keep them away from your plants.
It's Beer O'clock
Next time slugs plague your plants, pour some brewski into a cup and stick it down in your soil near the affected plants. Snails are attracted to the yeast in the bubbly liquid, and they’ll crawl into the cup and drown before they eat your tomatoes.
Place the cup firmly in the soil but be sure to leave a good inch so as not to kill good organisms along with the slimy pests. You don’t want the good insects that eat the peskier pests to drown accidentally. And hey, at least the snails will die happy, right?
Broken Eggshells
Next time you eat omelets or hardboiled eggs, rinse the shells off and throw them in the garden. This can help to deter small pests from crawling near enough to eat your plants. Eggshells are completely organic and biodegradable, so you don’t have to worry about them harming the environment like most pesticides do, or about cleaning them up in the future.
Use an open container to store all of your eggshells after you eat them, so you can crush tons at once and have a more effective amount. Just make sure you allow them to dry fully before use to avoid any unpleasant smells.
DIY Insect Repellant
All you need is a spray bottle, a couple of heads of garlic, some mint leaves, dish soap, and a few teaspoons of cayenne pepper. Don’t worry – this spray is for your garden, not your skin.
Toss your garlic and mint leaves into a food processor or chop them as finely as possible. Boil ten cups of water and add your cayenne pepper. Combine everything into one pot and boil for 2-3 minutes. Once your concoction cools completely, strain and pour into spray bottles and add a few squirts of liquid dish soap. Spray the mixture on areas where pests are most prevalent.
Plastic Forks
The thing about inserting a bunch of plastic forks upside down in the ground on your front lawn is this: it looks super tacky. But hey, if you’re determined to try anything to keep the pests from crawling around in your plants, you can give it a shot!
The forks won’t keep everything away, but they’ll make it less likely for snails and some animals to tread on your garden. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t have a drawer full of extra forks from takeout restaurants just rearing to go for this project?
Maintaining Those Blades
There are no shortcuts to looking after your garden, and it can be costly sometimes too. It goes without saying, but lawnmowers are not a cheap buy. Since they are an investment, it's essential to clean them properly.
To keep your lawnmower in the best shape possible, you can use WD-40 to clean its blades. This will ensure many years of use for your lawnmower.
Home Made Cloches
Use scissors or a knife to remove the bottom of your old milk jugs or bottles, and put them in the garden to protect vulnerable seedlings from harsh weather and frost. Leave the top as is but remove the cap to give the plant plenty of air.
Cloches are only meant to protect seedlings during cold nights, so they shouldn’t be used in the warmer months when temperatures remain high overnight. Milk jugs are multi-purpose tools to have around your home garden. And if cloches aren’t really your thing, maybe the milk jug watering can is more your speed!
Just Some Paint and Some Rocks
All you need for this garden hack is some large rocks, acrylic paint, and brushes. Get a game plan in the works and imagine a theme or the way that you want your garden decorations to look. Then, paint the large rocks and let them dry for a night or two before placing them strategically around the yard.
You can get as creative as you want here and go as simple or as complicated as you like. For instance, you can simply use colors and designs, or you can go for your favorite film characters for something more entertaining. The possibilities are endless!
Adorable DIY Hanging Storage
This hack requires a bit more muscle than some of the others here. You’ll need some tools, too: a shipping pallet, a hammer, and some nails. Grab the shipping pallet and decide where you want to hang it. Mark the spaces on the wall where you will hang your nails. Hammer the nails and hang the pallet on the wall. Voilà, a rustic DIY storage unit to place in your garden or shed.
The more rustic the colors, the better, but you can always paint it for a personal touch. Now, hang all of your tools on your new storage unit for easy access!
Make a Hammock for Your Melons
Yes, you did read that right. Considering how heavy watermelons grow to become, this tip keeps them from breaking off of their vines before they’re ripe and ready. To implement this gardening hack, all you’ll need is a couple of old sheets, towels, or t-shirts.
Slip the material under the melons and tie the ends to the sturdiest part of the vines or the nearest tree or post. Bonus points if you use a material that matches and makes your garden look even more beautiful!
Fertilize With Coffee Grounds
You probably just toss your used coffee grounds in the trash, as most people do, right? Well, instead of wasting them, why not recycle them and use them in your garden for natural compost? Coffee grounds are loaded with nutrients and can help fertilize your plants if you mix a bit in with your soil.
Adding used coffee grounds to your regular soil can do wonders for your garden. It can help good microorganisms to thrive while attracting plant-healthy earthworms and deterring insects that will ruin the plants, such as snails. Adding coffee grounds also helps with aeration and water retention.
Check Soil’s pH Levels Using Stuff from Your Kitchen
The pH levels in your soil can affect the way in which your plants grow. It can make all the difference between healthy and unhealthy plants. If soil is either too acidic or alkaline, it doesn’t get the right amount of nutrients, and plants won’t become properly fertilized.
To check the pH of your garden’s soil, all you need is some vinegar and baking soda. Simply pour some of the tangy liquid on the ground and watch for bubbles — if you see them, the soil is alkaline. Alternatively, if you mix baking soda into the soil and it starts bubbling, it’s more acidic.
Paper Towels to Hydrate Plants
Need to leave town for a few days? No one to take care of your plants? Don't worry. All you need is a glass and some paper towels.
Simply fill up as many glasses as necessary with water and twist up some paper towels, sticking one end in the glass of water and the other directly in the soil of your plants. Make sure they’re close enough that the paper towels won’t spill or miss delivering the water directly to your plants. Fill up the glasses enough to last for a while (at least ¾ of the way).
Use Plastic Bottles to Keep Plants Hydrated
This tip is not only great for ensuring that your plants get enough water, but it’s also a terrific way to reuse old plastic bottles. Save up your old bottles and poke holes all over the plastic, but not the neck. Holes should be about two inches apart.
Plant the bottles in the soil by your plants and fill them with water. The water in the bottles will empty slowly, keeping your plants consistently hydrated for a longer period of time. This is a great hack for someone who doesn’t get the chance to water their garden as much as they’d like.
Wheelbarrow of Fortune
Anyone that loves gardening understands that a wheelbarrow is an essential tool to have in your shed, especially when it comes to maintaining a yard. So, do you have one?
Keeping your wheelbarrow in good shape is essential to maintain its longevity. To keep the handy tool clean and rust-free try using WD-40! You and your wheelbarrow will thank us one day.
A Mini Plastic Greenhouse
A greenhouse can be any structure used to trap heat and keep plants safe as they grow, hence these DIY greenhouses that you can make using large, empty plastic/Tupperware containers. Just line the bins with whatever you’re using for seedlings (Styrofoam cups, citrus peels, etc.) and place them in an area where they’ll get enough light.
You can use smaller bins, like those that rotisserie chicken and fruit come home from the store in, to fill with dirt and seedlings as well. Those containers are often perfect for seedlings due to the slits in them that allow them to properly aerate.
Coffee Filters Help Absorb Excess Water
Anyone who’s dealt with potted plants before knows what happens when you overwater one of them: you wind up with a big puddle of the stuff in (and often around) the bottom of the pot. But fear not! Because your friend, the coffee filter, is here to help!
Simply place a regular-sized coffee filter at the very bottom of your pot prior to filling it with soil and planting your plant. This should reduce the excess water by a long shot. Of course, it won’t act as a barrier, so do try to control your pour as much as possible, just to be safe.
What to Do With Broken Pots
Experienced gardeners know the heartache that comes along with dropping a potted plant and watching it shatter, right along with their heart and all of the feels. Luckily, this hack gives us hope. Reinvent the broken pieces and use them to make something awesome!
Take the broken chunks of your pot and use either marker (Sharpie) or acrylic paints to write the names of your veggies and herbs on them. Then, stick them up out of the soil as labels for an authentic, cool feel. Just be careful not to put any sharp edges straight up. You don’t want to accidentally cut yourself!
Recycled Wine Bottles
Great news for all of you weekly (okay, daily) wine drinkers out there! There’s a way to reuse those bottles and improve the lives of your plants. This hack is great for someone who goes out of town on the weekends and doesn’t have anyone close to coming to take care of their plants for them!
You only need your old wine bottle and its cork. Poke a small hole in the cork, fill the bottle with water, stuff the cork back inside, flip the bottle upside down and place it deep down in the soil. Voilà! Your very own wine bottle watering station.
Use Muffin Tins for Measuring
This is a great way to measure the spacing for new seedlings! Use old muffin tins to make imprints in the dirt. The holes it will produce are a perfect size for seedlings to be able to grow. Of course, you will still need to dig them deeper, but the circumference will be gravy!
If you still use your muffin tins often and/or they can’t go through the dishwasher, you may want to hold off on attempting this hack until you’ve got a tin to spare. Unless, of course, the thought of eating dirt doesn’t bother you, in which case – go for it!
Cute Spoon Labels
Old kitchen spoons can actually look lovely sticking up out of your garden, if used in an artsy way like this one, anyways. To complete this project, you’ll need some old metal spoons, a hammer, and acrylic paints.
First, use the hammer to flatten out the head of your spoon. Then, paint the heads in different base colors, using complementary tones, if possible. Don’t worry about painting the stems since the soil will hide them. Finally, write the names of your herbs on the spoons and add some finishing touches. Wait until the spoons are completely dry before sticking them in the garden.
Building Block Planters
Building blocks – Legos, and Duplo, can be used outside too. Don't throw them out – turn them upside-down and pack them full of dirt. They make perfect little planters for an indoor herb garden, windowsill flowers, or cute little cacti.
Instead of a boring black plastic planter, add a little bit of color using the bright shades that these blocks often feature. Even better, since you can make any shape you want, you won't have a problem fitting them where you need your plants.
Create Your Herb Garden
Who doesn't love a little bit of extra flavor in their meals? Thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano – good stuff. But if you want to have enough, you need to buy those little containers, and the stuff can go bad if you don't use it fast enough.
We're trying to reduce our waste here, so it's time to switch tactics. Why not start a little herb garden? You'll need planters – you can use mason jars as seen here, a little bit of dirt, some seeds, and a little bit of knowledge. That fresh flavor will make your meals seem even better.
Glorious, Glorious Composting
Instead of chucking all your orange peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and other inedible pieces into the garbage, why not compost? The stuff breaks down into nutrients that help the surrounding area flourish.
There are plenty of ways to do it, and it isn't that hard to make your own composting bin out of stuff you might just have lying around. Doing this will reduce the amount of garbage you produce, make sure the place where you live is full of life, and keep your meals greener.
Make Good Use of Free Water
Watching the rain come down while inside with a nice hot cup of coffee seems to be one of the constant joys of life. If you have a big yard, or a garden, or you just like that water feature, you probably enjoy having mother nature water the place, but you can do more.
Collect rainwater in a bucket or set up a water barrel right under the gutter. The next time it's hot out, don't run the hose – grab water from the barrel. Conserve water while you're keeping your home surrounded by healthy plants!
Prevent Wind Chime Rust
Wind chimes are a great addition to your porch or backyard. Their appeal may fade with time as they tend to rust up after the rain. Though we don't have a fix for rusty wind chimes, we do have a way to prevent new wind chimes from rusting.
WD-40 is your secret weapon here. Spray new wind chimes with the product before each rainy season to ensure that they stay beautiful all year round.
Another Use for Old Sheets
We all have some old sheets or towels lying around. If you're unsure what to do with them, why not help your plants grow? Just take a sheet, cut it into narrow strips, and suddenly you have some helpful supports for plants that need to take a load off or like to climb.
Tomatoes are always a good choice for your personal garden, but there are lots of fruits and veggies that need a little bit of help. Not only that, you can add a bit of color, and they might even work as deer defense if you have trouble with that, too.
Fruit Stains
If your hands are left with orange, purple, and pink stains after picking your homegrown fruits and vegetables, vinegar can assist. Just wash your hands with some vinegar and water, and voila!
Vinegar can also be used to help remove fruit stains from clothes. Add one tablespoon of vinegar for each cup of water and half a teaspoon of detergent, and leave your garment to soak before you put it in the machine.
Get Rid of Pesky Weeds
Vinegar is a garden savior. It is acetic acid, which means it can be used as a natural option for weedkillers when it comes to clearing away those unwanted weeds. The secret of every neat garden is maintenance, maintenance, maintenance.
You only need to spray the liquid directly onto the pesky plants, but be careful around any vegetation and greenery you want to keep. For a more potent solution that will tackle more stubborn weeds, add some salt to the vinegar before you apply it.
Snail Deterrent
Don’t let the snail assail your plants! VapoRub can form an impenetrable barrier for snails. Only use this hack on potted plants. Rub a good dollop of VapoRub on the edges of plant holders and ONLY the holders.
Snails will stay far, far away from the menthol scent. Do not rub VapoRub on any plant itself, including the leaves, stalks, or branches, as this will most certainly cause damage to the plant. A light greasing around the plant holder rim is more than enough to repel any voracious bugs.
Grow Veggies in a Colander
You can repurpose your old colander into a planter for your homegrown herb corner in your backyard. Simply hang it in a sunny spot, and you are ready to go.
This adds a charming eco-friendly feel to your garden while not taking up too much space. Plus, you'll save on your grocery bill. And if you don't have a yard/garden, a sunny windowsill can go a long way too.
Use Your Garden Rack
This outdoor storage trick involves just using the head of an old garden rake. The spokes turn into ordered hooks to hang your garden shears, spades, and scissors whilst adding a touch of vintage style to your outdoor area.
Not only will this look rustic, perfect for your garden area, but it will save you money as you won't have to buy new hooks.
Salt Out Those Pesky Weeds
This goes out to all the nature nerds out there. You really love gardening, but you know how pesky weeds can be as they are forever popping up in your garden, and their persistent growing can seem overwhelming at times.
One of the best ways to deal with weeds without damaging your other plants with pesticides and harmful chemicals is to cover their leaves and roots with salt.
Keep Your Salad Crisp
If you are going to grow your leaves, here is how to keep them fresh. Our kids hate to eat them, but luckily, we have a simple solution to help spruce up your salads! One of our top tips for taking your salad to the next level and keeping it fresh is to add a dash of salt, helping the lettuce stay crisp and garden-fresh.
Adding just that little pinch will also give you more time to enjoy your greens before the leaves start to wilt and become soggy.
How to Bring Your Herbs Back to Life
Parsley and coriander wrapped in the freshness of wild mint, combined with energizing rosemary and breathtaking Aloysia, celebrating their existence. The sad thing is, this celebration lasts for a max of two days. How to keep this party going, you ask? It's simpler than you think.
Place the roots of the herbs in a jar of water, just like with flowers. Cover with a plastic bag, place in the refrigerator, and these herbs will keep on partying for days.
Prevent Wicker Creaks
Nothing says spring and summer quite like wicker furniture for your backyard. The only drawback is that wicker tends to make creaking sounds when you sit on it.
For some, this noise may be bothersome, while others may not notice it at all. If you're a part of the folks who are sensitive to certain sounds, spraying WD-40 over the creaky spots in your wicker furniture will quiet the whole thing down.
Melt the Ice on Your Garden Patio With Baking Soda
The garden patio may not be used a lot during the winter; however, if we neglect it, it will look bad by the time spring knocks on our door. If the place where you live often encounters cold, icy winters, you know the anxiety that comes with an ice-covered patio. Icy slip-and-falls are never fun.
Well, if you don’t have salt on hand to melt the ice, you can try sprinkling baking soda all over the frozen area. Though it's not as strong as road salt, it will help melt the ice on a potentially hazardous path.
Herb Organizer
There is no reason why not to have your own herb heaven in your backyard. Everyone is entitled to grow their own Basil. Get yourself some herbs to grow in lightweight pots, and start eating your greens just like your grandma told you.
So, how do you set up those pots in the garden, and what does a shower curtain rod have to do with any of it? First, you set up the rod in the outer window frame. Afterward, attach clips or hooks to the pots and hang them on the rod. Now stop with the takeout and make yourself some salad.
Clean Your Grill
If you have a garden, you have a grill. Barbecue lovers; this one's for you. Grills add many culinary options and usually see a lot of use during the warmer months. (4th of July picnic, anyone?). The grill, however, must be maintained and cleaned.
If your grill has seen a lot of action lately and has some residue on the grates, just grab some baking soda and a damp brush. After a little scrubbing and a quick rinse, your grill should be all set for the next use.
Swapping Out Plants
When you're first planting your garden, you're usually using infant plants to make things easier. Once all those plants hit their adult sizes, you might have wished you had done things a little bit differently. Here's a way to customize your yard: get double the plastic pots and bury some of them in the ground.
Slip the actual pots into the pots you buried, watch them grow, and then if you want to switch them, simply pull the pots out of the buried pots, and slip them into new homes. The one stipulation is all of the pots have to be the right size.
Camouflage Your Tank
Making a beautiful garden is something that soothes the soul and the mind, even if you live in the city. Depending on where you live, however, you might have to have a propane tank to keep the home warm when it gets cold, which can be an unsightly addition to your natural yard.
Keep the tank hidden until you need it with a plastic rock box, which you can build to your specifications. Different colors of rocks and different configurations of the box will fit into any kind of outdoor garden. Don't let the realities of the world interfere with your green sanctum.
Give Those Plants Space
When people think of “cute,” cinder blocks are one of the things furthest from their minds. But you can still utilize these bog-standard pieces of construction stonework. If you're trying to get more space for your little plants, stack a number of cinder blocks on top of each other.
Tuck a few plants inside the holes to give them a place to grow, and you can also use them as support for a table or workbench. Create this easy item outside or in a greenhouse, and easily add some green to the gray.
The Secret Garden
We're guessing most people don't have a water fountain in their backyard, but this goes out to the few that do! Due to consistent contact with water, mildew on water fountains is to be expected — it can even add an extra touch.
But, if you're not a fan of the "secret garden" decor, you can spray the fountain down with WD-40 to prevent mildew from growing in the future.
Create a Weed Killer
Nothing can kill the beauty of your lawn or garden quicker than an influx of weeds. But using artificial, chemical-based weed killers isn’t always a good option as they can both be pricey and have unhealthy effects. Luckily, baking soda can be an effective alternative.
Just sprinkle some baking soda on the weeds! After just a few days, you should see your weed invasion dying away and your beautiful lawn re-emerging.
Clean Fresh Produce
So you just picked off your tree some beautiful, fresh produce, and you need to remove the remaining dirt, but soap is not an option, and water just won’t cut it. Here’s where baking soda steps in.
Let your produce soak for a few minutes in a mix of 1 tsp of baking soda per 2 cups of water. Or, if you’re in a hurry, you can scrub the produce with a soaked washcloth. After a quick rinse, your fruit should be clean and ready to go.
A Sprinkle of Epsom Salt
Epsom salt is super handy to have lying around the shed in your garden at any given moment. This stuff can work its healing magic on the plants in your garden.
Each time you plant something (anything,) whether it be a seedling or plant, adding a teaspoon of this miracle substance can help them stay healthy and strong as they grow. But don’t just throw the salt on top of your seedling and call it a day. First, dig your hole, then add the teaspoon of Epsom salt, cover it with another layer of dirt and then add your plant.
All-Natural Mosquito Repellent
No one wants mosquitoes hanging around their garden, yet so many mosquito repellants rely on chemicals to deter the itchy little bastards. Luckily, there’s a way to keep them away from your garden without spending too much money or risking your health.
When you’re buying candles or anti-mosquito sprays, one of the main ingredients is usually citronella. This particular grouping of plants is enough to keep the bugs away on their own – no spray is needed. All you need to do is plant some citronella geranium with marigold, lemongrass, thyme, and catnip.
The Cinnamon Garden Challenge
Everyone should have cinnamon handy around the garden. It isn’t just yummy; it’s also good for you, and – it’s good for your garden, too. Cinnamon’s anti-fungal properties protect your plants from several types of plant diseases, along with pests, such as ants and wild mushrooms.
Is it too late for your plants? Are they already wounded? Fear not, because not only is cinnamon good at protecting them, but it’s also good at healing them! If your poor plants have been injured, sprinkle some of this magic red dust on them and watch the healing commence!
Banana Peels = Compost
Banana peels are handy to have around to use as a natural fertilizer for your garden. Banana peels contain vitamins and nutrients, like calcium and potassium, which help plants grow strong and healthy.
But it isn’t just about using the banana peel that makes this hack work – it’s how you use it. Do it wrong, and you’ll get the opposite effect. You want to be sure to cut your peels into small pieces and toss them onto your compost pile. Avoid burying the pieces into the soil since they need air to do their job correctly, and if you smother them, it won’t work.
White Vinegar Weed Killer
If you’re looking for an organic way to handle those invasive weeds in your garden, use vinegar and salt to do away with those pesky plant killers. Keep in mind that white vinegar is very acidic and should only be sprayed on weeds, as it can kill your good plants, too.
Mix one gallon of white vinegar with a cup of salt and put in a squirt bottle – the more control you have over the spray, the better. Apply to the weeds in your garden, avoiding your herbs and veggies. Don’t plant anything new where you’ve sprayed for at least two weeks afterward.
Orange Peel Seed Starters
Slice your oranges, lemons, or limes in half, scoop all of the sticky juiciness out completely (to eat, of course,) and rinse them out. Then, poke a couple of small holes in the bottom of each half.
Once you’ve got your peels ready, set them on (or in) something to catch the water, such as a napkin or paper towel, and fill each with dirt. Then, you’re ready to give your seedlings a new home! The best part about this is that when those babies are ready to go, you can plant the whole thing, and the fruit will act as a natural fertilizer.
Hydrogen Peroxide for Root Rot
Hydrogen peroxide has so many wonderful uses around the home, it’s crazy. But it can also be used directly outside of the home, too – to prevent and cure root rot in your plants!
Mix a solution of one part hydrogen peroxide to 5 parts water (about 3-5% hydrogen peroxide only) and shake up in a spray bottle. Spray the solution directly onto the roots of your plants once per day. This solution is not harmful to other plants, so if you accidentally spray it on anything else in your garden, all is well.
A Groundbreaking Discovery
This next one may come as one of the biggest surprises on this list! When you're trying to dig deep into the ground, sometimes the hardest part is breaking into the ground in the first place.
If you spray WD-40 directly onto the shovel, you'll instantly simplify the job. Watch as the shovel digs into the ground without any trouble! Now you are ready to plant your plants.
The Water in the Pot
Next time you boil vegetables, don’t get rid of the water immediately when you’re done. Let the water cool, and let your plants drink it. The nutrients leftover in the water will give your plants an extra boost.
This hack helps you to cut back on waste while delivering essential vitamins to your garden. It’s best to keep up the fertilization process in your garden for the first 45 days after you’ve planted veggies and herbs since it’s when they need the nutrients most.
2-Liter Greenhouse
This next hack creates a barrier that protects your seedlings from harsh winds and weather. Cut the bottom quarter off of your 2 liters and push them down into the soil so that the neck of the bottle is facing up towards the sky.
Depending on the size of your seedlings, you can also use a 1-liter and other smaller bottles. Or, you can start off with smaller bottles and switch to 2 liters as the seedlings mature, much like you alternate your child’s shoes every few months when they’re growing up. Yes, I just compared your kid to a seedling.
Creative Use for an Old Sink
If you’ve recently redone a bathroom, kitchen, or any other room and have an extra sink lying around, try this hack as a creative way to upcycle it rather than tossing it at the dump. Put your sink up against a fence or tree for the most aesthetically pleasing view.
Fill your sink with soil and the plants of your choice. Be sure that water is able to properly drain out of the bottom of the sink and that it’s firmly planted either in the ground or mounted on wood or something that allows for drainage.
Diapers for Water Retention
When it comes to larger plants, diapers can be used to line the bottom of large potted plants to help absorb excess water in fairly large amounts, if necessary. This tip can also work using menstrual pads if you have enough.
Just open the diapers and line the bottom of the pot before filling it with soil. This way, you won’t have to worry about overwatering your potted plants anymore.
Sharpening Pot
Keeping your gardening tools nice and sharp is crucial to maintaining your garden. Use this awesome hack to cut down on time and energy! To get started, you’ll want to get yourself a big old terra-cotta pot.
After you’ve picked out the perfect pot, pour in a mixture of sand and mineral oil. Keep your gardening tools in the pot as this concoction helps keep your tools nice and sharp with very little effort on your part. Since the sand is abrasive, it will sharpen your tools whenever you stick them in or pull them out!
This DIY Stand for Plants
If you’ve got an extra ladder lying around that you don’t plan to use for anything else, why not use it to create this shelf for your plants in the backyard? All you’ll need is the ladder and plants. It really is that simple.
This hack can be used both indoors and outdoors. If you don’t happen to have an extra ladder, you can always scope out garage sales and thrift stores or build a similar structure yourself. This DIY plant stand is an excellent space saver and looks great.
Use the Funnies to Kill Weeds
Here’s an easy and effective way to kill those pesky weeds with old newspapers. Open the sections and lay the newspaper on top of areas where weeds are growing to snuff them out and prevent any new ones from popping up.
Once you’ve got all of your paper laid down, cover it with mulch. Repeat this hack in every area of the garden where weeds have a tendency to grow. This trick works by suffocating the weeds, both after they’ve already started to grow and before they get a chance to.
Root Plants From Cuttings With Honey
Honey is so naturally amazing. The ancient Egyptians knew of its healing properties long ago, and it is still widely revered today for its anti-fungal and antiseptic properties, among many other reasons. Honey can be used to stimulate growth in plants and keep your cuttings strong and healthy.
Boil some water, mix in your honey, let it cool, and then store the mixture in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. To use the mixture, simply dip cuttings in before planting them in the soil.
Empty Cans for the Win
Upcycle your empty cans by using them as an integral part of your garden’s development. Rinse them out and put them upside down on a paper towel until dry. This hack can help to cut down on the amount of soil you need to use, which can be especially helpful for anyone that’s trying to keep a nice garden on a tight budget.
Lay the empty cans in the bottom of your planter to take up space, alternating with some plastic pots and/or fruit boxes if you have them. Then, cover the cans with a piece of landscape fabric and cover them with soil.
Milk Jug Watering Can
Watering cans are important to have in any garden, to keep plants hydrated when it’s not possible to reach them with a hose and when you’re in an area that doesn’t get a consistent amount of rain. Or, of course, if your garden is indoors. These milk jug watering cans will make an excellent addition to your “garsenal.”
To make these bad boys, simply use a sharp object to poke several small holes in the cap of your milk jug. Then, fill the jug with water, screw the cap back on, and you’ve got yourself a recyclable watering can.
The Magic Can Garden
Take a look at what you can do with your old cans! That’s right, next time you polish off a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper, rinse the cans out and try this adorable hack for your mini-garden. Using a can opener, carefully remove the lid in its entirety.
Use a small, sharp object to poke a few holes in the bottom of the can. Then, fill the can with soil and seedlings and watch the magic happen.
You Grow!
A nice can of WD-40 can do wonders around the garden! Separating flower pots that are stuck together may be a scary thought — you may chip one, or worse, have the pot shatter in your hands.
Our faithful WD-40 is here to help you out! Spray some in between and separate the flower pots without damaging them (or your hands) at all!