There are so many things to like about spring. It’s a time of renewal. Temperatures are just right: no longer bitter cold and not yet the scorching hot temperatures of summer. Daylight Saving Time, which moves the clock forward beginning in March, makes for longer, light-filled days. Baby animals fill yards and trees along with the return of many migrating birds and their accompanying songs. Spring is also the best time to spend time in your yard planting your garden!
Did you know that gardening doesn’t just bring beauty to your yard and food to your table, but it also has many health benefits as well? Gardening can improve your self-esteem, reduce stress, strengthen your heart, save you money and even help you sleep better. Whether you are new to the world of gardening or are a seasoned pro, Ned Stevens has you covered with the best gardening hacks to make sure your garden looks and grows its best. Read on to learn all about inexpensive and easy gardening hacks you can do items you can easily find in your house.
Hydrogen Peroxide is a Gardener’s Secret Weapon
Hydrogen Peroxide can be used for many things for both your indoor plants as well as your outdoor garden. Looking to improve your plants’ root system? Mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 32 parts water in a container and pour into pots or flower beds and let soak overnight. Make sure to concentrate on the roots and avoid leaves and flowers. To help seedlings grow healthier and stronger, mix 1 ounce of hydrogen peroxide with two cups of water and soak your seeds in a container for at least a day before planting in soil.
A New Way to Recycle Plastic Bottles
Reuse your old plastic bottles to keep your plants hydrated. Take an old plastic soda bottle, a 12-16oz size will do, puncture holes around the sides and then stuff it with a sock you no longer use and bury it in your garden between several plants. Unscrew the cap and fill it with water as needed. The fabric in the sock will absorb the water working to release the water slowly, mimicking a drip irrigation system.
You can use 2-liter soda bottles or gallon water bottles as mini-greenhouses. Just cut off the bottom, leave the cap off and place the bottle over a seedling to trap water and moisture as well as protect seedlings from frost, wind and strong rain.
Reuse Household Items As Seed Starters
Plastic bottles aren’t the only thing that can be repurposed for use in the garden! Eggshells, citrus rinds, egg cartons and even ice cream cones can be used as a way to grow seedlings.
Use Coffee Filters or Old Sponges to Line Pots
Tired of losing soil through the bottom of the pot when you water? Just potted a new plant and don’t have that bottom tray thing? You can easily block soil seepage by lining the bottom of your pots using a basic coffee filter. These filters will allow water to still easily drain out of the pot while holding the soil in. Alternatively, you can use old kitchen sponges at the bottom of your pots. Sponges perform the same filtering function as coffee filters with the added bonus of fighting off root rot by allowing for more air at the bottom of the plant pot.
Find More Space for Your Gardening Habit
Don’t have a yard to plant in? Use your walls and doors as a vertical gardening space. Hang an over-door shoe organizer for an easy way to grow herbs and lettuces without needing the ground-space with which to do it.
You put the time in to make your house a home and to beautify it with your new spring garden. Now trust Ned Stevens and our team of professionals to help protect your home and lawn and keep it as beautiful as you’ve made it.
