March 20, 2023, was the long awaited first day of spring! As the days begin to get longer and warmer, gardeners will begin to prepare and plant flowers and crops for the spring season. With home ownership on the rise, an increasing number of people are cultivating their own gardens. When it comes to caring for those gardens, there are endless tips and tricks consumers use to grow healthy and beautiful flowers and crops, but there are still some hacks that are well kept secrets of the trade!
1. Beer for Pest Control
Leftover beer can be used to kill slugs, snails, and other pests that enter a garden. These pests are attracted to the smell; when a shallow container of beer is buried under the soil up to the brim, they will follow the scent, go in for a drink, and drown.
2. Nighttime Gardening
While some home gardeners believe it is only a myth, others swear that gardening by moonlight yields healthier flowers and crops. Whether it is fact or fiction, nighttime gardening can help consumers avoid summer heat and insects.
3. Soda Bottle Greenhouse
Seeds and sprouts can sometimes be hard to cultivate in the inconsistent conditions of an outdoor garden. By placing seeds or sprouts in pots and covering the top of the pot with the top half of a transparent plastic soda bottle, consumers can create a mini, regulated greenhouse. Once the plants are strong enough to withstand varying elements, they can be placed in the garden.
4. Matchbox fertilizer
Some plants, such as peppers, thrive on the presence of sulfur in the soil. Burying the strike strip of a match box near these plants can provide them with extra sulfur and repurpose waste! Extra cardboard and paper must be removed from the strike strip to keep the plot clear of debris.
5. Diapers to prevent overwatering.
Placing a (clean) diaper in the bottom of a planter can prevent overwatering and root rot by soaking up excess water. This is a great solution for indoor gardeners, and drainage holes in pots can create messes and water damage.
6. Fragranced soap to repel deer.
Shavings of highly fragranced bar soap can be used to repel deer from eating flowers and vegetables without heavy chemicals or expensive fencing. The shavings should be replenished often as rain and watering will dilute the scent.
To read more about the gardening supply market trends, check out Freedonia Groups report, “Home Gardening Consumer Insights”.