Everyone loves simple and genius ways to save time in the garden. Over at OneLittleProject, they’ve outlined 17 Clever Vegetable Gardening Hacks that will save you time, money and headache in the garden.
To get you excited, here’s just a handful of those tips!
Keep Those Instructions Handy
You know those plant tags you throw into the shed because you know you should save them, but you aren’t exactly sure what to do with them? Put them on a key ring to keep them organized!”
Put Those Melons in a Sling
“The bigger and heavier melons get as they grow, the more likely they are to break from the vine before they are ripe. Give them a bit of support by making a sling out of an old t-shirt to reduce the strain on the vine.”
Make your Own Fertilizer with Kitchen Scraps
Let’s face it, composting isn’t for everyone. But, guess what? You can still make your own compost in small quantities from kitchen scraps. Get the step-by-step directions here.
Read the other 14 amazing gardening hacks, here at: “OneLittleProject.com“
Why those ingredients? What nutrients are you giving the plants? Spent coffee grounds are primarily cellulose (but are good for water retention) and they don’t significantly acidify the soil but there really are no plant nutrients so I fail to see how it should be a component of “fertiliser”. Eggshells add calcium which is necessary for foliar growth (and I find the sharp edges of slightly crushed eggshell is a pretty good mulch in that slugs are deterred because the edges are sharp and can damage the slimies). Banana peels are rich in potassium (potash), necessary for producing plants sugars and particularly necessary for blooming plants. An old time farmer who was a patient of mine years ago told me about keeping tomato worms away with just tossing banana peels (organic ones) on top of the soil by the plants. It was a big mystery to me for quite a while but I think it probably has something to do with the saponins and the hydrogen cyanide present in the peels! So what’s missing in this “fertilizer”? Nitrogen- and magnesium- both are essential for chlorophyl production! I agree with the commentator above who suggested diluted urine- nitrogen is derived from the ammonia in urine. Epsom salts are a good source of magnesium. I think foregoing the coffee grounds and adding epsom salts and a little dilute urine makes a bit more sense. Also, the scent of human urine will keep animals away from your vegetable garden- that’s how other animals “mark” their territory so it does double duty! Oh- another addition that is good- when you have spent brillo pads- put them in water and let them oxidize. The rist will supply the soil/plants with iron:-)