5 Easy Hacks That Will Change the Way You Garden

You don’t need that harmful chemical-laden weed killer anymore. Just spritz those pesky weeds with vinegar. Annual weeds will die rather quickly, while perennial weeds may need more than one application so the vinegar can get down into the deep roots. Note: be careful where you spray the vinegar. It will also kill any plants you want to keep.

Instead of buying a $25 bag of fertilizer from the garden store, make your own using kitchen scraps. Blend together cut up pieces of banana peels, egg shells, and coffee grounds. Then place the mixture near the roots of your plants.

How does it work? As banana peels biodegrade, they release potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and magnesium into the soil. Banana peels are also known to repel aphids. Coffee grounds are an excellent source of nitrogen, which your plants love. Adding crushed egg shells to the mix will provide calcium to your soil to help build the plants' cell walls. Crushed shells also deter slugs and snails from coming into your garden because they don't like climbing over the sharp shell shards.

Cut your citrus fruit in half and remove the juicy membranes with a spoon. Poke a couple of holes in the bottom of the peel, then fill the fruit cup with soil and plant your seeds. Once the seedlings are large enough to be planted, simply dig a hole in the ground and place your citrus bowl inside.

Make your own pest control spray using items you already have in your kitchen. Blend together 10 garlic cloves (husks included), one tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and two cups of water. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth into a jar. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle, then add about one teaspoon of biodegradable dish soap. Spritz contents on plants that are infested with bugs. You may have to repeat for a few days, especially after a hard rain.

This easy hack will help transform your brown thumb into a green one. Carefully cut off the bottom of a used water bottle with an Exacto knife and recycle it. With the lid of the bottle screwed on, place the bottle on top of newly planted and watered seeds. Keep the bottle on as the plant starts to sprout and grow stronger. Make sure the soil is moist while the seeds grow into seedlings and are ready to be transplanted into the ground. Reuse the bottle for your next round of seedlings.