We’ve all been there – struggling with weeds that just won’t quit, searching for the perfect way to keep plants watered while on vacation, or wondering how to make the most of a small garden space. What if I told you there are simple solutions right under your nose using items you already have at home?
These 12 gardening hacks are total game-changers that will save you time, money, and frustration. The best part? They’re ridiculously simple!
Coffee Grounds Magic
Don’t toss those used coffee grounds! They’re nitrogen-rich gold for acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, and blueberries. Sprinkle them around plants as a slow-release fertiliser/organic matter, add them to compost, or mix with water for a liquid fertiliser. Your plants will thank you, and you’ll reduce waste simultaneously.
Plastic Bottle Drip Irrigation
Going on vacation? Grab those empty plastic bottles! Poke tiny holes in the caps, fill with water, and bury them cap-down next to thirsty plants. The water slowly releases directly to the roots where it’s needed most. One 2-liter bottle can keep a plant hydrated for days, saving your garden (and your sanity) during hot spells.
Eggshell Seed Starters
Start seeds in empty eggshell halves for a biodegradable pot that adds calcium to the soil when planted! Fill each clean half with potting soil, add seeds, and place back in the egg carton for easy watering and transport. When seedlings are ready, crush the bottom slightly and plant the whole thing. No transplant shock and zero waste!
Cinnamon as Rooting Hormone
Ditch expensive rooting hormones! Cinnamon is a natural fungicide that helps prevent damping off disease in seedlings and promotes successful cuttings. Just dip the cut end of your plant stems in water, then in cinnamon powder before planting. Your propagation success rate could skyrocket – all from your spice cabinet!
6. Vinegar Weed Killer
Mix 1 gallon of white vinegar with 1 cup of salt and 2 tablespoons of washing up liquid for a powerful weed killer that’s chemical-free.
Spray directly on weeds on a sunny day (avoid your precious plants!) and watch them wither within hours. Perfect for walkways, driveways, and between pavers where nothing should grow. Note – this won’t work on perennial weeds
Plastic Fork Pest Defence
Push plastic forks into the soil around vulnerable plants with tines pointing upward to keep away cats, squirrels, rabbits, and other garden pests. The animals don’t like the feeling of the prongs and will avoid the area. It looks a bit strange but works amazingly well – and costs practically nothing!
8. DIY Self-Watering Planter
Create a self-watering planter using an old plastic container and some thick string. Tie weights on to the string (eg some steel nuts or bolts, and place the weighted ends in the container to act as wicks.
Fill the container with water, place pots you want to water around the larger container with with strings reaching from the water into the plant pots. The capillary action can slowly waters your plants for weeks. For a better result in warm conditions, choose a container with a lid and cut holes in it it to feed the string through. This will prevent evaporation
9. Banana Peel Fertilizer
Banana peels are packed with potassium, phosphorus, and calcium – perfect for flowering plants and vegetables. Cut them into small pieces and bury them near plants, blend them with water for a liquid fertilizer, or dry and crush them into a powder.
To be honest, there is some question about whether this is effective. But it’s unlikely to do any harm.
Milk Jug Mini-Greenhouse
Cut the bottom off a clean plastic milk bottle and place it over seedlings to create a mini-greenhouse that protects from frost, wind, and pests.
Remove the cap for ventilation on warm days. It’s perfect for extending the growing season in spring and fall, letting you plant weeks earlier and harvest weeks later!
Baking Soda Fungus Fighter
Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 gallon of water and a drop of dish soap to create an effective spray against powdery mildew and other fungal diseases. Spray on affected plants weekly to prevent spread.
This gentle solution won’t harm beneficial insects and costs pennies compared to commercial fungicides.
Transform Your Garden Today!
These simple hacks prove you don’t need expensive gadgets or chemicals to have a thriving garden. With a little creativity and items already in your home, you can solve common garden problems while being kind to your wallet and the environment.
Which hack will you try first? Share your results on our Facebook page – we’d love to see these tips in action in YOUR garden!
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Martin Cole has been an avid plant lover and gardener for more than 20 years and loves to talk and write about gardening. In 2006 he was a finalist in the BBC Gardener of the Year competition. He is a member of the National dahlia Society.
He previously lived in London and Sydney, Australia, where he took a diploma course in Horticultural studies and is now based in North Berwick in Scotland. He founded GardeningStepbyStep.com in 2012. The website is aimed at everybody who loves plants or has been bitten by the gardening bug and wants to know more.
Gardening Step by Step has been cited by Thompson and Morgan, the UK’s largest mail order plant retailer, as a website that publishes expert gardening content.