Summer is the time when gardeners can really make the most of the weather to grow lots of beautiful and tasty things. That’s why decided to share these little-known tips with you. We’re certain they’ll be very useful for all those with green fingers.
1. You might never have guessed it, but bananas are actually a rose’s best friend. It turns out that you won’t find a better kind of fertilizer for your rosebush than banana skins. Simply cut them into small pieces, and place them around the flower’s roots.
2. If you have any potted plants, a simple trick can help them survive even the driest summer. Twist together some strips of fabric, placing one end into a jar of water and the other into the earth in the pot.
- Everyone knows that hanging baskets dry out very quickly. But there’s a trick to help you with this: place an ordinary child’s diaper at the bottom of the basket, and cover it over with earth. The moisture will be retained longer, and the flowers won’t get thirsty.
- If you want to grow lots of strawberries, you need to cover over the seedbed. Pine needles work best here, but cut grass also works. The mulch will help retain moisture and protect the plants against insects.
- Place ordinary plastic forks into the earth of your seedbed in a chessboard pattern to protect your plants from hungry invaders.
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- You can make your own weed killer by mixing together 4 liters of vinegar, 250g of table salt, and 1 tablespoon of washing-up liquid. But remember to cover your hands when using it.
- If the summer hasn’t turned out to be as warm as you expected, a small greenhousewill go a long way to helping your tomatoes grow. And by greenhouse, we mean you can literally stick some twigs into the ground and place a piece of transparent film between them to make your plants nice and cozy.
- Have you got lots of ash left over from a bonfire? Don’t throw it out — it can serve as an excellent fertilizer. If summer turns out to be cold, peppers and eggplants will be especially grateful for this.
- A little bottle greenhouse can save your seedlings if the temperature is too low.
- If you haven’t got a watering can to hand, you can make your own out of an ordinary plastic bottle: just punch a few holes through it, and place it on the end of a hose.
- Finding space for new plants and flowers when you’ve got ones that have been growing for a long time is easier if you simply transplant the latter to containers.
- To make sure your saplings don’t get too thirsty, make a permanent waterer for them. Take an ordinary bottle, pierce the lid in several places, fill it with water, and place it upside down in the pot.
- When it comes to growing seeds, use this simple trick: mix together flour and water at a ratio of 1:3, then place a few drops of the mixture onto some rolled-out toilet paper, with gaps of 5cm between them. Now add the seeds. Then roll up the paper and leave it for a few days.
- Growing seeds can be very easy if you use eggshells — provided none of the shoots are damaged when you transfer them, the shells act as a great fertilizer. Alternatively, you can add crushed eggshells to the soil.
- You can keep your hands in good condition even at the height of gardening season by doing the following: add 10-20ml of liquid ammonia and some dishing-washing liquid or a little powder to 100ml of a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Dip your hands in the mixture. Now rinse with soap, and apply some moisturizing cream.
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