woman on knees in garden. Gardening concept
Mayukh Saha
Mayukh Saha
August 15, 2024 ·  7 min read

30 Simple Gardening Secrets Every Gardener Needs To Know

Gardening is fun and hard at the same time because you have to deal with bugs, bad weather, and problems with the dirt. The different tools and goods needed can also make it pricey. Luckily, the internet is full of helpful tips for gardening that work well, don’t cost a lot, and don’t hurt the environment. Start by learning these 30 important gardening secrets. Then get your tools together and get growing!

1. Milk Jugs Make Perfect Watering Cans

Milk Jug as a watering can
Image Credits: Reddit

If you’d rather reuse something than buy a watering can, all you have to do is poke a hole in the top of a milk jug. It’s an environmentally friendly way to water your plants.

2. K-Cups as Seed Starters

K-cups as seed starters
Image Credits: HomeHacks

K-Cups are handy for getting caffeine in the morning, but they are bad for the earth. And they are easy to move around. You can use them again in the yard as seed starters.

3. PVC Pipes to Fertilize Dense Plants

PVC pipe into the plants' roots
Image Credits: Reddit

It can be hard to water thick plants because their roots are well-protected and hard to get to. To get around this problem, use a short piece of PVC pipe to send water straight to the roots.

Read More: 40+ Brilliant Dollar Store Hacks to Save You Money

4. Kitchen Sponges to Hydrate Plants

Kitchen sponge in soil
Image Credits: Reddit

Not sure how to keep the bottom of your pots wet? Putting a few kitchen sponges in the bottom will easily fix this problem. This helps keep water close to the roots so they stay properly hydrated.

5. Use a Small Container to make Mulching Easier

Mulch
Image Credits: Reddit

Mulching can be a lot of work, but moving the mulch to a smaller container before you start can make it easier. It’s much easier to do the job when you use a bucket instead of a big bag.

6. Plastic clamshell container as Planter

Plastic Clamshell Boxes as planters
Image Credits: Reddit

It’s amazing how many things you can put in plastic clamshell boxes from restaurants and salad bars. They make great planters for seeds because they are small, warm, and moist, which is exactly what they need to grow.

7. To-go Coffee Cup as a Watering Can

To-go coffee cup
Image Credits: Reddit

You can water flowers in coffee cups that you get from outside. The hole in the top works well as a spout, and they’re easy to find. Just make sure you wash them well before you use them.

8. Epsom Salts as Fertilizer for Garden Beds

Epsom Salt
Image Credits: Reddit

Due to its high magnesium content, Epsom salt is a very good fertiliser that not many people know about for use in the yard and at home. When added to the dirt in the right amounts, it can help plants grow a lot.

9. Croquet wickets to Keep Hose in Position

Croquet Wickets
image Credits: Reddit

Are your outdoor games just sitting there? To keep your hose in place, use things like croquet wickets. This keeps the hose in place and stops people from tripping over it.

Read More: Mom shares $5 hack for bringing dead plants ‘back to life’

10. Zip Ties to Secure Climbing Plants

Zip ties to secure climbing plants
Image Credits: Reddit

Ivy and tomato plants that climb are very pretty, but they often need support to keep them from falling over and hurting their leaves.

11. Five-Gallon Bucket For Tool Storage

Five gallon buckets
Image Credits: Reddit

Simple tools are sometimes the best ones. For all your farming needs, get a five-gallon bucket. Most of your tools will probably fit inside. It’s easy to carry around.

12. Cinnamon To Kill Diseases in the Soil

Cinnamon on Diseased soil
Image Credits: Reddit

Cinnamon naturally kills fungi, which makes it a great choice for keeping plants healthy and safe. To use it, just sprinkle it around your plant bed. It will give your soil a sweet cinnamon smell.

13. Coffee Grounds As Pest Deterrent

Coffee Grounds on soil
Image Credits: Reddit

You don’t have to throw away coffee grounds; instead, sprinkle them around your plant beds. They are a good natural way to keep pests away, especially slugs that like to eat plants that are growing.

14. Vinegar as Weed-Killer

Weed-infested garden
image Credits: Reddit

You don’t have to buy weed killer from the store to get rid of those annoying weeds. A little vinegar is all you need, which you probably already have in your kitchen closet.

15. Keep Tools in a Pot of Sand

Gardening Tools
image Credits: Reddit

Use mineral oil to clean and keep your farming tools sharp. Then, put them away in a bucket of sand. This keeps them in great shape by sharpening and polishing them.

16. Use a Knife To Not Hurt Roots

Holding a plant with its roots
image Credits: Reddit

It can be hard to transplant plants because pulling out the roots often hurts them. Instead, use a regular knife to cut down the sides of the pot. This way is better because it frees the plant without hurting it.

17. Use Posthole Digger To Easily Plant Vegetables

Posthole Digger
Image Credits: Reddit

It can be tiring to plant veggies, but it doesn’t have to be. You can plant in half the time if you use a posthole digger to speed up the process.

18. Mailbox as Gardening Tool Holder

Gardening tools in mailbox
Image Credits: Reddit

Putting up a mailbox in your backyard is a smart and easy way to store your gardening tools. It makes tools easy to get to and gives your yard a nice look.

19. Tarp as a Multipurpose Garden Tool

Tarp in the garden
image Credits: Reddit

A tarp is an important tool for the yard. It can protect plants, keep structures dry, and kill plants you don’t want by putting it on top of them.

20. Regular Wooden Board For Lawn Edging

Wooden Board for Lawn Edging
Image Credits: Reddit

A normal wooden board or post can help you figure out how to edge your lawn. Just put it down and follow along to get the right shape.

Read More: Should Every School Have a Year-Round Gardening Program?

21. Old Cans Used To Aerate Plant Pots

Empty cans to aerate planters
Image Credits: Reddit

Not only does putting empty cans in the bottom of planters save dirt, but it also lets air flow. This gives your plants more air, and the cans keep the water in, which is even better for them.

22. Redesign The Yard After Plants Mature

Image Credits: Reddit

After planting their plants, many farmers change their minds about how they want to lay out their yard. The good news is that they are easy to move by first putting them in individual pots and then moving them to the ground.

23. Easy Rain Barrel

Image Credits: Reddit

It might seem hard to make a rain barrel, but it’s actually quite easy. To make one, just attach a regular trash can to your gutter. For this project, there are easy-to-follow guides online.

24. Toilet Paper Rolls As Biodegradable Planters

Toilet paper rolls as planters
image Credits: Reddit

If you want to grow small plants, why use plastic pots when you can use something better for the environment? Don’t throw away toilet paper rolls; use them instead. They are easy to find and better for the earth if you save them for your garden.

25. A Milk Jug Be A Greenhous for “Seedlings”

Milk jugs as a greenhouse
Image Credits: Reddit

Are you sick of your seedlings being out in the weather? Make a small greenhouse out of the top of a milk jug. This makeshift fix protects fragile plants and makes a warm, moist space where they can grow best.

26. Plastic Forks As Animal Deterrents

Forks in the garden
Image Credits: Reddit

A few plastic forks in the ground will keep deer and rabbits away from your garden plants without hurting them or having to put a fence up. This is a good way to keep them away.

27. Shoe Rack as a Vertical Herb Garden

Shoe Rack as a vertical garden
Image Credits: Reddit

Don’t have yard room for a garden? Use a simple shoe rack to build up instead of out. This simple trick makes the most of the room you have for vertical gardening.

28. Use coffee filters Prevent Pots Seeping Soil

Coffee filters inside pots
Image Credits: Reddit

If you often encounter spilled soil, put a coffee filter at the bottom of the pot. When the water drains out, it will keep the dirt in place.

29. Wine Bottles As Self-watering Planters

Wine bottles as self-watering planters
Image Credits: Reddit

Want to take better care of your plants? By turning regular wine bottles upside down, you can use them as planters that water themselves. This method means less work, but make sure the bottles are clean first.

30. Upcycle Egg Cartons Into Seed Starters

Egg carton as seed starters
Image Credits: Reddit

You can start seeds in egg cartons. If you want to use them in your garden, the cardboard ones are great because they’re small and have a lot of room.

Read More: Poor Boy Takes Care of Grandma’s Garden After Her Death, Finds Dozens of Stashes Buried There – a Short Story

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