You probably just toss your used coffee grounds in the trash like most people do, right? Well, instead of wasting them, why not recycle them and use them in your garden for a natural compost? Coffee grounds are loaded with nutrients and can help fertilize your plants if you mix a bit in with your soil.
Adding used coffee grounds to your regular soil can do wonders for your garden. It can help good microorganisms to thrive while attracting plant-healthy earthworms and deterring insects that will ruin the plants, such as snails. Adding coffee grounds also helps with aeration and water retention.
DIY Organic Insect Repellant
Do you have pests eating up your herbs and veggies, but you don’t want to use harmful insecticides? Why not try making your own bug spray with ingredients you’ve probably got lying around your kitchen? All you need for this hack is a spray bottle, a couple of heads of garlic, some mint leaves, dish soap and a few teaspoons of cayenne pepper. Don’t worry – this spray is for your garden, not your skin.
Toss your garlic and mint leaves into a food processor or chop them as finely as possible if you don’t have access to one. Meanwhile, boil ten cups of water and add your cayenne pepper. Combine everything into one pot and boil for 2-3 minutes. Once your concoction cools completely, strain and pour into spray bottles along with a few squirts of liquid dish soap. Use the mixture to spray on areas where pests are most prevalent.
Banana Peels = Compost
Banana peels are something else that gets tossed in the trash after being removed from the part most people deem useful. But these babies are handy to have around to use as a natural fertilizer for your garden. Banana peels are loaded with vitamins and nutrients, like calcium and potassium, which help plants grow strong and healthy.
But it isn’t just about using the banana peel that makes this hack work – it’s how you use it. Do it wrong and you’ll get the opposite effect. You want to be sure to cut your peels into small pieces and toss them on to your compost pile. Avoid burying the pieces into the soil since they need air to do their job correctly and if you smother them, it won’t work.
White Vinegar Weed Killer
If you’re looking for an organic way to handle those invasive weeds in your garden, try this hack, which uses vinegar and salt to do away with those pesky plant killers. Before you get started, keep in mind that white vinegar is very acidic and should only be sprayed on weeds, as it can kill your good plants, too.
Mix one gallon of white vinegar with a cup of salt and put in a squirt bottle – the more control you have over the spray, the better. Apply to all of the weeds in your garden, avoiding your herbs and veggies. Don’t plant anything new where you’ve sprayed for at least two weeks afterwards.
Orange Peel Seed Starters
Speaking of awesome biodegradable things to plant your seedlings in – citrus peels are another great choice. Slice your oranges, lemons or limes in half, scoop all of the sticky juiciness out completely (to eat, of course,) and rinse them out. Then, grab a nearby kitchen knife and poke a couple of small holes in the bottom of each half.
Once you’ve got your peels ready, set them on (or in) something to catch the water, such as a napkin or paper towel, and fill each with dirt. Then, you’re ready to give your seedlings a new home! One of the best parts about this is that when those babies are ready to go, you can plant the whole thing and the fruit will act as a natural fertilizer, thanks to all of the nutrients in the peels. Talk about a simple, Earth-friendly gardening hack!