Make a Hammock for Your Melons
Yes, you did read that right. Considering how heavy watermelons grow to become, this tip keeps them from breaking off of their vines before they’re ready to consume. To implement this gardening hack, all you’ll need is a couple of old sheets, towels or t-shirts.
Slip the material under the melons and tie the ends to the sturdiest part of the vines, or the nearest tree or post. Bonus points if you use material that matches and makes your garden look even more beautiful! But hey, this trick is more about making sure that your melons grow to their full, juicy potential and less about how it looks getting them there.
All-Natural Mosquito Repellent
No one wants mosquitoes hanging around their garden. No one says, “Hey, let’s set up these plants so we attract as many of those little bloodsuckers as possible!” Quite the opposite, in fact. But so many mosquito repellants rely on chemicals to deter the itchy little bastards. Luckily, there’s a way to keep them away from your garden without spending too much money or risking your health.
If you haven’t noticed when you’re buying candles or sprays that are anti-mosquito, one of the main ingredients is usually citronella – which is one of the reasons why this hack works so brilliantly! This particular grouping of plants is enough to keep the bugs away on their own – no spray needed. All you need to do is plant some citronella geranium with marigold, lemongrass, thyme, and catnip. Bonus: your cats will love you for planting catnip – seriously.
The Cinnamon Garden Challenge
Everyone should have cinnamon laying around the house. After all, you can do so much with it; make cinnamon sugar toast, sprinkle it on your coffee, put it in your oatmeal – heck, you can even cook chicken with cinnamon. But it isn’t just yummy, it’s also good for you, and – it’s good for your garden, too. Cinnamon’s anti-fungal properties protect your plants from several types of plant diseases, along with pests, such as ants and wild mushrooms.
Is it too late for your plants? Are they already wounded? Fear not, because not only is cinnamon good at protecting them, it’s also good at healing them! If your poor plants have been injured, sprinkle some of this magic red dust on them and watch the healing commence!
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.