SENIOR LADY GARDEN TIPSTER!

HGTV.com

I used to love reading and trying out hacks/ trends I saw on websites. I hate the word "hack" since it reminds me of terrible hacking of people's  personal computer information.   It didn't take long for me to discover that the saying " all that glitters ain't gold," applies to some garden hacks. Some of them work and some were made up to boost online income.

I love gardening and this has become my 

new hobby since I retired. This hobby has turned out to be very therapeutic for this senior lady. I have tried most 'hacks I've seen online. I'll only share the gardening trends that have worked well in my garden. I have four raised beds and several container gardens.  These gardens have been easy to maintain. Their yield of veggies have saved me lots of money. My freezer is well stocked.

Here are some of the gardening trends

that have worked well for me:

Coffee Filters: Place them in the bottom 

of planters. They keep soil from

falling through drainage holes in the 

planters.

https://www.proflowers.com

Coffee Grinds: Never! never! discard them. Place them in a recycled container and put small holes in container lid. The holes prevent mold. I used an empty plastic gallon ice cream containers. I added

the coffee grinds to my potting and garden

soil. 

NOTE: I also use old brewed tea bags too.

Just tear open tea bag and mix tea leaves

in the soil. 

Left- over brewed unflavored coffee and

tea can be poured in your garden and

house plants. I use it as my plant fertilizer. 

All my plants are lush and healthy. I guess

the plants must love the drink of caffeine.

https://www.ehow.com

Broken clay pots:  I used them as fillers 

in the bottom of large planters. This is an

excellent idea when filling large planters 

for container gardens. I cringe when 

thinking of the broken clay pots I have

thrown away!

https://www.bluefoxfarm.com

Epsom Salt- makes good house and 

garden plant fertilizer. I use one

tablespoon per gallon of water 

once a month. I also sprinkle some 

of the Epsom salt in the soil when potting 

house plants and preparing my garden.

https://www.youtube.com

Egg Cartons:  I save my foam 18 count cartons all winter.  I sow my garden seeds

in them. I close the carton lid after I water

the seeds for a greenhouse effect. I label

cartons with the name of seeds and date.

I store them inside my home under 

indirect light until danger of frost is gone.  

I'm sharing this tip because I have

started doing this trick last year.

I save grocery bags. I place them over

my hanging basket planters after I 

sow seeds in them. I make a small hole

in the bottom of the bag then slide it 

over the hanger and planter. I twist

the bottom corners of the bag to make 

a tight fit around the planter. The ends

of the bag can be tucked or secured with twist ties. Cheap Dollar Store fold-top sandwich bags can be placed over mini planters to make a greenhouse. I place these mini covered pots on my window sill. This method cuts down on plant watering.

https://www.youtube.com

DISCLAIMERS:

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”