2014 has gone and 2015 is here. For gardeners, it’s back to the shed with their gardening tools, and we’ve got a nice present for you if you’re one of those plant- and flower-lovers. Here are 50 clever gardening tips, and tricks that will help you get more out of your garden this year!
DIY & Recycling
Have a lot of stuff lying around the garage and garden shed? Don’t throw those away! Here are 17 DIY and garden recycling hacks that will turn those paper rolls, that Ikea furniture, an old hose, and other stuff into useful tools.
Using Egg Shells To Grow Seedlings (Click Here)
Eggs are commonly found in kitchens, but in gardens, not so much. We have a feeling though that we’ll see more homes and gardens using this wheat grass-growing trick, using commonly available stuff like egg shells.
Build Your Own Triple Compost Bin (Click Here)
About 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted every year according to the UNEP. That’s a lot of organic material going to landfills when it can be turned to nutrient-rich fertilizer! Do yourself and the whole world a favor: build a triple compost bin.
Turn Your Toilet Paper Rolls To Biodegradable Planters (Click Here)
Have a toilet paper roll or two lying around? Good ,but you will need more after learning this trick that shows you how to turn those cardboard rolls into eco-friendly planters.
Use Wheelbarrows And Garden Carts To Remove Waste From Your Garden (Click Here)
Wheelbarrows and garden carts are an essential need for the garden to remove all types of wastage. Different wheelbarrows performs differently and are suited for different jobs. Some variations of wheelbarrow include construction, folding/collapsible, dump carts, aerocart, steel & plastic, but there are many more.
Create Your Starter Pot With Citrus Peel (Click Here)
Citrus lovers will never run out of starter pots again. Just keep those peels coming!
Your Own Indoor Herb Garden With Ikea (Click Here)
If your pets love munching on your indoor garden, then this gardening tip is a must-read. Build your own wall-mounted planter that keeps your indoor garden out of your pets’ reach!
Turn Your Bath Organizer To A Hanging Garden (Click Here)
Want a home for plants but space is a problem? Create your own hanging garden with bath organizers. It’s a great way to enhance those dull walls too!
Prevent Leaks With Coffee Filters (Click Here)
It turns out coffee filters are good for filtering soil too. This is a neat trick for keeping the pot’s bottom drain hole clog-free and stopping soil from gushing out after watering.
Scrap PVC Pipe Equals Easy Tool Storage (Click Here)
Having a pile of tools lying around the garden shed is an eye sore. Tidy up your space without spending a fortune on storage with this trick.
Recycle Shower Water (Click Here)
Clean water, many use it recklessly like it’s an infinite resource. It’s not! Check out this trick and help conserve water while keeping your garden watered.
Old Tires, New Additions To Your Garden (Click Here)
Have a lot of old tires scattered all over the place? Don’t scratch your head wondering what to do. Old tires make for great raised garden beds, and this trick shows you how it’s done.
DIY Earthbox (Click Here)
There’s a reason why gardening is tougher in cities – backyards are often made of concrete and are dirt-free. However, it’s not impossible. Learn how to create your own earth box using plastic storage containers and the steps in this guide.
Self-Watering Garden W/ Air Conditioner (Click Here)
See the hose from your air conditioner? This trick teaches you how to tweak the hose so your AC does all the watering for you. It’s a 7-step guide that can save you 350 gallons of water a year or even more!
Golf Bag As Garden Caddy (Click Here)
A golf caddy can store more than just golf clubs! It works great for gardening tools too. This is a cool trick if you have an old caddy lying around.
Old Hose, Better Bucket Grip (Click Here)
Skinny wires don’t make for a good grip. Here’s how to get a better grip for your bucket.
Portable Lath House (Click Here)
This nice shelter keeps tender plants and seedlings protected from full sunlight until later. And the cool part – the lath house is movable!
Quick Garden Hoop For Your Veggies (Click Here)
Want to grow vegetables no matter the season but don’t have the resources for a full-blown greenhouse? This inexpensive structure is the answer!
Keep Your Plants Watered W/ Wine Bottles (Click Here)
All it takes is one very hot day to wilt your garden along with months of progress – but not if you know this trick! Put your old wine bottles to good use while protecting your garden from the dehydrating heat of the sun.
Pest Control (12)
You may not see it but your garden is under attack from pests all the time. Give your pest control arsenal an upgrade with these 12 tips that get rid of aphids, slugs, fungus, mildew, and other pests in your garden.
Left Over Coffee Grounds, Pesticide and Fertilizer In One (Click Here)
Coffee isn’t just good for waking up for work on a Monday morning! Coffee grounds especially have their place in the garden! Not only do they nourish your plants, coffee grounds keep the bad guys at bay too.
Use Beer To Keep Slugs Off (Click Here #3)
It looks like slimy slugs love beer as much as we do! And guess what – it’s a great way to trap and get rid of slugs before they damage your plants.
Chamomile Tea vs. Fungus (Click Here #12)
Fungus attack young seedlings quite suddenly. But chamomile can keep those pests at bay.
Tape vs Aphids (Click Here #9)
These little pests love to hide on the underside of leaves. You can use insecticidal soap to get rid of them, or you can use tape. J
Killing Powdery Mildew Naturally (Click Here)
If powdery mildew starts creeping up on your cucumbers and squash leaves, grab garlic bulbs, 2 cups of water, a tablespoon of dishwashing soap, a gallon jug, and read the instructions in this pest control trick.
Homemade Wasp Trap (Click Here)
The only way to totally eliminate wasps from your garden is to destroy their nest or kill the queen…or both! You need professional help to do that, but you can still minimize wasps with a homemade wasp trap.
Shake Away Pests (Click Here)
Want an effective, chemical-free method to get rid of bugs, slugs, and other pests? All you need is a shaker, horticultural-grade diatomaceous earth, and the instructions on this post to keep your garden pest-free.
Kill Weeds Easily & Naturally (Click Here)
You don’t want harsh chemicals that get rid of pests AND harm your plants. Here’s a natural pesticide that keeps slugs, aphids, and other pests away from your window boxes.
Corn Meal Vs Slugs & Ants (Click Here)
Slugs have a lot of weird tendencies like diving into beer – and munching on corn meal even though it kills them! It turns out corn meal is great against pesky ants too.
Mix Your Signals (Click Here)
A salad bar of plants with different sights and scents doesn’t just enhance the visual appeal of your garden. It’s a great way of warding off certain insects and pests. Read this guide.
Attract An Airborne Defense Squad (Click Here)
So your garden is under constant onslaught from an array of insect pests? Get the good guys on your side! Beneficial insects like small wasps will happily prey on pest caterpillars plaguing your plants. Here’s how it’s done.
Natural Mosquito Control (Click Here)
This container garden designed by Rob Sproule looks great. But what’s even nicer is that it keeps annoying mosquitoes at bay minus the harsh chemicals found in pesticides and mosquito repellants.
Organization (9)
Whether it’s a messy space or the lack of space you’re having problems with, these 9 tips for organizing your garden are sure to help. Tidy up your spot and get more functionality from every square meter!
Easier Gardening w/ Pot-In-Pot Method (Click Here)
Using pots for arranging your garden plants makes it easy to successfully grow perennials and annuals. The upgraded pot-in-pot method, however, also makes mulching the first plant - and the following applications - hassle-free.
Broken Pots Make For Great Plant Markers (Click Here)
Broken pots can’t shelter and keep your plants in place, but they still have a place in the garden – as plant markers. This 3-step guide shows you how.
Prevent Tools From Rusting W/ Sand (Click Here)
The right amount of builder’s sand and mineral oil can keep your gardening tools clean and free from rust and corrosion.
Packing Pots With Peanuts For Better Drainage (Click Here)
Want to lighten the load of your pots while providing good drainage for watering? Follow the instructions on this peanut tip!
Rubbermaid Container Garden (Click Here)
Container gardening is a cheap and effective way to garden. And it’s even easier to put together when you have Rubbermaid containers – and this quick guide!
Cinder Block Raised Garden (Click Here)
Want an easy but space-efficient raised gardening design? Check out this design by Jennifer for her then 8-year old daughter.
Homemade Rain Barrel (Click Here)
Save the rain with this homemade rain barrel! It’s healthy for your garden; easy to store; and it’s almost free. What’s not to like!?
Dry Creek Bed (Click Here)
Here’s how you can keep your yard or garden looking fabulous while providing great landscape drainage. And worry not, it’s extremely low maintenance.
Prevent Invasive Plants From Taking Over Your Garden (Click Here)
Plants like lilies and black-eyed Susans look lovely – if only they didn’t take over your garden and choke your other plants! Here’s how you can grow these invasive plants while controlling their aggressive tendencies.
Other Tricks You’ve Never Thought Of (14)
Here are 14 gardening tricks that don’t fall into the other categories, but are too cool and useful not to include. Learn how to enrich the soil with molasses, harvest 100lbs of potatoes from 4 sq. ft. of space, and a whole lot more!
Paper Towel Trick For Watering (Click Here)
This is an excellent gardening trick to keep your plants watered even without your supervision! It’s great when taking holidays and leaving your garden without your watchful eye for a few days.
Keep Healthy Microbes On Soil Happy W/ Molasses (Click Here)
Molasses, a by-product of refining sugarcane, isn’t as sweet as sugar. But it sure is healthy for you – and your garden too! Read and learn how you can fertilize your plants, enrich your garden’s soil, and fend off pests without spending a fortune.
4 Sq. Ft Of Space, 100lbs Of Potatoes! (Click Here)
Potatoes are low maintenance, a great source of nutrition, and you can have them in any shape or size you want! If you’ve always been tempted to grow your own potatoes but space is a problem, check out this guide.
Dry Herbs And Leave Your Car Smelling Great (Click Here #14)
Do you want to dry your herbs quicker and leave your car smelling nice at the same time? Of course you do! Simply read and follow trick number 14.
Coffee Grounds For Acid-Loving Plants (Click Here #11)
Plants like Azaleas, gardenias and blueberries could use a bit more acidity in their soil, and you can easily satisfy your plants’ craving with leftover tea and coffee grounds.
How To Keep Hands Clean (Click Here #2)
Working in the garden gets your hands dirty. It’s not really an issue except soil and dirt accumulates under your fingernails…and it can be hard to get rid of. So don’t let dirt get there in the first place! Here’s how.
Vodka To Keep Your Flowers Fresh (Click Here)
Cute flowers, like those we give as gifts during Valentine’s Day, are incapable of making their own food. The flowers rely on their environment for nutrition – and you can create the nourishing backdrop for your flowers with the help of Vodka!
Better Drainage W/ Broken Terracotta Pots (Click Here #2)
Save your broken terracotta pots – not because you’re overly sentimental but because those broken pieces make for a good drainage system. Read the rest of the article to learn how and check out the other tips and tricks.
Better Water Retention w/ Diapers (Click Here #3)
You may not have a baby but stock up on nappys anyway! They can be a helpful add-on to your window boxes and ensures your plants don’t dry out between watering.
Banana Peel For Fertilizing Roses (Click Here)
Banana peels are jam-packed with potassium. Not only do they help your garden resist disease better, peels are a good source of nutritional boost for your budding plants too.
Vegetable Gardening In Pots…W/ Eggs Please! (Click Here)
Eggs are always a nice addition to a breakfast – and to your garden as well. An intact, raw egg – placed under inches of soil – will serve as a nutritious, chemical-free fertilizer for your plants as it decomposes.
More Flowers W/ Deadheading (Click Here)
Deadheading is a good plant housekeeping technique you should practice. It’s an excellent way to keep your garden neat and blooming with flowers for longer.
Calcium Boost With Ground Egg Shells (Click Here)
Perhaps you’ve read the previous egg shell trick we listed, but what if the shells are crushed!? No worries. Here’s another tip – one that uses egg shells for giving your plants that nice calcium boost.
Freeze and Preserve Fresh Herbs w/ Olive Oil (Click Here)
Browning and freezer burn are your number one enemies when preserving the freshness of your newly harvested herbs. Here’s how you can prevent that while making your herbs immediately ready for cooking.
Get The Most Out of The Herbs In Your Garden (Click Here)
When you're starting an herb garden, choose a sunny location in your garden that has soil that drains easily. You can plant your herbs in containers if you don't have room in the ground. Planting herbs with similar needs together will make it more likely that your garden will thrive and that you'll enjoy a harvest of fresh herbs all season long.
