Gardeners in the UK are being told to bury used matchsticks in their soil this summer. It is among a list of common household items that can be used to help plants grow
Gardeners across the UK are being urged to bury used matchsticks in their soil this summer. With the weather now turning to rain and heavy downpours, gardeners are being given advice on ways they can care for their plants. Garden experts at GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk have revealed 10 unusual hacks using everyday household items – including beer traps to tackle slug infestations.
Other common household items that can be utilised in the garden include food products such as banana skins and eggshells, and everyday items like matchsticks and washing up liquid. A spokesperson said: “Our advice to anyone blighted by slugs this summer is to simply offer them a beer.
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“If you’ve been having issues with them eating your plants, placing a few shallow dishes around the garden will help draw them in.” They added: “Other household items you can use outside are products like coffee grounds, which are full of nutrients and an excellent addition to a compost heap. Whilst banana skins make for the perfect natural fertiliser thanks to the numerous nutrients they contain.”
“Everybody loves a hack, especially one that saves money. Putting these common household items to use in your garden could help to solve any issues you’re having whilst saving you money as well.”
In the list of successful gardening gadgets, matchsticks topped up the list, reports the Manchester Evening News. As explained by the site, used matchsticks head-down into soil can help to promote plant growth thanks to matchsticks containing small amounts of phosphorus.
But there’s more. Here a list of common household items you can put to unusual uses in your garden:
Beer
Attracted by the yeasty smell, placing dishes of beer around your garden can help to solve any issues of slugs eating your plants. The garden pests will be drawn in by the aroma and then drown in the liquid.
Banana skins
Banana skins can be used as a natural fertiliser as they contain numerous beneficial nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus which all help to promote healthy plant growth.
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Eggshells
Eggshells are a great source of calcium which is an essential nutrient for plants. By crushing eggshells into powder and placing them into soil around your plants, you’ve created an excellent homemade fertiliser.
Coffee grounds
Coffee grounds make an excellent addition to a compost heap and can be used directly in soil around most plants too thanks to containing nutrients that plants use for growth.
Washing up liquid
Adding a small amount of washing up liquid to a water spray bottle and regularly spraying over plants, particularly focusing on the leaves, gives you a way to deal with aphids without the use of pesticides.
Bubble wrap
Protect plant roots from frost during the winter months by wrapping bubble wrap around plant pots tied with twine. You can also stick it to windows of unheated greenhouses to keep them insulated.
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Colanders
A quirky alternative to hanging flower pots thanks to their drainage holes. If you’re looking to repurpose an old colander from your kitchen, consider lining one with soil and small plants and use string or twine through the handles for it to hang.
Potato water
Next time you’re making a Sunday roast and go to drain the water you’ve boiled your potatoes in down the sink, perhaps allow the water to cool first then use it in the garden on your plants instead. As long as salt wasn’t added, the nutrients released from potatoes are beneficial for plant growth when used to water them.
Muscle pain relief spray
You might have some of this spray lying around if you’re an avid sportsperson. But it can also come in handy if you’re wanting to keep cats away from your garden. Apply spray to dried-out teabags and then place them around your garden. The tea leaves absorb the smell which cats hate, and the smell should last for a few weeks.