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Simple Shortcuts To Use While Working In Your Garden This Season
By ELLEN KERSHNER
1. Feed Plants Banana Peel Water
Banana peels contain potassium that helps plants defend themselves against diseases and insects. They also have magnesium for photosynthesis and calcium for oxygenation.
To make banana peel water, cut the peel into pieces, cover them with water, let them sit for three days — shaking the container up several times daily — then strain the liquid.
2. Kill Moss With Bleach Or Liquid Lime
The hack for removing moss when there is no soil is diluted bleach. Pour about 20 ounces into 5 gallons of water and funnel it into a spray bottle.
Spritz it on the moss and give it a few hours to work — by then, the moss can be swept away. When it comes to your garden, though, use liquid lime instead of bleach.
3. Plant Milkweed
Milkweed is a natural pest repellent because it contains toxic compounds that keep plant-eating insects away. Its nectar also draws in beneficial insects like ladybugs.
While they look absolutely gorgeous, these easy-to-grow, useful, and drought-tolerant plants also have deep root systems that conserve water and improve soil quality.
4. Learn Lasagna Gardening
To prevent weeds from growing, lay large pieces of cardboard or newspaper on a flat, raked spot in your garden. Cover them with soil and amendments like compost and dried leaves.
The layers can be repeated a few times and must be deep enough for the plants to establish roots. Once the seeds or seedlings are planted, water them and add mulch.
5. Serve Green Tea to Raspberry Bushes
Green tea leaves contain important nutrients like potassium and phosphorus. They also contain tannic acid, which contributes to the acidic soil pH that raspberry bushes love.
You can either take the brewed leaves and work them into the soil around the base of the raspberry plants or pour the water you’ve steeped them in directly into the soil.