Gardening hacks are nothing new. Our ancestors, ancient and more modern, were developing and using all kinds of DIY techniques and shortcuts long before gardens were even twinkles in our own eyes. But thanks to social media, hacks new and old are all the rage, which creates both possibilities and possible problems.
The internet, especially social media platforms, allows us to readily share and access an array of gardening ideas and information. But as educational, engaging and inspiring as these gardening posts and ideas may be, it’s important to recognize that while many are helpful, others are a waste of time and possibly money and some may even be detrimental.
For example, back in 2021 banana peels went viral when they were touted as a natural fertilizer, mulch and pest deterrent. While bananas do contain potassium, phosphorous and other plant nutrients, the levels of these nutrients they contain are not particularly high. Also, the peels must decompose, which can take up to two years by some estimates, before those nutrients are available to our plants but they are slow to break down. And though the peels may repel some pests, such as aphids, they also draw others like fruit flies and rodents. Similar issues can arise when using coffee grounds and eggshells in the garden.
All that said, these recycled food wastes can be useful to our gardens, but soil and plant scientists recommend adding them to the compost heap where they will decompose more thoroughly and efficiently and help create a source of incredibly useful organic matter.
Other ideas, such as using household products like baking soda, vinegar and Epsom salts to kill weeds, control diseases, change soil pH and boost flower and fruit production are also based in truth. However, these aren’t always super effective, and each has the potential to contaminate soils and water and kill the plants you want to keep, so they may not be as effective or as organic as we’d like.
Yes, there are plenty of hacks that are useful and safe. And there are lots of things you can do right now as you wait for spring to spring such as:
• Paint the handles of your gardening tools a bright or glow-in-the-dark color so they’ll be easier to find in the yard this spring and summer;
• Collect and prepare plastic bottles and jugs to use as protective cloches or watering systems;
• Make homemade seed tape, which is especially helpful with small seeds like carrots;
• And most important of all, use this downtime to look for hacks and ideas on the internet and make sure they will really work for you!
So how on earth are we supposed to know what works, what doesn’t and what we should avoid? By verifying and validating the claims through reliable sources such as university and governmental research and extension experts (look for websites ending in .edu, .org and .gov). Certified horticulturists and arborists and landscape professionals are also great sources of expert help.
There are plenty of qualified garden experts hosting websites, blogs, podcasts and writing books but it pays to check out their credentials, including their training and reviews. And one of my favorite resources for fact-checking ideas is the gardenprofessors.com website, a blog created by four university scientists on a mission to provide sound, science-based gardening information to everyone.
And the very best gardening hack of all can be summed up in one word: planning. Spend this lull in the gardening season choosing plants and gardening practices that are best suited for your location, budget and desires. And remember that the prettiest, most productive and least time-consuming gardens happen when we build healthy soils, water and mulch wisely, use integrated pest management strategies to control insects and diseases and plant for biodiversity.
Katie Jackson is a freelance writer and editor based in Opelika, Alabama. Contact her at [email protected].
