Gardening tips: Four homemade hacks to kill garden weeds
Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress, said: “We all know that our plants need certain nutrients to help them grow and fertilisers aren’t cheap.
“Constantly using them in your garden can be pretty harmful. I think a lot of people would be surprised to hear that there’s actually a lot of household items that you can use that will naturally give your soil those extra nutrients to help your plants thrive.
“Things like banana peels and coffee grounds work really well and the best part is you’re not having to spend extra money on fertilisers, you’re using things straight from your home.
“The most surprising thing that you can add to your soil is actually hair. Dog hair and cat hair work really well at giving them a boost because it’s high in magnesium.”
1. Hair
Hair is one surprising item which can help plants grow, as it can provide structural support to the plant’s roots, assisting them in breaking down clumpy and thick soil.
Hair also works well to help soil retain moisture and keep the roots hydrated too, which gardeners may need during the summer months.
Chris said: “You can either take some hair out of a hairbrush and add it to your compost or use the hair of your cat or dog.”
2. Banana peels
Banana peels are full of minerals including potassium, and adding their peels into soil is a great way to help boost plants.
Don’t miss…
‘Popular natural cleaner’ could ‘damage’ wooden floors, warns cleaning expert[LATEST]
Five ‘simple and effective’ methods to ‘kill’ paving moss overnight[COMMENT]
DIY expert shares six jobs to ‘never’ try yourself[EXPERT]
The expert recommended throwing the banana peel right onto the soil around garden plants, including roses, which will benefit from the fruit.
Watering the soil thoroughly afterwards will aid in the breakdown of the peels and support new growth.
The fruit is also packed with phosphorus, which is beneficial for encouraging flowering in certain plant species.
3. Green tea leaves
The gardening pro continued: “Green tea leaves are another household item that are full of potassium. If you’re a green tea drinker, go ahead and pop your used leaves into your compost.”
Make sure not to add too much of this though, as it could attract rats to your home and compost bin.
4. Coffee grounds
Chris explained: “Coffee grounds contain several key nutrients that healthy soil needs including nitrogen, calcium, potassium and magnesium. Wait for them to dry then add them to soil.”
Coffee is an especially great source of nitrogen, which your plants need to produce greener, healthier, and stronger stems. Mixing coffee grounds into your compost heap is an organic way to give your plants a huge boost.
As well as being a great fertiliser, the experts explained that coffee can be used as a natural pesticide.
Spreading coffee grounds around plants can make them less susceptible to damage from pests, such as slugs.
Source: Read Full Article