The idea of being surrounded by plants is lovely. Executing this idea, however, is a whole other adventure. Let’s look at some plant hacks that can help bring your dreams to life!
Potatoes for Propagation
Propagation might sound a little advanced for a new plant parent. But it’s actually quite simple and easy to accomplish, especially with a little help.
That help comes in the form of the humble potato. Instead of placing your cutting in water, insert it into a small cavity cut into a potato.
The potato provides moisture and essential nutrients, helping foster growth until your cutting is ready for transplant. Just be gentle when removing your cutting from its new home.
Grow Your Own Succulents
If you feel like one succulent simply isn’t enough, this plant hack is for you. It will essentially allow you to start your own succulent garden.
Finally, you can completely surround yourself with these little beauties. And just like our last hack, this one is also super simple to execute for plant newbies.
Cut holes in a water bottle, and place individual succulent leaves in each hole. Add 2 inches of water, and watch your succulents sprout in about two weeks.
Cotton Rope Wicking
Here’s another plant hack for keeping your plants hydrated while you’re away. This time, you’ll use simple sections of cotton rope, inserting them into the soil.
Start by burying one end of the rope deep in the plant pot. Then place the other end in a bottle or dish of water.
This DIY wicking system is simple yet effective and highly consistent. It allows your plant to absorb water as needed even when you’re not around.
Hair for a Wilted Plan
Whenever you clean your hairbrush, you probably grab all that hair and throw it right in the trash. However, you can actually reuse that hair… yes, really.
Rather than throwing out your hair, you can actually use it to cure a wilted plant, making it perk right up! Why does this work, you ask?
Well, since hair contains nitrogen, and nitrogen promotes nutrients in plants, your hair will give your plants a nice boost. And we could all use that, right?
Pencil Shavings for Bugs
When it comes to hating bugs and wanting them gone, plants don’t exactly help the situation. They make great hiding places (and homes) for our insect friends.
What’s worse is that they might even be munching away at your precious greenery. Fortunately, there’s a super simple way to get those bugs off your back.
All you need is a pencil and pencil sharpener. Because cedar wood repels insects, pencil shavings act as a barrier between your plants and any insects.
Vertical Bottle Garden
Do you know if you’re watering your plant enough? Do you ever go to give your plant some water and find leftover water from last time?
To fix this excess water problem, create a handy vertical bottle garden. Cut the tops off a few plastic water bottles (and recycle the rest).
Put a coffee filter and soil in, and add your plant. Then punch some holes in the top, put some string through the holes, and hang it.
Easy Plant Food
Whenever you get a beautiful bouquet of flowers, you probably want it to last as long as possible, right? This DIY plant food can help with that.
Simply combine sugar, lemon, and bleach in a bottle. The lemon lowers the pH, sugar offers the flowers food, and bleach helps cut down on bacteria growth.
Together, this concoction will help keep your plants happy. Use a spray bottle or a watering can to apply the mix to your plant’s soil and foliage.
Heal Rotting Roots
If your plant is looking wilted and its leaves are turning yellow, you might have root rot on your hands. This is because of excess moisture.
To fix this, combine water and hydrogen peroxide, and use it to water your plant. It boosts your soil’s oxygen levels and helps prevent fungus and pests.
Yes, it’s as simple as that — and uses two ingredients you already have. Before long, the hydrogen peroxide will help clear up the root rot.
Rice Plant Food
If you want to make plant food in bulk, all you need to do is make some rice. Take some white rice and cook it in water.
Once the rice has infused into the water, pour the water into an ice cube tray. Then, pop those rice water cubes into the freezer!
Once the rice water is frozen, add a cube to your plant’s soil. As the ice melts, your soil will be nourished with the rice water.
Healthy Soil with Eggs
There are many easy ways to nourish your plant and its soil. And sometimes, all you have to do to make this happen is boil some eggs.
Simply use the water that’s left over from boiling your eggs to water your plant. Make sure the water is cool before using it on your plants!
Egg shells contain a high amount of calcium, which infuses into the water while your eggs are boiling. Plants use calcium to grow big and strong.
Shoe Organizer Garden
Using a simple, over-the-door hanging shoe organizer, you can create the most lovely garden. First, remove your shoes from the organizer. They’re not involved in this hack!
Second, line each of the shoe pockets with pebbles and soil. Once the pockets are filled, place each of your seeds in an orange rind.
Finally, plant that rind in the soil. Orange peels contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, all of which are great for soil. They also help prevent pests!
Soap Repellent
All you need to get rid of some unwanted flies are soap and water. Make sure the soap doesn’t contain bleach, which can hurt your plant!
Mix these ingredients together, and pour them on your plant. Now you have an easy fly repellent that will keep all those bugs at bay.
For a triple threat, you can also add pencil shavings and orange peels. This can really keep any insects away from your garden or indoor potted plants.
Coffee Grounds as Fertilizer
Did you know you can use your morning brew for more than just a much-needed pick-me-up? Hold on to the grounds for this simple plant hack!
Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, potassium, and other essential nutrients. This means they’re a great, easy way to improve soil quality and enhance healthy plant growth.
So consider your plants before you throw away those used grounds! Mix them into your planting soil, or store them in the fridge for later use.
Epsom Salt for Greener Leaves
If you have Epsom salt on hand, you can use it to boost your plants’ beauty and luster. All you need is two tablespoons of it.
First, dissolve your two tablespoons of Epsom salt into a gallon of water. Then use this mixture instead of normal watering about once every month.
A note of warning: never sprinkle Epsom salt directly onto your plant or its soil. You should always dilute the Epsom salt in water first.
Companion Planting
Sometimes, plants need friends, too. Companion planting is a convenient way of boosting plant health, especially for outdoor plants. But it takes some planning.
Companion planting is a method of pairing complementary plants together. Some plants have positive “relationships” when planted near each other, boosting each plant’s healthy growth.
You can find plant combinations that benefit each plant. For example, basil helps repel pests that feed on tomatoes, and tomatoes provide much-needed shade for basil plants.
Chopsticks for Aerating Soil
Forget fancy soil aeration tools—reach for a handful of chopsticks to aerate compacted soil, instead. Simply poking holes in the soil is enough to improve drainage.
Aerating your soil with chopsticks also helps encourage ample oxygenation and healthy root development. It’s a simple trick with big payoffs, potentially, for your plants.
To use this hack, just take your chopsticks and, just prior to watering, insert them into the soil. Gently wiggle the chopsticks down into the soil.
Diapers for Retaining Moisture
This somewhat unconventional hack can help you say goodbye to dry soil without extra watering. Simply place (unused) diapers in a plant pot to regulate moisture levels.
The superabsorbent polymer found in diapers actually locks in water, keeping your plants hydrated and healthy. This is great for plants that need a moisture boost.
Another way to incorporate this planting hack is to cut open the diaper. Mix the polymer inside with water, and mix that gel with planting soil.
Watering Alarms
It might seem obvious, but many new plant parents don’t think of this simple hack. It’s easy: set alarms to remind you to water your plants.
You can set up reminders on your phone, or even invest in a sophisticated plant care app. The trick is to tailor your alarms to your plants.
Not every plant needs to be watered with the same frequency. Take some time to decide how often to water each plant, and set up individual reminders.
Cinnamon Powder for Gnats
You can banish pesky fungus gnats from your indoor plants using a dash of cinnamon powder. Cinnamon is a natural repellant as well as boasting antifungal properties.
In addition to its anti-fungus and anti-pest abilities, cinnamon also adds nutrients to your planting soil. It contains iron, which is important for healthy plants.
To use this simple plant hack, sprinkle cinnamon directly onto the soil of your plant. You can also dust cinnamon onto the leaves and stems.
Neem Oil for Infections
Neem oil is a must-have for your plant care toolkit. Extracted from the neem tree (no surprise there), the oil is a natural fungicide and insecticide.
To use neem oil, mix together water and a small amount of dish soap. Add one to two tablespoons of neem oil to your mixture.
Pour the mix into a spray bottle, and it’s ready to use. You can apply it to the soil and foliage of your plant every two weeks.
Marigolds for Pest Control
Marigold might look like a simple flower, but it has hidden powers for protecting your outdoor garden. Simply plant marigolds near other plants to harness marigold’s magic.
Planting marigolds alongside vegetables and herbs can help deter harmful insects and even attract beneficial pollinators. Marigolds also add beautiful color and vibrance to your garden.
Planted marigolds can repel pests as tiny as nematodes and as large as deer. You can also blend marigold flowers with water to create a spray.
Coffee Filters for Soil Loss
One of the ongoing struggles of any new plant parent is the mess. Plant-keeping is a messy business, even for seasoned pros. This hack can help.
Using plant pots with drainage holes is essential for moisture control. It ensures that the soil can dry out over time, preventing rot and fungus.
But this also leads to soil loss and an annoying mess. Placing a coffee filter on the bottom of your pot can prevent this. Simple and effective!
Dusting Plants with Makeup Brushes
Plants are not immune to dust, and this layer of debris can actually hinder the plant’s growth. Many new plant parents don’t think to dust their plants.
But what kind of tool should you use to dust a delicate plant? Makeup brushes are the unexpected hero of keeping houseplants free of dust.
Repurpose soft makeup brushes to gently brush away dust from your plants’ leaves. This promotes optimal photosynthesis and overall plant health. It also looks much nicer!
Humidity Trays
For plants that need higher humidity, humidity trays can be a lifesaver. Humidity trays allow you to create a microclimate of moisture that keeps tropical plants happy.
Simply fill a tray with water, and place your plants on top. You can use a layer of stones to elevate your plant out of the water.
The evaporating water from the tray consistently increases humidity levels around your plant. Make sure to keep the tray full of water at all times.
Milk Jug Watering Can
If you’re just getting started with plant care, you might not have the right kind of watering can. It can also be hard to find the right kind.
But what if we told you that you didn’t have to buy a watering can? If you have a milk jug, you’re already halfway there.
Simply puncture holes in the lid, fill the jug with water, and voila. You now have a budget-friendly water solution that reduces waste and improves plant health.
Aspirin for Plant Immunity
Who knew that a simple household remedy could also work wonders for a plant in need? According to many sources, that is the case with aspirin.
Aspirin mixed with water can help a plant stave off infection and recover from trauma, such as pruning or repotting. And your plant will be headache-free!
Crush one 325-milligram aspirin tablet with a gallon of water, and use this to water your plant. This mix can also help with germination and propagation.
Sponge for Water Retention
Another way to retain water in your thirsty plants is with a simple sponge. This works similarly to the diaper trick by absorbing water underneath your soil.
As the soil dries out, it pulls water out of the sponge and hydrates your plant’s roots. It’s easy and convenient for when you’re away.
You never have to remove the sponge from the soil unless it becomes moldy. The sponge simply absorbs more water when you water your plant.
Sweeten Up the Soil with Molasses
Molasses isn’t just great in cookies. It can also help keep your plants happy and healthy. In fact, molasses is a bit of a superfood for plants.
Plants can take in sugar through their root systems and use it as energy. And sugar actually increases microbial activity, which helps plants grow faster.
Just mix two tablespoons of molasses into a gallon of water and use this to water your plants every two weeks. They’ll thank you for the treat!
Lemon Peel Cat Repellant
Citrus fruits make another appearance on this list, this time in the form of lemons. Lemons are excellent at keeping one particular pest at bay.
If you have a problem with cats tearing up your outdoor garden, try leaving some lemon peels around your plants. This should put them off.
Using lemon peels to protect your garden from cats is a simple hack, but it’s often quite effective. No more garden bed litter box for your neighborhood cats!
Cayenne Pepper Squirrel Repellent
Cats aren’t the only furry fiends you might have to worry about destroying your carefully tended garden. Squirrels are another well-known menace to gardeners everywhere.
If squirrels have taken to digging in your garden, try sprinkling cayenne pepper around their favorite spots. Squirrels aren’t a fan of the spice and should take notice.
Choose the locations where the squirrel likes to dig. This way, he’s sure to encounter this spicy surprise and move on to someone else’s plants.
Unlock Your Inner Green Thumb with These Plant Hacks
From keeping your plant hydrated (but not too hydrated) to improving photosynthesis by removing dust, these hacks are effective. And better yet, they’re easy for plant beginners.
Soon, you’ll be able to flaunt some of the biggest, greenest plants around and impress anyone who looks upon them. Here I come, Pinterest-worthy plant corner.
Which one of these genius plant hacks are you excited to try? We’ll be waiting to hear about the beautiful foliage and blooms you’re able to achieve!