This post may contain affiliate links.
The secret to having a thriving garden might just be tucked away in your pantry. Instead of spending on costly fertilizers or pesticides, you can turn to some common pantry staples that are surprisingly effective in supporting your garden’s growth.
Here are 12 ingredients you should consider.
Coffee Grounds
Mixing used Coffee Grounds into your soil is a great way to add nitrogen. Coffee Grounds decompose gradually and create space for aeration in the garden. This is especially great if you drink coffee regularly. This is a great way to repurpose used coffee grounds.
Coffee grounds are especially good for acid-loving plants like roses and azaleas, providing essential nutrients.
Vinegar
With its high acetic acid content, vinegar is effective at drying out weeds. Apply it directly or diluted with salt or dish soap to target weeds without harming your plants.
14 Vinegar Hacks You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner
Banana Peels
Banana peels can be used as mulch or steeped in water to make banana peel tea. They are also an excellent fertilizer that releases nutrients into the soil.
11 Reasons Banana Peels Are the Secret Ingredient Your Garden Needs
Salt
Salt serves multiple purposes in the garden. It can effectively kill weeds, alleviate a bee sting, and work effectively in controlling poison ivy.
14 Surprising Uses for Salt That Don’t Involve Cooking
Eggshells
Eggshells, often dismissed as kitchen waste, are gardening gold. Rich in calcium carbonate, an essential mineral for plant health, eggshells offer a sustainable and cost-effective way to enrich your garden.
Eggshells prevent plant calcium deficiency and serve as biodegradable pots for seedlings.
Related: 11 Uses for Eggshells in Your Garden
Baking Soda
Sprinkling baking soda on soil can encourage blooms in alkaline-loving plants and prevent fungal growth, as it has alkaline properties.
Related: Clever Ways to Use Baking Soda Around the House
Club Soda
Unflavored, flat club soda nourishes plants with essential nutrients, promoting greener leaves and stronger roots.
Dish Soap
Aphids are a common garden pest that cluster on the undersides of leaves and flower buds. Mix a tablespoon of gentle dish soap into a 32-ounce spray bottle filled with water to combat aphids. Spray your plants with this solution.
Olive Oil
Apply olive oil to your garden tools. This helps repel dirt and prevent rust, making cleaning easier after use.
Corn Gluten Meal as a Weed Suppressant
Cornmeal can prevent weed seeds from germinating by dehydrating them. Sprinkle on garden beds to suppress new weed growth.
Cayenne Pepper
Squirrels are sometimes known for causing havoc in a garden. They often dig up plants such as tulips, causing damage. To deter them, sprinkle cayenne pepper around your bulb plants.
Beer
Slugs are attracted to beer. To protect your garden, fill containers with inexpensive beer and place them near plants that are vulnerable to slugs. The slugs will crawl into these containers and drown.
12 Delicious Herb Plants to Grow in Water
Instead of constantly buying fresh herbs from the store or waiting for seeds to sprout, you can easily grow your favorite herbs at home using only water. Here’s a list of 12 herb plants you can start growing today in just water.
12 Herb Plants to Grow in Water
How to Outsmart Gnats to Keep Them Away From Your Houseplants
Gnats are more than just a minor annoyance; these tiny pests buzz around with a persistence that’s hard to ignore. Here are ten effective ways to keep gnats away from your house plants.
How to Outsmart Gnats to Keep Them Away From Your Houseplants
Plants to Grow Now for a Mosquito-Free Summer
Here are some of the best plants that you can grow in your yard to help keep the mosquitoes at bay.
