There are plenty of things that we regularly use without knowing their alternative benefits. There are many such household materials we can use for gardening purposes. We bring forth the usual list of materials with their unusual application in gardening.
Let's dive into it!
• 7 Regular Household Materials with Surprising Uses in Gardening
1. Aspirin
A famous painkiller often referred to as a wonder drug in the medical world; aspirin can be very beneficial to plants as well. Aspirin can help plants to grow in a much better manner with lots of vigor and resistance to diseases. It has shown excellent results in growing healthy tomato plants.
How to use?
Add a couple of aspirin tablets into a watering can and water plants thoroughly. Bathe the foliage of plants with aspirin water and add it to the soil. This can be done once a month for the best results!
Surprisingly, this makes for an excellent garden fertilizer!
2. Epsom Salt for Plants
Epsom salt is nothing but magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), which is popular for its use as medicine for various human diseases. However, it has shown some great effects on flowering plants like Roses and carnations and fruiting vegetables like Tomato, Chilli, and Brinjal.
Epsom salt is often provided to potted plants to induce flowering.
How to use?
Dissolve a couple of tablespoons of Epsom salt in 10-litre water. With spray bottles, spray your plants' foliage with this solution.
You can add this solution directly to the soil as well!
3. Buttermilk
Buttermilk is one of the most nutritious beverages in the world mainly because of the presence of probiotics. But did you know that buttermilk is beneficial for more than just the human body?
In the world of gardening, buttermilk solution is sprayed on foliage to save young seedlings from diseases like damping off and powdery mildew.
How to use?
1-liter buttermilk is mixed with 4 liters of water, and this solution is sprayed on the front and back sides of leaves.
Pro Tip: Sour buttermilk is used for older plants whereas less sour one is used for young seedlings.
4. Honey
Good old honey is also very beneficial for plants. This substance has lots of complex carbohydrates and plant growth regulators. It is particularly used as a natural rooting hormone to grow stem cuttings.
How to use?
Add one tablespoon of honey to 2 cups of boiling water and let it cool. Dip the tip ends of stem cuttings in this solution and plant them in soil/sand for proper rooting, and you've just found yourself the perfect garden fertilizer for cuttings!
5. Coconut Water
Coconut water is indeed ‘Amrit.’ There are plenty of mineral nutrients present in coconut water, which can serve as micronutrients for plants, which makes it an excellent tonic for plants.
How to use?
Mix 100 ml coconut water in 5-litre water. Wash the plants thoroughly with this solution. Use it on all kinds of flowering, foliage, and vegetable plants.
6. Soap Water
Using chemical insecticides in home gardening can be dangerous. You can prepare homemade insecticide by using regular dishwash soap. It can protect your plants from harmful insects like mealy bugs, aphids, caterpillars, etc.
How to use?
Add 4-5 tablespoons of pure liquid soap to 5 liters of water. Spray this solution onto your plants once a month to keep insects at bay. But remember, don't smother your plants with this water as that could have adverse effects instead!
7. Eggshells
Eggshells which are mostly thrown away can be a good source of calcium for plants. Calcium is vital for all plants, and it is essential for growing vegetable crops.
How to use?
Collect eggshells from the kitchen. Powder the eggshells in a mixer/grinder. Mix a couple of tablespoons of eggshell powder in the potting soil of all plants. The eggshell powder can also be added to your compost bin to generate strong compost.
Similarly, you can also discover the use of various household materials like coffee/tea grounds, milk, vinegar, etc. for gardening.
Happy Gardening!
