In today’s article, we will quickly debunk 20 interesting and unbelievable gardening myths and reveal some extremely useful scientific facts and tips related to Gardening.
- Fresh Cow Dung or Horse Dung is very Good for Plants?
This is absolutely false! Fresh Cow poop should never be applied for your plants, because it not only stinks but contains high levels of ammonia and salts which can burn your plants. It also contains harmful microorganisms like e-coli which are harmful to plants as well as humans. Plus, it also contains weed seeds which can produce a lot of weeds or unwanted plants in your garden. So always use decomposed cow-dung or horse dung for your plants. You can watch a detailed video on 5 hacks to quickly decompose cow dung from a link in description below or from end-screen link at the end of this video. Let’s move on..
- Is it Dangerous to Expose Roots to Light?
Well, This can be a very nice high school project for kids, to grow two similar plants, one in a transparent container and one in an opaque container and then compare these two. As you can see nothing happens to the plant grown in transparent containers. The actual concern is, root exposure to AIR and even the heat from sunlight that can cause drying and can damage your plant. But still you are advised to keep the roots in the dark. This is because of algae growth due to light and your roots are not getting enough oxygen because the algae is stealing the oxygen and nutrients for itself. So light as such does not hurt the roots, but air, heat and algae hurt the roots and kill the plant.
- Do Plants feel Pain?
There are many studies and researches conducted on this topic. Basically, Plants lack a nervous system – that is a brain and other neurological structures like nerves and pain receptors, so they should not feel pain, unlike in humans and animals where we have specialised pain receptors.
But according to some researches, “Plant can know of themselves being eaten” because studies have shown that plants release defence chemicals in response to caterpillars munching on them.
Other points include: Plants fight for territory, seek out food, evade predators and interestingly trap prey like what your see in carnivorous plants like the venus fly trap. They are as alive like any animal, and – like animals – they exhibit behaviour.
- Talking to You Plants will help them Grow?
People who really love plants and gardening will often tell you that talking to plants or even music has a beneficial impact on their overall health and growth. Despite many different scientific studies on this theory, there’s still no conclusive evidence that talking to plants helps them grow. One theory says that since plants take up carbon dioxide, and hence talking to plants releases carbon dioxide when we exhale. So, that explains it all.
- Plants can Die of Old age or aging. The oldest known tree in the world is the Great Basin bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of California which is over 5000 years old. Actually Trees grow indeterminately, meaning that with the right conditions, they can grow and grow and grow. But the only problem that limits them from reaching up to the sky is the food and water transport through xylem and phloem to the growing end from the roots. The taller the tree the more difficult it is to transport water from roots to the foliage near the top. But here what happens is instead of growing taller they increase in width and also branch out more, as you might have noticed some old trees with huge girth of their stems.
- Animal or Human Urine can be used as a Fertilizer. Yes, this is a Fact!For example, cow urine contains loads of NPK – that’s nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are the most essential plant nutrients for agricultural use. But it has to be applied in dilution of at least 1:20 in water.
- Is it Dangerous to go near Trees during Night Time? Well, In day time under the presence of sunlight – that’s photosynthesis, plants take up Carbon dioxide and release Oxygen. But during night they take in Oxygen and release CO2 and hence the air near trees will have lesser concentration of Oxygen and higher concentration of CO2. But, this impact will be negligible for small plants and at home gardens and only be noticeable near very large trees or in thick vegetation.
- Naphthalene balls or Moth Balls contain Naphthalene Acetic Acid and can be used as a rooting agent. It’s a Myth. NAA – Naphthalene Acetic Acid and IBA – Indole Butyric Acid are plant auxins or hormones which are entirely different compounds and used for rooting your plant cuttings. These two are entirely different from moth balls which are used to keep insects at bay.
- Watering plants on a hot sunny day will magnify the sunlight through the droplets acting as convex lenses and burn the leaves badly! No doubt, watering plants early in the morning or late in the evening is great! Because less water will evaporate during this time. But This theory that water droplets on leaves can act like mini magnifying lenses, focusing the sun’s rays and causing leaf burn has been completely disproved by physicists.
- Planting by the Moon affects plant growth and yield?
The idea that the Moon affects plant growth is an old one that is believed by many people. This is a myth! No study has proven the effect of moon on plant growth. And the only plants that use moon light for photosynthesis are certain types of phytoplanktons which are not normally found in gardens. - Crushed egg shells are a good source of Calcium to treat calcium deficiency? This is False! Even Powdered Egg shells take a long time to decompose and release that calcium into the soil and make them available for uptake by plants. You can make a water soluble calcium using egg shells by mixing it with distilled Vinegar to make this happen. You can find this detailed video from a link in description or from a link at top right corner of this screen.
- Saplings or seedlings need to be supported to protect them? True or False?
This is False! Many people recommend you to provide support to these young slender plants due to the risk of wind blowing them and things like that. Unless it’s a strong wind, tying a sapling or young plant to a support stick or any kind of support will actually do more harm than good. Research has shown that trees without support, over a period of time will develop thicker trunks, more supportive roots and more resistance to breakages.
- Do Magnets affect Plant growth?
This is a fact. Magnetism affects plant growth and seed germination positively. Studies have shown that when plants are exposed to a magnetic field with south pole facing towards the roots, Seeds germinate faster and plant grow faster and stronger in the presence of magnetic field in the soil. You can check a detailed video on this experiment from a link in description or from a link at top right corner of this video. - Can Harvested or Collected seeds be stored in a Refrigerator or Freezer?
This is not correct! Most seeds that are stored in a seed banks are first dried up so that the moisture content is reduced to about 10 percent and then these can be stored for several years. But if you freeze freshly collected seeds, the moisture content in these seeds will form ice crystals within and can destroy the seed viability. - Growing Fruit Trees in Containers is not possible due to limited space?
This is not true. You can grow them but you need little larger containers or fabric bags like more than 18 or 24 inch. You can watch a detailed episode on the top ten terrace gardening myths and facts from a link in description.
- Does Potting Mix Cause Legionnaires’ Pneumonia in Gardeners? True or False?
Do not worry! This is not True. Legionnaires’ Pneumonia is a severe form of pneumonia or lung infection mostly cause by inhaling the bacteria. Though these legionella bacteria survive in outdoor soil, it rarely causes infections. But still, prevention is better than cure. Better wear a mask while handling potting mix, specially people with weaker immune systems.
.
- How do I know my plant is still alive and how to save a dying plant?
There are many signs to know whether your plant can still survive. If your plant is looking dry and has shed its leaves, most of us think its dead. But actually, it may be alive or can be revived. Please watch my detailed episode on this topic demonstrating how to save a dying plant. I have linked that video in description below.
- Can we grow plants from leaves?
Yes! Some, but not all plants can be propagated from just a leaf or a section of a leaf. Leaf cuttings of most plants will not generate a new plant; they usually produce only a few roots or just decay. There are many ways you can grow leaves into a new plant, like 1. from a leaf petiole, 2. by dividing a leaf into multiple pieces for example fleshy succulent plants like sanseviera or the snake plant and other succulents. Other methods of propagation like cane or stub cuttings, root cuttings, leaf bud cuttings and so on.
- Gardening on Terrace is Bad for the Building. This is not completely true unless your building is too old with a poor construction. Otherwise if wisely planned, a garden on terrace will not be a problem, like placing the heavy containers along the walls on your terrace which are weight bearing or main walls of the building and things like that.
Water proofing the terrace is not always necessarily, unless you plan to build raised bed terrace garden. If you grow in container, you only need to check whether the water draining out of the pots is easily flowing out of the terrace and not stagnant.
- Does Electric Current affect Plant Growth? Well, there is a separate science called electro-culture farming which utilizes this effect. I have conducted a simple experiment on this topic to study the effect of electric current on plant growth. You can watch that episode from an end-screen link or from garden tips channel.
Let’s begin!
- It is Dangerous to Expose Roots to Light?
Well, This can be a very nice high school project for kids, to grow two similar plants, one in a transparent container and compare with that grown in an opaque container. As you can see nothing happens to the plant grown in transparent containers. The actual concern is, root exposure to AIR and even the heat from sunlight that can cause drying and can damage your plant. But still you are supposed to keep the roots in the dark because of algae growth due to light and your roots are not getting enough oxygen because the algae is stealing the oxygen and nutrients for itself. So light as such doesn’t hurt the roots, but air, heat and algae hurt the roots and the plant.
- Naphthalene balls or Moth Balls contain Naphthalene Acetic Acid and can be used as a rooting agents. It’s a Myth. NAA – Naphthalene Acetic Acid and IBA – Indole Butyric Acid are plant auxins or hormones which are entirely different compounds and used for rooting your plant cuttings. These two are entirely different from moth balls which are used to keep insects at bay.
- Is it Dangerous to go near Trees during Night Time? Well, In day time under the presence of sunlight – that’s photosynthesis, plants take up Carbondioxide and release Oxygen. But during night they take in Oxygen and release CO2 and hence the air near trees will have lesser concentration of Oxygen and higher concentration of CO2. But, this impact will be negligible for small plants and at home gardens and only be noticeable near very large trees or in thick vegetation.
- Animal or Human Urine can be used as a Fertilizer. Yes This is a Fact!For example cow urine contains loads of NPK- thats nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are the most essential plant nutrients for agricultural use. But it has to be applied in dilution of atleast 1:20 in water.
- Gardening on Terrace is Bad for the Building. This is not completely true unless your building is too old with a poor construction. Otherwise if wisely planned, a garden on terrace will not be a problem, like placing the heavy containers along the walls on your terrace which are weight bearing or main walls of the building and things like that.
- Water proofing the terrace is a Must for a Terrace Garden. Not necessarily, unless you plan to build raised bed terrace garden. If you grow in container, you only need to check whether the water draining out of the pots is easily flowing out of the terrace and not stagnant.
- Plants can Die of Old age or aging. The oldest known tree in the world is the Great Basin bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of California which is over 5000 years old. Actually Trees grow indeterminately, meaning that with the right conditions, they can grow and grow and grow. But the only problem that limits them from reaching up to the sky is the food and water transport through xylem and phloem to the growing end from the roots. The taller the tree the more difficult it is to transport water from roots to the foliage near the top. But here what happens is instead of growing taller they increase in width and also branch out more, as you might have noticed some old trees with huge girth of their stems.
- Do Plants feel Pain?
There are many studies and researches conducted on this topic. Plants lack a nervous system – that is a brain and other neurological structures like nerves and pain receptors, so they should not feel pain, unlike in humans and animals where we have specialised pain receptors.
But according to some researches, “Plant can know of themselves being eaten” because studies have shown plants release defence chemicals in response to caterpillars munching on them.
Other points include: Plants fight for territory, seek out food, evade predators and trap prey like what your see in carnivorous plants like the venus fly trap. They are as alive like any animal, and – like animals – they exhibit behaviour.
- Watering plants on a hot sunny day will magnify the sunlight through the droplets acting as convex lenses and burn the leaves badly! No doubt, watering plants early in the morning or late in the evening is great! Because less water will evaporate during this time. But This theory that water droplets on leaves can act like mini magnifying lenses, focusing the sun’s rays and causing leaf burn has been completely disproved by physicists.
- Talking
to You Plants will help them Grow? People who really love plants and gardening
will often tell you that talking to
plants or even music has a beneficial impact on their overall health and
growth. Despite many different scientific studies on this theory, there’s still
no conclusive evidence that talking to plants helps them grow. One theory says
that since plants take up carbondioxide, and hence talking to plants releases
carbon dioxide when we exhale. So, that’s it.
- Planting
by the Moon affects plant growth and yield?
The idea that the Moon affects plant growth is an old one that is believed by many people. This is a myth! No study has proven the effect of moon on plant growth. And the only plants that use moon light for photosynthesis are certain types of phytoplanktons which are not normally found in gardens. - Crushed egg shells are a good source of Calcium to treat calcium deficiency? This is False! Even Powdered Egg shells take a long time to decompose and release that calcium into the soil and make them available for uptake by plants. You can make a water soluble calcium using egg shells by mixing it with distilled Vinegar to make this happen. You can find this detailed video from a link in description or from a link at top right corner of this screen.
- Fresh Cow Dung or Horse Dung is very Good for Plants! Fresh Cow poop should never be applied for your plants, because it not only stinks but contains high levels of ammonia and salts which can burn your plants. It also contains harmful microorganisms like e coli which are harmful to plants and humans. Plus it also contains weed seeds which can produce a lot of weeds or unwanted plants in your garden.
- Saplings or seedlings need to be supported to protect them? True or False?
This is False! Many people recommend you to provide support to these young slender plants due to the risk of wind blowing them and things like that. Unless it’s a strong wind, tying a sapling or young plant to a support stick or any kind of support will actually do more harm than good. Research has shown that trees without support, over a period of time will develop thicker trunks, more supportive roots and more resistance to breakages.
- Does
Potting Mix Cause Legionnaires’ Pneumonia in Gardeners? True or False?
Do not worry! This is not True. Legionnaires’ Pneumonia is a severe form of pneumonia or lung infection mostly cause by inhaling the bacteria. Though these legionella bacteria survive in outdoor soil, it rarely causes infections. But still, prevention is better than cure. Better wear a mask while handling potting mix, specially people with weaker immune systems. - Can
Harvested or Collected seeds be stored in a Refrigerator or Freezer? True or
False?
This is not correct! Most seeds that are stored in a seed banks are first dried up so that the moisture content is reduced to about 10 percent and then these can be stored for several years. But if you freeze freshly collected seeds, the moisture content in these seeds will form ice crystals within and can destroy the seed viability. - Growing
Fruit Trees in Containers is not possible due to limited space?
This is not true. You can grow them but you need little larger containers or fabric bags like more than 18 or 24 inch. You can watch a detailed episode on the top ten terrace gardening myths and facts from an end-screen link circled right here. - Can we Use Grey Water or Black water for our plants or farming? True or False?
Firstly, let’s look at the difference between grey water and black water. Grey water or sullage water is the waste water coming out from kitchens, laundries and even bathroom showers. Black water is nothing but sewage water. So can we use these for our plants? Well, this depends on the country you live in. Many countries ban the use of these untreated waters and also sewage farming. This is because they contain lot of chemicals, toxins, heavy metals and bacteria which are harmful for plants and also for humans consuming the yields produced by such plants.
- Garlic is the king of Companion gardening? True or False?
It’s a fact! Garlic deters pests, including fungus gnats, moths, spider mites, beetles and even ants. The pungent flavor of garlic is due to sulfur compounds which are natural fungicides. So companion gardening with garlic planting is certainly beneficial to your garden.
- Are there any Bone meal substitute, specially for vegetarian people who hesitate to offer bone meal to their plants?
Well, Bone meal is a byproduct of animal rendering, made from finely-crushed bones. Bone meal is a slow-release organic fertilizer. It is high in phosphorus with an NPK ratio of 4-12-0.
The closest alternative to bone meal is Soya Bean Meal. This has NPK ratio is 7-2-1 and hence you might have to use it double the quantity while using this soy bean meal.
- How do I know my plant is still alive and how to save a dying plant?
There are many signs to know whether your plant can still survive. If your plant is looking dry and has shed its leaves, most of us think its dead. But actually, it may be alive or can be revived. Please watch my detailed episode on this topic demonstrating how to save a dying plant.
- Can we grow plants from leaves
Yes! Some, but not all plants can be propagated from just a leaf or a section of a leaf. Leaf cuttings of most plants will not generate a new plant; they usually produce only a few roots or just decay. There are many ways you can grow leaves into a new plant, like 1. from a leaf petiole, 2. by dividing a leaf into multiple pieces for example fleshy succulent plants like sanseviera or the snake plant and other succulents. Other methods of propagation like cane or stub cuttings, root cuttings, leaf bud cuttings and so on. I will try to prepare a detailed post on this topic when I get a chance.
- How do I prevent my neighbours from stealing my plants and fruits from my garden?
Some might think of installing a burglar alarm or fencing it well or locking their gardens. But I suggest one simple remedy to this problem. First of all, interact with them and make friends with them even if you do not like them. Talk about exchanging your plants, seeds or cuttings. You take the first step and present them some of your good plants or cuttings. That is all!
- Can we install drip irrigation system on terrace garden? Infact this is one of the best options for watering on your terrace, specially if your plants are in hot sun with no green shade net. And more over, the watering hose pressure is very low on the terrace and it takes a long time to water your plants. You might require to install a pump to get that proper pressure to water your plants. Drip irrigation system is also a good option and its not that difficult to install and not that expensive. You get many options to purchase online like 100 pots, 300 pots and 500 pots options and sets. Check How to install drip irrigation here.
- Is it useful to attract birds in your garden?
This is infact a vast topic. We have discuss this in detail on the benefits of this and making or installing simple DIY bird feeders in this article.
Seeds are magic to gardens. Tuck them in soil, add a little water and you’re on the way to a beautiful bloom or a tasty harvest. Whether you are a beginner or an expert gardener, you will certainly improve your success by avoiding these common errors that will be discussed shortly.
Germinating seeds is infact a simple process. But when seeds do not sprout, you feel disheartened and infact some loose their interest in gardening. But you should always take time to evaluate or diagnose the problem. Why didn’t my seeds germinate?
Here are the 7 FATAL MISTAKES or Answers to Seed Germination Problems.
- YOU ARE USING NON-VIABLE OR OLD SEEDS: If your
seeds have not sprouted within the appropriate number days, then most likely or
the most common reason could be the seeds are not viable.
Always check the expiry date or best before date on the seed packet and also purchase seeds from reliable sources.
This Seed viability issue can even be due to improper storage of seeds like in moisture which can cause them to rot or mold.
Here are two simple hacks to test whether your seed is viable. First method is: - Simply Pour the Seeds in a container of water and if the seeds are floating, they are not viable. Just discard them and choose only those sunk to the bottom.
- Checking seed viability using a wet toilet paper method. Pour some seeds on a wet toilet paper and keep it in a zip lock bag for 24 to 48 hours and see for sprouting to check viability.
- Another important point to remember is the Seed Pod Maturity, specially if you are growing from seeds from a fruit or vegetable. A fruit or vegetable develops from a flower after pollination and fertilization process and is nothing but a seed pod. In my previous episode, the seeds from green bell pepper did not germinate but those from the yellow and red pepper germinated to nearly 100%. The capsicum or bell pepper gradually matures from green color to yellow, orange and then finally Red. Hope this answers the question!
- WRONG PLANTING TECHNIQUE: Planting your seeds too deep can cause problems with sprouting. So, What is the ideal depth for sowing seeds? The rule of thumb is to plant seeds at a depth equal to two times or max three times their width. It’s better to plant seeds too shallow than too deep. You should also avoid pressing down on top of your seeds after you plant them.
- BAD SEED STARTING POTTING MIX OR SOIL: This is a very important factor for success rate. Starting seeds in garden soil alone is not recommended because this soil is too compacted and the seeds cannot sprout. Also if it contains large pieces of stones, wood and stuff like that, can prevent the seeds from sprouting freely. And moreover this soil is full of harmful pathogens that can affect seed germination and also the health of the seedling. Many gardeners suggest baking this soil in oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes to kill most weeds and pathogens. But this will also kill the beneficial microorganisms like mychorrhizae and pseudomonas from the soil. So, it’s always better to prepare your own seed starting mix without using garden soil. One such recipe, you can follow is:
- Cocopeat or peat moss – 70% + Compost like decomposed cowdung or Vermicompost 30%. This is more that sufficient and the best seed starting mix. You can optionally add stuff like perlite and fine grade vermiculite into this mixture.
- Alternately you can also use seed starting coco peat pellets which can be directly transplanted into soil when the seedling are ready for transplant.
- WRONG TEMPERATURE AND WRONG SEASON: This is another common mistake most of us commit. Planting by the season depending on the zone you live in is really important, because the temperature is a very important factor for seed germination. Temperatures that are too high or too low can cause problems germinating seeds. So, try to follow the planting calendar of the zone you live in.
- IMPROPER WATERING: Seed germination is highly dependent on watering. If it’s too dry, they fail to sprout! And too wet they will rot in the dirt. Seeds need to be moderately moist to sprout and this is infact difficult to assess. Also very young seedlings are even more tender and can die due to improper watering. The best trick to water these is using a bottom tray method. Just keep the bottom tray filled with water and do not water from top. If the potting medium is dry, it starts to absorb water through the drainage holes and this process goes on and is completely safe method of watering seeds and tender seedlings.
- DIRTY OR UNSTERILE CONTAINERS OR SEED TRAYS: For a better success rate in seed germination, its always wise to use a fresh new container or thoroughly clean the old containers before adding the potting mix. Fungal and mold infections are the most common infection from dirty containers. If infection occurs you will notice a fuzzy growth on the top of the planting medium. You may also see that a seed sprouts, but then rots at its base and falls over. This is called damping off and is caused by a fungal infection in your soil.
To clean your old containers, You can use hydrogen peroxide or even use your kitchen baking soda – like 1 tablespoon per litre of water and clean the containers with this solution. Or simply clean it with soap and water or even a diluted bleaching powder.
- ROLE OF SUNLIGHT: Do Seeds require sunlight to germinate? For most of the seeds, sunlight is not required for sprouting of the seeds. Dark, damp and warm conditions are best for the sprouting stage of germination. But once the seeds germinate and two new tiny leaves are out, they need sunlight. You must follow the “Hardening Off” Method which means a gradual exposure to sunlight, like 1 hour for the first day, 2 hours for the second, 3 hrs for the third and so on to provide full sun exposure.
Now, Lets Begin with the ten common gardening myths that have been debunked by scientific research.
1. Saplings or seedlings need to be supported to protect them? True or False?
This is False! Many people recommend you to provide support to these young slender plants due to the risk of wind blowing them and things like that. Unless it’s a strong wind, tying a sapling or young plant to a support stick or any kind of support will actually do more harm than good. Research has shown that trees without support, over a period of time will develop thicker trunks, more supportive roots and more resistance to breakages.
2. Watering plants on a hot sunny day will magnify the sunlight through the droplets acting as convex lenses and burn the leaves badly? True or False?
No doubt, watering plants early in the morning or late in the evening is great! Because less water will evaporate during this time. This advice to “never water your plants in full sun” has been followed by generations of gardeners – But! new research has contradicted this belief that watering in direct sunlight can cause leaves to suffer from “leaf burn”. This theory that water droplets on leaves can act like mini magnifying lenses, focusing the sun’s rays and causing leaf burn has been completely disproved by physicists.
3. Talking to You Plants will help them Grow? True or False?
People who really love plants and gardening will often tell you that talking to plants or even music has a beneficial impact on their overall health and growth. Despite many different scientific studies on this theory, there’s still no conclusive evidence that talking to plants helps them grow. One theory says that since plants take up carbondioxide, and hence talking to plants releases carbon dioxide when we exhale. So, that’s it.
4. Does Potting Mix Cause Legionnaires’ Pneumonia in Gardeners? True or False?
Do not worry! This is not True. Legionnaires’ Pneumonia is a severe form of pneumonia or lung infection mostly cause by inhaling the bacteria. Though these legionella bacteria survive in outdoor soil, it rarely causes infections. But still, prevention is better than cure. Better wear a mask while handling potting mix, specially people with weaker immune systems.
5. Can we Use Grey Water or Black water for our plants or farming? True or False?
Firstly, let’s look at the difference between grey water and black water. Grey water or sullage water is the waste water coming out from kitchens, laundries and even bathroom showers. Black water is nothing but sewage water. So can we use these for our plants? Well, this depends on the country you live in. Many countries ban the use of these untreated waters and also sewage farming. This is because they contain lot of chemicals, toxins, heavy metals and bacteria which are harmful for plants and also for humans consuming the yields produced by such plants.
6. Can Harvested or Collected seeds be stored in a Refrigerator or Freezer? True or False?
This is not correct! Most seeds that are stored in a seed banks are first dried up so that the moisture content is reduced to about 10 percent and then these can be stored for several years. But if you freeze freshly collected seeds, the moisture content in these seeds will form ice crystals within and can destroy the seed viability.
7. Garlic is the king of Companion gardening? True or False?
It’s a fact! Garlic deters pests, including fungus gnats, moths, spider mites, beetles and even ants. The pungent flavor of garlic is due to sulfur compounds which are natural fungicides. So companion gardening with garlic planting is certainly beneficial to your garden.
8. Does Planting by the Moon affect plant growth and yield? True or False?
The idea that the Moon affects plant growth is an old one that is believed by many people. This is a myth! No study has proven the effect of moon on plant growth. And the only plants that use moon light for photosynthesis are certain types of phytoplanktons which are not normally found in gardens.
9. Crumbled egg shells added to soil is a good source of Calcium? True or False?
This is False! Egg shells take many many years to decompose and release that calcium into the soil and make them available for uptake by plants. Many studies have proven this and have recovered intact shells after many years of burying them into the soil. However, finely powdered egg shells might help, but again as a slow release source of calcium.
10.Growing Fruit Trees in Containers is not possible due to limited space?
This is not true. You can grow them but you need little larger containers or fabric bags like more than 18 or 24 inch. You can check out a detailed post on the top ten terrace gardening myths and facts.
Do Plants Feel Pain?
Can Artificial LED grow lights help the plant in flowering and growth?
Can I use Coffee as an effective pesticide on plants and how?
Plus a nice funny question at the end.
So Lets begin!
- Do plants feel Pain?
There are many studies and researches conducted on this topic. Plants lack a nervous system – that is a brain and other neurological structures like nerves and pain receptors, so they should not feel pain, unlike in humans and animals where we have specialised pain receptors.
But according to some researches, “Plant can know of themselves being eaten” because studies have shown plants release defence chemicals in response to caterpillars munching on them.
Other points include: Plants fight for territory, seek out food, evade predators and trap prey like what your see in carnivorous plants like the venus fly trap. They are as alive like any animal, and – like animals – they exhibit behaviour.
- Can we grow plants from leaves
Yes! Some, but not all plants can be propagated from just a leaf or a section of a leaf. Leaf cuttings of most plants will not generate a new plant; they usually produce only a few roots or just decay. There are many ways you can grow leaves into a new plant, like 1. from a leaf petiole, 2. by dividing a leaf into multiple pieces for example fleshy succulent plants like sanseviera or the snake plant and other succulents. Other methods of propagation like cane or stub cuttings, root cuttings, leaf bud cuttings and so on. I will try to prepare a detailed episode on this topic when I get a chance.
- Can Artificial light be used for photosynthesesis and do plants flower in it.
Yes you can.
In fact, good quality LED grow lights are highly efficient, because they provide the exact spectrum of light your plants need. But, Remember one thing: sunlight is free, while good quality LED lights are quite expensive.
- Can I use coffee as pesticide on plants?
The Answer is YES: Coffee contains a chemical called caffeine which is considered neurotoxic to many pests like aphids.
You can make a Caffeine Spray. Many research studies have shown
that caffeine combined with other insecticides increases their killing
power. In one test, a small dose of caffine increased a known pesticide’s
potency by ten times.
So how do I make a Caffiene Spray. Its simple. You just have to make a cocktail
solution. I always prefer organic mixes. You can use any recipe of your organic
pesticide like neem oil, clove oil or whatever, and add one or two tablesspoons
of used coffee grounds or 1 or 2 teaspoons of fresh coffee if you like to use
it for your plants. Mix well and let it
marinate for about 24 hours and then strain it and spray it once a while with
your regular pesticide. That’s it. You can watch a detailed video on a Cocktail
mixed organic pesticide recipe.
Now lastly a Funny Question!
- How do I prevent my neighbours from stealing my plants and fruits from my garden?
Some might think of installing a burglar alarm or fencing it well or locking their gardens. But I suggest one simple remedy to this problem. First of all, interact with them and make friends with them even if you do not like them. Talk about exchanging your plants, seeds or cuttings. You take the first step and present them some of your good plants or cuttings. That is all!
RELATED VIDEOS AND LINKS:
Full Q and A Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uyvjf8gv4k&list=PLvE-WOB38X7bcd6kFShVvq0zyxLPD5ymQ
GARDEN SECRETS All VIDEOS Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDIYZci5w2k&list=PLvE-WOB38X7YSKfmaBQc3cDNkvrnDGTyJ
Increase Flowering: https://youtu.be/FDIYZci5w2k
Air Pruning for Fast Growth: https://youtu.be/hkUOB1bHi2M
EASY PLANT CLONING IN WATER: https://youtu.be/lLvgE6ouNBA
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Happy Gardening!
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Now Lets Begin with the first grandma question !
- My Grandma says, Do not go near plants during the night time? Why?
During daytime in the presense of sunlight plants prepare their food – that’s called photosynthesis. They take in carbon dioxide from atmosphere, water from roots and then sunlight and prepare their sugars. So in day time they take up Carbondioxide and release Oxygen and that’s good. But during night they takin Oxygen and release CO2 and hence the air near trees will have lesser concentration of Oxygen and higher concentration of CO2. That is why it is not advisable to go near trees during night time. However, this impact will be negligible for small plants and at home gardens and only be noticeable near very large trees or in thick vegetation.
Also another point to note is, Some plants even prepare food at night without sunlight by a process called CAM photosynthesis – Crassulacean acid metabolism. I have discussed this in my video on the 24 hour oxygen producing plants for your health.
- What’s the world’s largest flower?
The flower with the world’s largest bloom is the Rafflesia arnoldii, found in the rainforests of Indonesia. It can grow to a size of 3 feet across and can weigh up to 50 pounds! It is actually, a parasitic plant, with no visible leaves, roots, or stem.
- My tomato plant is producing lots of flowers but not fruiting? The answer to this question is simple. The commonest reason is insufficient pollination. Check the pesticides you are using might be preventing honey bees and beneficial pollinator insects from entering your garden. The other causes can be insufficient fertilizers and in that case consider adding a high potash and high calcium fertilizers.
- Can i add blood to plants? Can Mentrual Blood Fertilise Your Houseplants?
Well, the answer to blood is Yes, BUT..before that
Let me explain this: To start, As you all know, Most fertilisers are based on the three major plant nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, that is NPK. And all three of these elements are present in blood. Not only blood this applies to any stuff like fish meal, bone meal or even animal blood. But here is the catch and scientific explanation. You might already know that Uncomposted manure or non decomposed manure like cowdung and stuff like that can be harmful to your plants. That is the reason we use decomposed manure and we make compost at home in our compost bin. When you add anything raw including the raw smoothie some people recommend for your plants which they make by blending all raw kitchen waste and I have discussed in one of my recent videos.
The problem is, its decomposition process is going to promote the growth of all sorts of microorganisms which can be harmful to the plants and even humans. In addition, the nitrogen is consumed by these microorganisms for decomposition process and this will lead to nitrogen deficiency in plants, something similar to Nitrogen Stealing which I discussed in one of my videos on the use of Saw dust for your plants.
So Then, How do I use blood? You can purchase blood meal, fish meal, bone meal and all types of these organic fertilizers from a garden store. You can use these because these are prepared from dried or decomposed animal blood. So that’s it.
- Can Animal or Human Urine be used as a Fertilizer?
Well this looks uncomfortable for most of us. But the truth is human or animal urine for example cow urine contains loads of NPK- thats nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are the most essential plant nutrients for agricultural use. But it has to be applied in dilution of atleast 1:20 in water. This topic needs more detailed discussion and concepts, we will look into it in some other episode.
Does Light REALLY hurt your plants roots? And What Happens when you Expose Roots to Light?
Do Pot ted Plants need Soil Change periodically?
Do Naphthalene Moth balls contain the best and the most expensive rooting hormone – thats naphthalene acetic acid?
Now Lets Begin with the first question !
- Can we Put Earthworms into Soil of Potted Plants? The answer to this question is Partly Yes. First of all identify the useful earthworms like the red wrigglers. If yes, then you can drop a few into your container, but you must provide them with the moisture and the decaying matter for the worms to feed on. And then No to containers with small tender plants or seedlings because these can damaged by earthworms.
- Many Gardeners Say Putting Stones or a layer of gravel at the bottom of Plant Container is Useful and improves drainage? Actually it’s a myth and does not help the plant and it actually takes up the space of the soil. If you want to prevent soil from washing out or coming out of the drainage holes, better use a piece of net cloth or a plastic mesh.
But sometimes this layer of gravel can be useful and can prevent root rot. For instance, If you have drainage holes at the sides of your container, this can prevent water stagnation into the bottom zone where roots can be constantly wet in the stagnant water. As you can see in the illustration, raising this a bit with a layer of gravel helps encounter this issue. So, it always better to have drainage holes at the bottom of your container.
- Do Potted Plants need soil change periodically? Yes, This is partly true. They do need repotting once in a while depending on the plant growth and performance. If you pay close attention your plants you will definitely find some signs that indicate your plants need repotting or a soil change. Like:
– When Plant has Outgrown its container – that’s called Root Bound plants.
– When the Pot Soil is Compacted – You may not be able to insert your finger into it.
– When a plant keeps wilting often, even after a day or two even after good watering. Then
– Yellowing Leaves and Lack of New Growth are also important signs.
You can check my related video on the 10 Golden Rules of Repotting and also video on Recharging your expired soil.
Well the next interesting and controversial question is:
- What Happens when you Expose Roots to Light? Does Light REALLY hurt your plants roots?
This is infact complicated and controversial. To get an answer to this question, lets look into few scenarios and concepts. And this can also be a very good high school project for kids, like, to grow similar plants in transparent container and compare with an opaque container.
Consider these 3 scenarios:
- Growing a Money plant into a transparent container. Am sure all of us have done this. Here you expose roots to light whether direct light or indirect light.Then
- You might have seen many plants where roots develop from aerial parts of stem thats exposed to light and this does a supportive function.
- Root can also be exposed to light naturally from cracks in the soil from an earthquake, heavy rain and many other factors.
I think, the concern should be for the plant root exposure to AIR and even the heat from sunlight that can cause drying and can damage your plant, rather than the light itself causing any direct damage. But still you are supposed to keep the roots in the dark because of algae growth due to light and your roots aren’t getting enough oxygen because the algae is stealing the oxygen and nutrients for itself. So light as such doesn’t hurt the roots, but air, heat and algae hurt the roots and the plant.
Actually University researches have shown that even roots have light photo receptors in them and terms like Positive phototropism and Negative phototropism and much more.
If you are interested in full Journal artciles of these studies – Download Here:
http://www.gkvk.net/links/qa1.pdf and
http://www.gkvk.net/links/qa2.pdf
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- Do Naphthalene balls or Moth Balls contain Naphthalene Acetic Acid which is the best Rooting Hormone? Or can these naphthalene balls be useful on plants as rooting agents or as pesticides?
Well the answer to the first part of the question is a straight NO. NAA and IBA auxins are entirely a different compounds.
But When it comes to the benefits or the use of moth balls on plants or in garden, you should know how these naphthalene ball work. The vapors released by the mothballs build up and kill the moths in your clothes. They are infact good pest repellents around your garden, but these can be toxic to your pets and kids if ingested by them.
Please like and share this article on social media. Consider subscribing to my YOUTUBE Gardening Channel. Happy Gardening!
References:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/tpj.12998
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4264407/
- Use a Magnifying Glass to closely examine and diagnose your plant pests and insects to identify them and follow the treatment accordingly.
- Create a no-stick shovel or any garden tool. Spray paint your garden shovel or any gardening tool to protect it from rust and keep it clean.
- Lighten the weight of your Pot: Use pieces of packaging foam or even thermocol pieces at the bottom layer of the container and mix lot of cocopeat or peat moss + perlite.
- Protect Plants During Transport from a Nursery – using a your home aluminium Ladder like Batla and place your pots tightly in the ladder compartments.
- If you detect Iron deficiency in your plant called iron chlorosis and if you see pale colored leaves instead of dark green you can burry some iron nails or iron pieces around the plant.
- Help Your root bound plants by root pruning or repotting them in larger pots.
- You can use candy sticks or even larger pebbles or even broken pot pieces as markers for your plants and seedlings.
- Erase Permanent marker markings using rubbing alcohol and reuse the same markers.
- You can make your own Plastic bottle slow water feeding. Easiest one is make small holes in the cork and invert the bottom and insert in soil.
- You can roughly Know the PH of your soil using baking soda and vinegar. Take two soil samples from different areas of your garden. Add vinegar to one sample and stir, if it bubbles – then its alkaline soil. Now to the other sample, add baking soda and water and stir – if it bubbles then the soil is acidic.
- Do not throw away egg shells – crumple or powder them and sprinkle around your plants to provide them a source of calcium. Also repels certain insects like slugs and snails.
- Grow sweeter tomatoes using baking soda: Sprinkle baking soda around your plant soil which counteracts the acidity and yields sweeter tomatoes.
- You can plants seeds and get seedlings in an egg shell or even citrus rind or similar stuff or shells. You can also used paper coffee cups. You can plant the whole eggshell-seedling complex into the soil.
- Best use of Tissue paper card board roll to make seedling cups which are bio degradable and can be directly planted into soil without disturbing roots.
- You can build a garden trellis using pvc pipes or even wooden sticks or bamboo sticks.
- If you have water shortage, collect rain water for your plants. For this you can either collect rain water flowing out from your teres into drain pipes or you can install or build a dedicated rain water collecting system.
- Use plastic bins or containers as mini green houses or poly houses for faster seed germinations.
- Sprinkle Epsom salt or baking soda directly on slugs and snails to kill them. Rearing chicken which love to feed on these insects is another good idea if you are interested.
- In winter to protect from frost cover the plants at night with an empty pot or even a polythene shopping bag.
- Do not throw away pencil shaving from your kids – use them for Mulching which also prevents weed growth and repels insects.
- Garden vegetables that become over-ripe are an easy target for some pests. Remove them as soon as possible to avoid detection.
- Insects can’t stand plants such as garlic, onions, chives and chrysanthemums. Grow these plants around the garden to help repel insects.
- Add used tea waste or coffee grounds into your compost bin for faster composting because earth worms digest them very fast.
- You can also use tea waste or coffee grounds on flowering plants as an organic fertilizer to boost blooms.
- Healthy soil means healthy plants that are better able to resist pests and disease, reducing the need for harmful pesticides. Use neem cake bio mix in soil to get rid of many plant diseases and also nourish your plants.
- Seal the Injured end of your plant stem or the top end of you plant cutting during the process of cloning by pouring one or two drops of wax from a burning candle. This will prevent moisture evaporation and result in better results and also helps as a sealant for microbes and fungus.
- Watering seeds and seedlings carefully is very important, and watering with the regular garden can can displace the seeds and damage the seedlings resulting in bad outcome. Best way to water them is using a tray under the pot. Whenever there is water requirement, it uptakes it through the drainage holes.
- To transplant your seedlings use a spoon, dig out as much soil with it including the roots of the plant and hold the leaves of the plant and not the STEM to pull out, because this can squeeze and damage the water and food conducting tubes – xylem and phloem and plant may die.
- Use sand paper to scrape the hard seed cover of certain seeds like apple, chickoo and those with hard seed over for faster seed germination.
- There are a few bottle recycling hacks coming up in random here. You can use your plastic bottles to make simple plantars for sowing seeds or planting small plants. Its upto you if you want decorate it or spray paint it.
- Now will make a Simple self watering pot or automatic watering system using a cotton wick and cutting the bottles as shown here. The lower end of the wick should be placed in the water reservoir – thats the lower portion of the plastic bottle. Make a hole in the bottle cap and insert the cotton wick through it. And the upper portion of the bottle can be inverted with potting mix and plant in it. Whenever the soil gets dry it will suck the water through the string.
- Make your own Seedling watering can, Using a bottle, you can make this in two ways, first by popping out a nozzle by heating the cap. This really works great to water your succulents, because spilling water directly on succulents like haworthias can be dangerous to the plants. Another way is to make a simple bottle shower by making multiple tiny holes in the cap and offer shower effect to your small plants.
- Mark your garden gloves with inches or centimeters to evenly plant your seeds or seedlings and similarly if your garden is big, you can use a long stick and mark the measurements for the same purpose like if you are planting in a raised bed garden or large space gardening.
- How to know if my seeds are healthy or unhealthy – first thing you should before purchase is the packaging date and the best before date. Then pour your seeds in your hand and closely examine them and the first look itself will tell you which seeds are healthy looking and which need to be discarded.
- You can Test your seeds or even start some seedlings using the Toilet paper method. Just sprinkle the seeds on one layer of toilet paper and put another layer on top of this and make it moist by spraying water. Place this either in a zip lock bag or any container and keep in a warm place and check after 24 to 48 hours for sprouts.
- Just cut out a plastic bottle and use it as a seedling or small plant protector against any wind blowing away the plant or from animals and birds. Place this as shown here to protect your seedling.
- The same can be used as a funnel to transfer your seeds or potting mix into bags or containers.
- You can also use old forks from your kitchen and bury them around seedlings to protect them from animals.
- It’s a good habit to always label your plants and sown seeds. It can really create confusion if you do not label them.
- You can make your own labels with pop sticks / candy sticks, plastic bottle strips, larger pebbles, windows blinds curtain strips, etc.
- You can Pick small seeds for sowing with a stick or tooth pick dipped in water.
- You can do perfect seeds spacing for Tiny seeds like spreading them apart in a row on toilet paper – for better visibility and even spacing and sowing. You can make a seed tapes either in a row or a square or round seed board specially for carrot seeds for even spacing and better growth and ease of harvesting.
- Before sowing seeds, soak them in luke warm water for 24 hours specially for certain seeds like beans, peas, okra and others.
- Another Hack for seed soaking is using Epsom salt solution for soaking like 1 teaspoon in 100 ml of water. This results in faster germination and healthy seedlings. You can also spray on Epsom salt solution on your seeds and seedlings for healthy outcome.
- Make your own trowel with a bottle by cutting a used plastic bottle like am showing you here. Try to take a harder bottle for making this. You can use the same as a funnel to transfer your potting mix, seeds and things like that.
- Egg trays can be used as seed germination trays. Either the card board ones or if you are using plastic egg storage container, you need to make few drainage holes.
- You can also use egg shells to sow seeds and directly transplant into soil.
- Similarly you can make your own biodegradable seeds starting cups using used tissue paper roll card board. THese can be directly transferred into the soil along with the seedling.
- You can also make seed pots by rolling newspaper and even this is bio degradable and similarly you can directly transplant with the pot into the soil or into a larger container.
- You can use small containers like these from your kitchen and make Mini Green houses and place your seeds inside them for faster germination.
- Tit bits or tic tac or any small containers like this can be used to store your left over seeds.
- If you want to professionally start vegetable gardening, You can use a Garden planner software at growveg.com or any other similar software.
- Once baby seedlings come out of the seeds, Gradually introduce your them to sunlight, once the leaves have come out. Like 1 hour a day for 3 days, 2 hours for next few days and then gradually to full sunlight. This process is called Hardening Off.
- Using a Seedling heat mat or a heat source from a high watt bulb will also help you create a spring like atmosphere for your seeds to germinate faster.
- Scrape your nails into a soap before working with your garden soil or potting mix, if you do not want to use gloves. This helps in cleaning your hands easily later on and also the dirt wont enter into your nail beds.
- Make a Cello Tape Trap. Wrap the cello tape in reverse on your fingers and use the sticky part to touch on leafs infested with pests like aphids and whiteflies.
- Use Dirty aquarium water to fertilize you plants. When you are performing a periodic clean-up, do not throw away the water and the filter waste, just pour small amounts of it to your plants. It contains helpful bacteria and trace nutrients that can help your plants.
- Similarly Use Cooking Water to Fertilize your garden. When you boil or steam some vegetables, do not pour the water in the drain, instead once the water has cooled, water your plants with it. Its contains many essesntial nutrients for your plants.
- Mix some mineral oil mixed with a pail of sand and insert your garden tools after use to keep them sharp and rust free.
- Sprinkle fine Cinnamon powder on your seeds and seedlings to protect seeds and seedling from rot.
- For Acid loving plants like Azaleas and Roses, use Alum 5gm in 500 ml of water once every 10 days and this will boost the growth and flowering.
- Remove Clay Rich Soil using this simple Hack: When you bring your plant from a nursery and start repotting, most often you find they have stuffed the plant in a clay-rich sticky soil. You can remove this soil without damaging the roots by soaking the root ball in water for few minutes till this soil dissolves. Then you can repot this plant in a well-draining potting mix.
- Do not forget to water this newly repotting plant with Epsom salt – about 1 teaspoon in 1 liter of water to counter this Transplant shock.
- Loosen up your roots: When you remove the root ball for repotting, loosen up or free up some roots at the bottom and sides.
- Use a Table cloth or any large bedsheet to drag heavy weight like your potting soil bags, and any large heavy garden items.
- Use this Universal Organic Formula To Deter Most Rodents and Animals from your Garden and even pests: If you have already experienced rodent and animal attacks on your garden, you will definitely realize the importance of this tip. Add 1½ teaspoons of chili powder to 1 liter of water + Add 3-4 drops of liquid dish soap to help the spray adhere to surfaces. To make it more potent add 1 or 2 pieces of crushed garlic or even paste + few some crushed chopped onions pieces. Mix it well and leave it for 24 hours. Do a patch test on a leaf and check the leaf for wilting if any so that you can dilute this accordingly and use it on your plants safely.
- Another simplest way to repel Some animals like cats, dogs and rabbits – is to soak a some pieces of cloth with vinegar and stuff them in some areas of your garden. These animals cannot withstand the smell of vinegar and may not return if you repeat this process for few days.
- To Promote more blooms and growth of your flowering plants, do not hesitate to perform these three tasks: a. Pinching (that is cutting the growing tips of stems and branches to promote more branching), b. Deadheading: that’s is removing the dried or drying flowers along with the twig from your plant. C. Pruning the plant promotes more growth and makes the plant bushy.
- If you do not have the chemical rooting powder – that’s indole butyric acid, You can Dip your cuttings in Honey, Cinnamon Powder, Fresh Aloe vera gel and even your Saliva or Spit!
- Discover a Free Seed Germination station: That is the Top of your Refrigerator. You can place your Seed trays on top of a refrigerator to get the heat and produce faster germination of your seeds.
- Picture-Perfect Seed Storage: Organize unplanted or left over seeds in the sleeves of an old photo album.
- Easy method to check Viability of your seeds: Pour the seeds in a bowl of water and If the seeds are floating, this means they are dry and not viable. Discard them and use only those seeds that sink to the bottom.
- Another method to check viability is using a wet toilet paper method which I have already shown in part 2 edition of Gardening Hacks.
- You can use Silica Gel packets which I am sure most of us have seen. Instead of throwing away these tiny sachets, use them for in your seed storage container as dessicants which can increased your seed life and protect them from fungus.
- Similarly Silica gel packets can be used to preserve powdered gardening stuff like bone meal, fungicide powder, rooting hormone, etc Just tape the sachet to the underside of the container lid and that’s it.
- Use 3% hydrogen peroxide solution (5 ml in 1 liter of water and spray on the seeds once every 2 – 3 days to get faster germination and healhthier seedlings. You can also use a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 32 parts water to improve your plants root system by watering with this solution weekly once.
- You can make a Humidity Tray by using Small pebbles installed in a large tray surrounding the plant and pour some water in the tray. This really helps to maintain humidity levels and help your plants grow.
- If you do not have perlite or vermiculite, you can also use red brick powder. This helps to make a well draining soil.
- Do not throw away Kitchen left overs: Grow plants from left over veggies and fruits like onions, pineapples and so on.
- Now About the Universal Organic Pesticide – In 1 litre of Water, Mix 1 tsp chilly powder, 2 -3 pieces of crushed garlic + some onion chops + some aloe vera gel + 5 drops of liquid dish wash soap as a surfactant and spray weekly twice on affected plants to kill aphids, mealy bugs, white flies and other pests. This also keeps away some animals and rodents.
- Use liquid dish wash soap in any pesticide you make, to act as surfactant and coating on the plant leaves and branches. You can also use any handwash liquid soap or any soap solution.
- Use unwanted or old plastic forks or plastic spoons to label plants with a marker if you do not have professional markers.
- Use some herbs like Citronella, catnip, basil, marigolds, eucalyptus and many other plants to deter mosquitoes. You can watch my video on a big list of mosquito repelling plants from link in the description and also here at top right corner of this video. But first lets complete this video.
- Take any straight stick and mark with inches or centimeters to evenly plant your seeds or plants specially useful if you are planting in a raised bed garden or if you do large space gardening.
- Do not throw away banana peels, Bury them around flowering plants into the soil to provide potassium content to the plants and improve flowering and overall plant health. You can also make a banana peel liquid fertilizer using these peels.
- Do not throw away your Broken umbrellas, you can make a garden trellis with the umbrella frame to support your plants.
- Tobacco is an age-old natural organic pesticide for Aphids, Whiteflies, Spider mites, Leaf miners and many other worms like slugs and caterpillars. If tobacco or tobacco leaves are not available your can use this hack. If you are a smoker, or anyone in your family or friends, You can make a Cheapest Tobacco Pesticide Spray for your plants from Left over Cigarette Butts. To prepare this Nicotine Pesticide Spray, take half a cup of used cigarette butts and add to one litre of water. Mix well and and crush if necessary and leave this for one hour. Then strain out and discard the solid stuff. Take the liquid portion and optionally add few drops of some dish wash liquid soap and also 1 teaspoon of garlic paste into this to make it more potent. Then load into your spray bottle and use it on the affected plants. Repeat after a week if necessary or use in conjunction with neem oil spray alternately if you wish. One point to note is: Tobacco spray is natural but still dangerous to beneficial insects of your garden.
- Then finally strain out the liquid using a cloth and your compost tea is ready. To use this as foliar spray and to water your plants dilute it further like 1: 10 and use once every 15 days and spray in early morning hours when the leaf stomata are open for best results.
- Easy Compost Tea Spray for Your Plants: Add one or two handful of compost like vermicompost or decomposed cowdung powder or both together per liter of water and allow it to brew for 3 days before use. Make sure your stir it deeply few times everyday to add oxygen in it which is very important.Soaking flower bulbs in dilute compost tea before planting them speeds up germination time by providing them extra energy boost from compost. Soak for max 6 to 12 hours, not more than that.Lighten up your pots by filling the bottoms with peanut shells and similar stuff like this, specially if your pots are more deeper. You can make a partition to this layer and the soil by placing a piece of cloth or even left over green net pieces and then pour your potting soil. You can also use this stuff for mulching in summer to prevent moisture evaporation.Mulching with Sea shells: Specially if you are staying near a coastal areas, they are easily available in plenty. These sea shells not only prevents weed growth and mulching benefits but also provides slow releasing calcium source to the plant over a period of time. This also gives an attractive look to your garden. But one point to remember here is do not use colored or dyed sea shells for mulching.
- Protect your plants from scorching summer heat. The best way to do this is use atleast 50 percent green shadenet. But if you do not have this, just use any large cloth or an old bed spread and tie the corners with a string and cover the plants. This way your can protect your plants from the noon sunlight which is really strong and bad and can burn your plant foliage.
- Make a Vertical Garden and Save Space. Simplest of this is by using taut strings on a wall and hang some vertical pots with hooks. If you do not have these pots, you can also make your own using scrap like plastic bottles. You can also use your fence mesh like this and hang pots to build a vertical garden.
- Keep your hand clean by using disposable surgical gloves for gardening. This is a cheap use and throw alternative to garden gloves. I use these most of the times and this is really helpful to me because this saves my time from cleaning the regular garden gloves everytime after use.
- No Wheelbarrow to move garden stuff? Do not worry, the cheapest alternative is a large cloth or an old bed sheet. Just load on the heavy objects and drag it along. Its actually a childs play as you see in the video.
- Use an All in one All-purpose Mixed Fertilizer Recipe Powder to save time. This universal fertilizer contains almost everything your plant needs to grow and produce flowers and fruits. It’s a complete plant food to be used once every 15 days or a month depending on your plant requirement. Watch complete video on how to make this from this endscreen link in the circle.
- Hack for removing salt deposits: Many of the times the slat deposits gets appeared on the clay pots. No need to worry after looking them. You can remove them easily. You may start combining the ingredients like white vinegar, add little alcohol and the water and pour all of these ingredients in to the spray bottle. Now stir up the bottle very well. Now you may spray up the liquid on to the pot and start rubbing the pit with a plastic brush. It will make your pot really neat and clean.
- Use anti-fungal: You can use chamomile while soaking the seeds as an anti-fungal agent. It prevents the plants form that of the horticultural diseases
- Boost up growth time by inter-plantation of compatible crops: There are so many crops which when grow under the shade of the other plants grow really well and immediately. Just like, when you keep the tomatoes plant under or the carrots plants along with the reddish plants then the slow grower also takes the immediate and quick growth.
- Avoid the fertilizers high in the nitrogen: You may avoid the use of the fertilizers. As the most of the fertilizers con- tains the nitrogenous components and can create toxicity as well.
- Never avoid maintenance: You must not avoid the maintenance of your garden. Just keep on growing the plants on and on can never be a wise task. You must give maintenance to the garden.
- Apply properly: The studying of tips and tricks is not enough. You must have to apply them properly. Keep in mind the basic instructions and apply them properly. 65. Patience is must: You know gardening is really the work of patience. You must have to keep patience during the time when your plants are under process of production. The above are the 65 hacks with astounding tips and tricks which you can use for sake of making your gardening belter. These are all the tips and tricks that can guide you for the whole process of gardening. From start up to an end, the guide is true for you. You can come to know how to sow the seeds, how to soak the seeds before sowing them, what watering system you have to use. How to use the tools and the techniques and how to get highly germinate plants and vegetables.