Great Gardening Hacks From Pinterest

Pinterest is the social media platform that presents inspiration in a visual way. It’s easy to “pin” stuff that catches your fancy and use them as reference later on (while “defining” who you are to your followers). Surprisingly, there are lots of useful and practical info presented in a pegboard manner which you can apply to everyday life - even gardening! Here are a few of our favorites that actually work wonderfully well.

Bottle irrigation for tomato plants

Don’t throw away those soda or mineral water bottles post-party. They can be repurposed as a practical irrigation system for your tomato plants. Simply punch some holes on the bottles, bury them (evenly spaced) in the soil next to your plants, and then fill up the bottles with water. The water will be slowly released to keep the roots moist. This is especially useful during summer when the scorching heat can quickly dry out the soil.

A stump container for succulents

Want to show off your cactus collection outside but don’t want to put them in little pots? Do what Pinterest suggests and plant them in a tree stump, driftwood, or fallen log. Your succulents will look magical and natural at the same time. First, check to see if the your tree stump or log doesn’t have any pests or fungi. Then get some floral glue and use it to attach your sphagnum moss in the tree stump’s hollow or cracks. Arrange your succulents any way you want them on the moss (by color, shape, size, etc.) and then let them take root. Water a couple of days after the arrangement to wet the moss and encourage more root growth.

Rubber mulch stone walkway

Rubber mulch has gotten the nod of approval in many public and private playgrounds as the ground cover of choice, thanks to its shock-absorbing capacity. You can get the same benefit for your home. Use rubber mulch for your own backyard so that it’s practically slip-proof, come rain or come shine. Pinterest shows plenty of ways to utilize rubber mulch as a lining for pathways, or as an alternative to slippery stone steps or walks. You can even use it as surfacing for an outdoor patio.

Coffee filters to line plant pots

Here’s another creative and practical way to make sure your plants get enough moisture where they need it (at the roots). The problem with many plant pots is that a lot of the water goes out of the little hole near the bottom so that the soil dries up quickly. Rewatering can be a hassle, but you can use coffee filters to line the pot to avoid this. If you’re very busy and tend to water your plants irregularly, it’s good to know that the coffee filter absorbs the water and prevents plants from drying up. It’s also an excellent method for repotting - simply lift the filter carefully and transfer the entire plant - soil and all - into another container without spilling anything.