My Asian cuisine-inspired trick saved me a lot of time in the garden – it makes planting seeds much quicker and easier
THE secret to one frugal gardening hack might just be found in your next bag of takeout.
A gardening pro has shared how their Asian cuisine-inspired trick will make planting less of a pain.
“I will start with what I learned this year that saved a lot of time planting seeds,” said Redditor District-yogurt2686.
“The hack is using chopsticks to plant seeds with,” they continued.
They explained how the item was ideal for streamlining the seedling process.
“I took a pair of them and marked the common depths to plant seeds with a marker,” they said.
“This allowed me to poke, drop seed, and cover a lot quicker and easier.”
Who knew that chopsticks were just as efficient at planting as picking up lo mein.
If you don’t have any old chopsticks sitting at home, you can purchase Liangken’s pack of five reusable chopsticks for $3.99 on Amazon.
The dishwasher safe buy is described as being “non-slip” and “easy to use.”
Many others also shared their own gardening tips.
“For the first time I’ve been pinching out my tomatoes and the yield is massively increased!” said one user.
“Think mulch. It’s a no-brainer. Holds moisture, insulates against extreme temperatures, decomposes into the soil, suppresses weeds,” wrote another Redditor.
And that wasn’t the only perk of the gardening item that is usually applied to the surface of soil.
“Certain kinds of mulch can deter pests because the base is drier and/or sharp. Why doesn’t everyone use mulch?” they continued.
“I germinate in damp paper towels in a Ziploc. As soon as a seed sprouts, it goes into the starter cup. Then I don’t have to thin or risk killing any of them,” said another user.
“The key is to check the Ziploc daily, so none of the seeds have a chance to dig into the paper towel once they germinate,” they added.
Buy it now
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Liangken Reusable Chopsticks, $3.99, Amazon
“Filter your water. Buy an RV filter and attach it to your outside spigot. You will see a huge jump in growth,” wrote yet another Redditor.
Master gardener Jerry Baker explained his own “wacky” ways to incorporate chopsticks into your garden.
This included using the item for planting “picture-perfect” rows by making the correct-sized holes.
They can also help to support a mini-greenhouse.
All it takes is “sticking” several chopsticks in the soil after planting cuttings in “starting flats.”
Next, you have to place a plastic bag over everything to keep the cuttings “moist” while the chopsticks “keep the plastic off the cuttings and the soil.”
You can even keep a row cover in place by using chopsticks to “pin it” to the soil.
They can also be used to “anchor” baskets or serve as “small stakes.”
Easy gardening tips to save money, maximize space, and repel pests
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- Banana peels, vinegar, and coffee grounds are often recommended as natural fertilizers.
- Dollar Tree sells four packs of seeds for $1.25.
- Try a vertical planter like Amazon’s Mr. Stacky 5 Tier Stackable Planter, $35 to make more use of a small space.
- Use netting like the Garden Netting Pest Barrier, $8, from Amazon to keep away bugs that eat your vegetables.
- Try sacrificial planting to reduce the use of pesticides and keep pests away from your garden. Deliberately growing certain plants to attract agricultural pests can keep them away from the plants you want to protect. Examples include marigolds, lavender, catnip, and chives.
- For pesky weeds in your garden, the Grampa’s Weeder – The Original Stand-Up Weed Puller Tool with Long Handles, $45, from Amazon is a helpful tool you can use without having to bend over.