10 Great Gardening Tips & Tricks

Maintaining a beautiful garden is a lot of hard work, but you can work more efficiently—and put less effort —with these brilliant gardening tips. Whether you’re new to growing or a seasoned expert, check this collection of 10 gardening suggestions. Enjoy!

1. Milk

It is sometimes helpful to spray milk over plants suffering from mildew, mold, or tobacco mosaic.

2. Potato Chip Can

Tall potato chip canisters can be used as dusters for flowers and vegetables. Punch holes in the bottom and drop in a few marbles or pebbles for agitators; fill the canister two-thirds full of rotenone, Dipel, or other garden insect dust; put on the lid; and you are ready to do battle.

3. Shock Absorbers

Many garages will give away discarded shock absorbers for the asking. Place them at the end of garden rows. When watering, slip the hose around them to prevent it from whipping over plants.

4. Shoe Bag

Get a see-through plastic shoe bag and store the small separate items such as gloves, plant tags, and twist-ties in the pockets. This is a time- and temper-saver, and ideal for the greenhouse.

5. Smoking

Smoking is not only dangerous to your health, but it’s dangerous to your plants’ health as well. The tobacco mosaic virus also affects members of the Tomato family and can be communicated by the hands of a smoker working in the garden.

6. Sugar

Sugar kills nematodes by drying them up. Five pounds of sugar per 100 pounds of soil will kill nematodes within 24 hours. Helpful fungi are the enemies of nematodes, and plenty of humus in the soil will promote their growth.

7. Sunscreens

The sun’s harsh rays dehydrate and dry out your skin, reinforce the lines that come from squinting, and increase the risk of some skin cancers. Sunglasses protect your eyes from glare and discourage frown lines around the eyes. When working in your garden, use sunscreen and wear a hat to keep the sun off your face.

8. Tool Keepers

Drill a ¼-inch hole in the handle of a garden tool and hang the tool over a headless nail driven into the wall. To get a large number of tools in a small area, space the nails close together. Also paint tool handles orange — the color scientists consider safest for hunting caps and jackets. The color is readily discernible to the eye when you lay a trowel or clippers down somewhere in the garden or grass.

9. Flower Pots

Let your dishwasher sterilize your flower pots. First scrub your pots clean to remove soil and accumulated salt. Put clay pots on the bottom rack, and plastic ones on top with pan lids on top to weight them. Nest several sizes to maximize space. The pots will come out clean, sterilized, and ready to use.

10. Plant vegetables and herbs near your back or front door.

Since you’ll see them often, you’ll remember to keep them watered. And they’ll be nearby when you need dinner fixings.