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13 Clever Gardening Hacks Every Gardener Needs to Try

Gardening brings joy to millions of people, offering the simple pleasure of nurturing plants and creating beautiful outdoor spaces. Whether you’re growing your first tomato plant or maintaining an established garden, there’s something deeply satisfying about watching your efforts bloom into success.

Yet gardening can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when faced with mounting costs, time constraints, and the sheer volume of advice available. Many gardeners find themselves wondering if there are simpler, more affordable ways to achieve their garden goals.

Fortunately, experienced gardeners have developed clever solutions over the years that make gardening more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. These practical “hacks” can help you create a thriving garden without straining your budget or schedule. From repurposing household items as garden tools to discovering time-saving maintenance techniques, these tried-and-true solutions will help you garden smarter, not harder.

Let’s explore some of the most effective gardening hacks that can transform your gardening experience.

Propagate From Cuttings

Devil’s Ivy House plant
Image Credit: Jubair1985 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons.

There are many ways to acquire free plants, including sharing them with others and propagating them. Propagating refers to cutting a stem or leaf from a parent plant to regrow it.

The good news is that you can propagate many plant varieties. Rosemary, sweet potato, and succulents are among the easiest plants to propagate. You can grow your collection by propagating leaf or stem cuttings in soil or water and waiting for them to take root.

Repurpose Household Items Into Planters

Recycled Tires as Plant Pots
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Planters come in different sizes, shapes, materials, and colors. Depending on your gardening needs, budget, and preferences, planters are a fun way to add color and structure to your space.

You can also repurpose old household items into planters. Old milk crates, food and storage containers, and bathtubs make excellent and unique planters.

Use Zip Ties and Cloth for Climbing Plants

zip ties cable ties
Image Credit: Silverxxx/WikiCommons.

Creeping and trailing plants are always a beautiful addition to a space. However, climbing plants can get out of control. They often need to be tied to be kept in place, and there are many ways to do this.

Garden string works great, but so do zip ties and thinly cut strips of cloth. Old tights or T-shirts are suitable for this because they have some stretch and are soft enough not to damage even delicate plants.

Make a Homemade Irrigation System

A simple method of watering houseplants in a pot - the DIY type device is made using a PET plastic bottle. Technique for even supply of potted flowering plants
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Certain conditions must be met for plants to grow well. One of them is watering. Sometimes, life gets in the way, and watering plants escapes one’s mind or isn’t possible.

Here is where DIY irrigation systems come in. This homemade solution is quick, easy, and doesn’t break the bank. You’ll need a bottle; the material doesn’t matter. Make a small hole in the lid or cork, or loosen it and bury it upside down in the soil.

DIY Watering Cans

Woman sprays plants in flower pots at home. Indoor gardening. Caring for houseplants home. Interior with lots of plants.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

One of the many amazing things about gardening is that anyone can do it, and you even get to break the rules. You can try out new things and different methods if they don’t work.

Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned gardener, it’s always fun to try new things. For example, you can use empty milk jugs and old water bottles as watering cans when the hose is out of reach.

Rinse the bottles thoroughly, make tiny holes in the lid, and you’re ready. Just fill up the bottle, screw the lid on securely, job done. If you don’t have a milk jug, you can also use empty jars.

Make Fertilizer at Home

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Sometimes, plants need a little help to grow well. Natural fertilizer is a great way to boost plant growth. Food scraps like banana peels, citrus rinds, and eggshells are mineral-rich. You can compost them to make homemade fertilizer.

Dried leaves, grass, tree bark, and twigs can all go into the compost heap along with the food scraps. However, some food scraps, like banana peels, can be dried and sprinkled on your plants without composting them first.

Container Gardening To Maximize Space

Woman Gardening Planting Seeds
Image Credit: Iryna Inshyna/Shutterstock.

Container gardening is when plants are grown in pots rather than in the ground. Not everyone has huge spaces to grow gardens; however, a small space shouldn’t stop you from growing a garden if you want one.

Container gardens are a fantastic option for small spaces. They are portable, versatile, require less water, and are easy to maintain.

Mini Greenhouse Made From Plastic Bottles

Mother And Daughter Making Recycled Plant Holders From Plastic Bottle Packaging Waste In Garden At Home
Image Credit: Daisy Daisy/Shutterstock.

Empty water and soda bottles make excellent mini greenhouses. Remove the labels and rinse thoroughly, then cut the bottom off the bottles. You can use the bottoms of the soda bottles or regular planters to sow your seeds.

Cover them with the top half of the bottles, and your greenhouse is ready. The micro greenhouse also protects your seeds and seedlings from insects and animals.

Seeds Saving

Seed Propagation
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Saving seeds is an exciting way to conserve your favorite plants. Seeds of plants like tomatoes, peppers, beans, and peas are easy to save. Put the seeds on a paper towel and air- or sun-dry them.

Once dry, store them in seed packets in a cool, dry place. Don’t forget to label and date them for the next planting season.

Cardboard Seed Tubes

bin of used paper towel and toilet paper rolls
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Paper towels and toilet paper tubes make suitable seed-starting vessels. Cut them into your desired size and place them on a waterproof tray. Next, fill the tubes with potting soil and sow your seeds.

When the sprouts are ready for planting in the garden, put the individual seed tubes directly into the soil. Bury the tubes beneath the soil and cover them with dirt.  The cardboard will decompose over time.

Pot-In-A-Pot Gardening

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Switching and swapping plants for the season is a fun and fantastic way to upgrade a space. Pot-in-a-pot gardening involves planting one pot in the ground and a second pot of similar size nested inside it.

Plant in the pot on top, and that’s it. This gardening hack simplifies reorganizing your garden, allowing you to change things up and give it new life.

Windowsill Herb Garden

window planter
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Spices and herbs can transform a dish from plain to mouthwatering. While dried herbs are just as delicious, some people prefer them fresh. A windowsill herb garden is a great way to have fresh herbs and spices nearby.

Not only do you have herbs on demand, but you also get an aesthetically pleasing windowsill. Chives, Basil, mint, and parsley are some herbs that are better suited for an indoor herb garden.

Deadhead Old Flowers

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Want fuller and healthier plants? Deadhead and groom them often. Deadheading is removing wilting or drying blooms from a plant. This practice promotes new blooms by preventing plants from producing seeds.

Not all plants should or need deadheading, though. Peonies, poppies, and columbines fall into that category. Zinnias, roses, sweet peas, and marigolds are some plants that respond well to deadheading.

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