5 Gardening Tips You’ve Probably Never Heard Of – That Make Life Easier and Keep You Growing Like a Pro

Gardening is one of those pastimes that have a fairly low barrier to entry, but can be incredibly complex. People who have been lucky enough to have gardening mentors guide them through the intricacies of planting, tending, harvesting, pruning, revitalizing, and more pick up so many little tips and tricks that otherwise might not ever be learned.

Our little site prides itself on having everything you need to know to get growing, both indoors and out, whether you are a beginner to gardening or a seasoned green-thumb. But even our garden experts learn new things every day!

We try to pass on as many of these tips and tricks as possible, but here are some that you might have never heard of and we think you’ll enjoy.

1. Growing With Vinegar

One of the easiest ways to get new plants for free is by taking cuttings from existing plants and rooting them with root stimulating hormone. There are commercial rooting hormones available through places likes Amazon or your local garden center, but you can also make your own at home. Willow tea is a popular homemade version, but did you know that you can use vinegar to help root cuttings and germinate seeds? Dip the end of your cutting into a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water to aid root growth. Soaking seeds in vinegar will weaken the tough seed coat and help your seeds to germinate more quickly.

2. Straw Bale Garden

Don’t have a lot of space for a raised vegetable garden? You can actually use a straw bale to grow vegetables in a limited space while also saving money on purchasing tons of soil and mulch! Each straw bale will hold a few tomato plants, squash plants, and peppers. Just keep it well-watered (I like an irrigation system like this one from Amazon to help keep watering consistent) and add a little compost on top so your plants are healthy and happy. Simple and genius!

3. Bird Bath Penny Trick

A bird bath is a great way to welcome wildlife to your yard. Birdies will love cleaning and preening on the edge, and even monarch butterflies will stop for a sip. But there is nothing grosser than a slimy, algae-covered bird bath that you now have to scrub by hand. Lucky for you, a few copper pennies can keep the bird bath clean! We may have said farewell to the humble penny, but if you have any pre-1982 pennies in an old coin jar you can use them to keep algae at bay. They are 95% copper which will disrupt the environment algae needs to grow in the bird bath. (Don’t have any pre-1982 pennies? You can find a 99% copper bird bath disk from Amazon that will do the trick).

4. Easy Seed Viability Check

Spring is the season of seed starting and planting, but are those expired seeds from a few years ago still viable or do you have to go buy a whole new batch? Some seeds last a lot longer than others and you might be surprised at what will grow. There are some easy seed viability tests you can try, but one particularly unique one uses a piece of technology we all have in our pocket. You can check seed viability with the flashlight on your phone. Shine the light through your seeds. If the seed is dark inside, it is most likely viable. If you can see the light passing through the seed, it’s not viable and you can save yourself the time and hassle of trying to grow it.

5. Fake Snake

This last gardening tip sounds goofy, but it actually works. Keep squirrels out of your garden with a fake “predator.” A simple rubber snake placed in your garden and moved to a new location each week will make squirrels think twice about raiding your veggies. You need to make sure your fake predator snake is realistic, though. This lifelike rubber snake from Amazon has worked in our writer Tyler’s yard for years to much success!

So there you have it, five of our favorite gardening tricks that we are happily passing on to you. Give them a try and watch your garden flourish. And then be sure to pay it forward!