These TikTok Gardening Hacks Are So Obvious We’re Annoyed We Didn’t Think of Them First

Watching a recent TikTok video from creators @jeffandlaurenshow left me feeling all kinds of frustrated. They gave viewers several gardening hacks that were so simple, I realized I had been doing things the hard way for, well, forever.

After experiencing mild irritation, I calmed down and immediately went outside to try them all. I can confirm that the ones I tried (at least what I had the materials for) absolutely did work. Here’s every tip from the video, explained.

1. Use Plant Containers as Planting Guides

You know those little plastic containers that new plants come in from the garden center? Remove those plants and press the empty containers into your soil first. Cover them with soil around the outside, and when you lift them out, you’re left with perfectly sized, perfectly spaced holes ready for each plant to drop straight into.

This works super well in large pots when you want good depth, as the container sits lower in the soil, meaning nothing falls out when it’s covered. It seems so simple, but trust me, I spent many years digging holes in my garden that only ended up being too small for my plant of choice.

If you're planting seeds rather than plug plants, then use a Seeding Square, available on Amazon, to space them evenly.

2. Build an Extended Pruning Reach Tool

Unless you’re a giraffe, cutting high branches can prove to be quite difficult, especially for those who don’t have a ladder. Jeff takes a long tube and screws in an eye-hole hook (like this one from Amazon). He puts the handle of a pair of garden shears through the top of the tube, held in place by a rubber band.

A bungee cord threaded through the hook wraps around the shears' other handle (acting as a sort of “hand”). The result is an improvised long-reach pruning tool that costs almost nothing to put together (except maybe a little brain power).

If you're going to be pruning tall trees and shrubs regularly, then invest in a telescopic pruning pole, like Fiskars XtendControl, which extends up to 16 feet.

3. Deadhead Roses the Right Way

This one isn’t so much a hack as a correction to an all too common rose mistake. When deadheading roses, cutting off just the spent flower and its immediate stem isn’t enough. You need to cut below the first set of five leaflets.

Cutting too high will result in weaker regrowth, and getting this right makes a significant difference to how well your roses bloom. If you need the perfect deadheading shears, these Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears are the best-selling on Amazon and budget-friendly.

4. Remove Rust from Garden Shears with White Vinegar

Most of us just run to the store to replace rusty shears or suffer through the consequences. However, you can simply place the metal part in a jar of distilled white vinegar and leave it to soak. The acidity breaks down the rust and restores the metal. It's one of those uses for white vinegar (available here at Walmart) that genuinely works, and it's considerably cheaper than buying new tools.

5. Bottom Water Your Plants

Rather than watering from the top, try placing your pot in a bowl of water and letting it absorb moisture from the bottom up. This method – also known as bottom watering – allows the compost to absorb water more evenly. You can even buy a bottom watering tray for this very purpose. Plus, you’ll avoid the common problem of water running straight through dry potting mix without being properly absorbed.

It's super useful for plants that dislike moisture on their leaves or crown, and for any pot where the compost has dried out so much that top watering simply isn't penetrating.

6. Scratch Your Nails on Soap Or Wax Before Gardening

Okay, this is one hack I really like! Gardening absolutely destroys my nails, and I hate wearing gloves for certain tasks. Drag your nails across a dry bar of soap or wax. The soap/wax will fill the gaps underneath your nails, preventing dirt from getting trapped there.

When you wash your hands afterwards, the soap/wax rinses straight out, and your nails stay nice and clean. Once you know it, it will become a habit.

And, if your nails do still get grubby while gardening, then Grandma's Grime Away Gardener's Soap, available on Amazon, will get them squeaky clean.

7. Make a DIY Plant Propagation Hanger

Lauren tapes a string to the bottom of a mason jar, ties it into three loops around the jar's body, fills it with water, and places a cutting inside. The jar is then hung up, creating a neat, space-saving propagation station. It’s ideal for cuttings that root in water, and a super cute way to display them.

If you're one of the rare few who don't have any mason jars lying around, you can buy some like these at Target, which come in a set of 4.

8. Protect Tools with Sand and Mineral Oil

Fill a metal bucket with sand and food-grade mineral oil, alternating between the two like a cake. Plunging your garden tools into the mixture cleans and coats them, protecting the metal surfaces from rust and keeping the blades in good condition. It’s simple maintenance, but it saves you a ton of money on buying new tools in the future.

But if your tools are already clogged up with grime, then you need some good old WD-40, available on Amazon, to clean them up.

9. Turn a Pool Noodle into a Soaker Hose

Grab a pool noodle (most of us have a few sitting around in a random shed somewhere) and cut small holes on one side, spaced a few inches apart. Put a stopper on one end (Jeff used a toy carrot), insert a hose in the other end, and you have a makeshift soaker hose that slowly waters plants along a row.

Alternatively, use a flat soaker hose, like this Rainpoint design, which will stay easily in place for the plants you want to water.

10. Store Seeds in a Photo Album

I’ve seen this seed storage solution before, but it’s worth knowing if you aren’t already doing it. Seed packets stored loosely in a drawer get lost, torn, or crumpled up. Slipping them into plastic sleeves of a photo album helps keep them organized and protected. Alternatively, this Wildgoose Seed Storage Organizer Binder looks just like a classy leather photo album. Label the pages by season or plant type, and you’ll have your very own seed library.

Some hacks take years of experience to develop. These took one TikTok video!