1 day Ago By Holly Kintuka
With spring in full motion, many gardeners are working long hours to maintain their outdoor spaces. Whether that's giving it a revamp or taking care of the plants - whatever it is, gardens can be high maintenance and cost a lot of money to upkeep. Fortunately, many handy gardening tips offer advice that will not only save you time but can also save you money.
Garden and Wildlife writer Benedict Vanheems shared some of his own tips and ideas to "help you up your gardening game" on growveg.co.uk , including one that only requires two everyday household items you're likely to already have.
There are many benefits to fertlisers as they provide your plants with necessary nutrients that boosts plant growth, flowering, and fruiting. But instead of spending money on plant fertilisiers, the expert says "don't throw out ingredients that are past their best - use them in the garden to boost growth." Gardeners should turn their kitchen waste into fertilisers and the two ingredients he mentions are milk and flour.
Milk that's "on the turn" works great as a natural fertiliser , and using it couldn't be easier, he said. The gardener explains that all it requires is mixing milk with the soil around the plants. As well as a fertiliser, milk also works as an "excellent" preventative spray against mildew.
In that case, gardeners will need to dilute the milk using one to 10 parts water, then apply the mixture over the surface of the leaves. Powdery Mildew fungi impact plants' ability to carry out photosynthesis and can rid them of vital nutrients, causing harmful results, including stunted growth. However, with this quick hack, you can easily protect your plant while ensuring it gets its nutrients.
The use of flour as a fertiliser is also simple. All you have to do is lightly dust your stale flour over soil a few weeks before planting. Another option would be to add thin layers to your compost heap.
Flour contains both nitrogen and micronutrients such as calcium, making it "an ideal soil enrichment for leafy crops", according to the top gardener. However, it doesn't just stop at at old milk and flour, there are many products that can be used to feed your plants, saving you a heap of money. He added: "Of course, don't forget that almost all uncooked, plant-based kitchen scraps can be composted.
They contain lots of nutrients, so don't let them go to waste - recycle them back onto your garden.".
