23 hours Ago By Emilia Randall
Social media is alight with a bizarre hack involving a common kitchen cupboard ingredient that promises to n ourish and re-vitalise your soil. As the summer months heat up your borders yo may be searching for a quick fix to breathe some life back into your soil and get your plants looking their best. You might think that oats belong in your porridge and your porridge only - but you would be wrong.
Oatmeal is in many a beauty product - known for its soothing calming properties - but now TikTokers are encouraging gardeners to tip any leftover oatmeal into their soil. But how is oatmeal beneficial for plants? Oatmeal actually offers two unexpected advantages for plants. Not only does it provide essential nutrients that plants require, but it can also effectively deter a variety of garden pests.
If you're seeking inspiration to maintain your best indoor plants in top condition, or prevent pests from wreaking havoc in your backyard, then considering the benefits of oatmeal might be worthwhile. From mixing it with cinnamon and grinding it into a powder for plant food, to brewing it with tea for a liquid feed, oatmeal has been hailed as a garden saviour. Dennis Sons, a horticulturist at TN Nursery, told Homes and Gardens: "Old timers in the early 1900s would warm water over a wood cook stove and put the oatmeal in for about five minutes (before it has time to thicken and start to cook) then strain with a cheesecloth the juice from it to pour around houseplants and garden plants.
" Oats are packed with nutrients essential for healthy plants, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. They're particularly rich in phosphorus, which promotes strong root growth. Oats also contain significant levels of magnesium, calcium, copper, and zinc – all crucial for overall plant health.
Daniela Rey, a gardener and herbalist based in Wrightwood, CA, describes oatmeal as "a rich source of nitrogen", a nutrient associated with vegetative growth and required in large amounts by plants. "Nitrogen's most important purpose is to help plants grow big green foliage. It is used in many plant processes to synthesise amino acids, proteins, chlorophyll and enzymes," Daniela explains.
She also highlights the unique fibre content of oats, which nourishes and restores healthy bacteria in the soil. This bacteria aids in breaking down organic matter in the soil, making it available to plants. Daniela suggests using oatmeal in the garden by mixing it into the top layer of the soil or sprinkling it as a type of mulch over plants.
As the oatmeal breaks down, it releases nutrients into the soil, acting like a slow-release fertiliser that can last several months. Fans of using oats to fertilise plants have their own methods. Along with Daniela's method, popular TikTok videos demonstrate creating a liquid fertiliser by adding water and grinding the oats to a fine powder to scatter on houseplant soil once a month.
It's important to note that when oats are mixed with water, they should be left overnight, then strained out, leaving only the water to be added to the plants. Other suggestions include mixing a couple of spoonfuls into plant soil once a month and sprinkling a handful of oatmeal into planting holes - some believe this stimulates root growth due to the high phosphorus content. Lindsey Hyland, founder of Urban Organic Yield, has pointed out that oatmeal can serve as a beneficial fertiliser for certain vegetable garden plants, but cautions that 'not all' backyard plants will appreciate it.
"It is especially beneficial for tomatoes and other vegetables that need more nitrogen in their soil, such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, lettuce and spinach. However, it should be avoided when fertilising flowering plants or other more delicate varieties since it could lead to poor growth or seedling diseases caused by excessive moisture near the roots." TikTok videos demonstrate successful use of oatmeal on houseplants, while Dennis Sons from TN Nursery confirms that oatmeal is safe to use on any type of trees or shrubs.
It's crucial to research specific plants and the best feed for them before using oatmeal as a fertiliser, or to conduct a soil pH test to understand your soil types and any nutrient deficiencies that could be affecting your plants. Understandably, there are some drawbacks to using oatmeal as a fertiliser. This includes the risk of attracting pests or animals that are looking for food if the oatmeal is left on the surface of the soil.
Always remember to mix in any oatmeal with the soil immediately after application to mitigate the risks of unwanted critters being attracted in the search for a meal. Oats will never be able to offer the same long-term benefits as proper fertilisers. The high solubility of oats means it will leach nutrients and that is why most recommendations are to spread it once a month.
Also, the quantity of nutrients in the oatmeal will be very small compared to fertilisers you can buy – and you will never really understand the actual nutrient makeup of oatmeal in the way you can with fertilisers. At least with dedicated fertilisers you can see the exact NPK on offer on the label as plant fertiliser numbers and you can get fertilisers to target different crops and plants. It's important to note that oatmeal isn't a complete fertiliser and should be used in conjunction with other fertilisers.
Oatmeal can also serve as a natural pest deterrent, keeping unwanted bugs from damaging your plants. It's safe for use around humans and animals, yet effective against a variety of pests. Brad Smith, an experienced gardener and co-founder of Omi Home Ideas, suggests sprinkling oatmeal around the base of plants to "create a barrier that pests like slugs and snails will be reluctant to cross.
Oatmeal can also be used to discourage cats and other animals from digging in the garden." Lindsey Hyland praises the high content of saponins in oatmeal, a natural surfactant toxic to many insects. This makes it highly effective against a wide range of outdoor critters and common houseplant pests.
She explains: "Oatmeal can help combat pests such as aphids, mites, Japanese beetles, codling moth larvae and some species of caterpillars. It is also known to repel slugs and deer away from gardens. "To use oatmeal as a pest control method, mix it with water until it forms a thick paste and spread it on the affected plants and surrounding soil.
" When utilising oatmeal as a pest deterrent, it's vital to exercise moderation and avoid excessive spreading around plants. Overdoing it could potentially attract rodents in search of food, leading to an unwanted rat problem..
