No Time? No Problem! 5 Quick and Easy Vegetable Gardening Hacks

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Gardening is a rewarding hobby. Nothing beats the pride of knowing you turned a tiny seed into a stunning plant, right?

Yet, this can take a lot of time and effort on your part, which is the main reason many people are discouraged from gardening.

Luckily, if you know some basic vegetable gardening hacks, you’ll be left with a stunning garden and healthy produce, while barely lifting a finger.

Here are some of my favorite tricks:

1 – Reducing Transplant Shock With Plastic Jugs

Every gardener knows how complicated and time-consuming it can be to start seeds directly in the soil. For this reason, many gardeners, especially beginners, prefer to start the seeds in separate pots where they can control the growth environment.

Well, when it’s time to transplant your seedlings into the garden soil, the fragile roots might face some trouble anchoring themselves. The numerous elements in the open environment of the garden might also be too harsh on the seedlings.

Fortunately, small plastic jugs might just be what you need to transplant the tiny plants. All you have to do is cut off a couple of inches off the bottom of the jug.

Then, cover the transplanted seedlings with the bottomless jug, essentially forming a wall. Make sure the jug covers part of the roots as well.

2 – Biodegradable Seed Pods From Egg Carton

Starting seeds is an essential element of gardening. Fortunately, you can speed things up at a fraction of the cost by using an egg carton as a pod for your seeds!

This trick works perfectly as you can cut individual egg cells to start each seed. Once you’re ready to transplant the seedlings, you don’t need any equipment or complicated maintenance.

Instead, you’ll just add the cardboard pod as it is in your garden. It’ll simply degrade over time, preventing transplant shock in the process.

3 – Use Cardboard to Keep Weed Away

Weed is every gardener’s nightmare. Not only will you need to remove the pests, but you’ll also need plenty of time to nurse the affected plants back to health.

This garden clutter is preventable with cardboard. You read that right; the simple material available in most homes is the perfect way to ward off weeds.

If you already have a weed infestation, placing cardboard on top of the weed will smother it. You can also nip the problem in the bud by adding the cardboard before weeds appear.

Typically, spring and early summer is when weeds thrive. Accordingly, you’ll need to lay down the cardboard during this time, making sure you’re weighing it down with mulch, or other gardening supplies to keep your yard looking neat.

4 – Make Fertilizer Out of Kitchen Scraps

You don’t need to spend any extra money to improve your garden’s quality and give your green friends an energy boost. It all starts with your kitchen.

Kitchen scraps are an excellent food source for your plants. First, you can make homemade fertilizer, which breaks down the scraps into their basic component, allowing your plants to absorb all the nutrients.

Alternatively, you can start a compost bin, to which you consistently add organic materials. Slowly, the scraps will degrade, leaving simple, yet effective, fertilizer.

5 – Invest in Thick Mulch

Mulching might not be the prettiest gardening hack, but it’s definitely among the most effective. A thick layer of mulch protects your plants from the environment, especially seedlings.

What’s more, mulching can actually enhance the quality of your garden soil over time. That’s because the organic mulch will decompose, seeping nutrients into the garden.

If you don’t have enough time to care for your garden, you mustn’t skip on mulch. This layer also holds water within the soil and prevents evaporation. So, not only will you get healthier plants, but you won’t have to water them as often!

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