10 Surprising Household Items That Can Help Plants Grow 10 Great Gardening Hacks

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Hair

That's right – as unusual as it may sound, hair works great as a natural fertiliser due to its high levels of magnesium. You can take some strands out of your hair brush or even use dog, cat or horse hair. When used in compost, the hair can offer structural support for roots and help break up thick and clumpy soil.

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White vinegar

Because of white vinegar's high level of acidity, it makes an effective acid plant feed. Mix a tablespoon of vinegar into a gallon of water and use the concoction to feed your roses and hydrangeas once a season. It's important to check the pH of your soil before applying this, however, as you don’t want the pH to be too low.

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Banana peels

Full of potassium, banana peels are wonderful for your plants and will help keep them healthy and strong. The fruit's skin will supply much-needed nutrients as it breaks down.

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Eggshells

Add dry eggshells under your mulch. As they decompose, they will provide your plants with calcium. To speed up the process, you can grind them up and let them soak in a small amount of vinegar overnight. This will make the calcium more readily available to your plants.

Egg shells also act as a great natural slug repellent. Read more here.

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Ash from the fireplace

If you've got a log fire, wood burning stove or BBQ, then you can use the ash produced for your plants. Sprinkle a light layer of ash over your soil to offer potassium and calcium carbonate.

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Coconut

Create a mixture of one tablespoon of dried coconut powder to five gallons of water. Pour the liquid over the soil weekly or biweekly to add electrolytes and bacteria. Your plants will flourish.

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Coffee

Once you've had your morning cup of coffee, don't get rid of the grounds but use them to fertilise your soil. They are full of plant goodness, including antioxidants, potassium, phosphor and nitrogen. Top tip: make sure they are dry when you add them to your soil as wet coffee grounds can cause fungus.

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Potato water

Do you boil potatoes for your Sunday roast? Well, the water is more useful than you thought as it is ideal for watering plants. Just don't add salt.

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Green tea

Green tea leaves are rich in iron so, once your tea has brewed, give the leaves to your plants as food. They are particularly beneficial for raspberry plants.

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Matches

Did you know strike matches are a great source of magnesium? It's a good idea to bury them with plants or soak the matches in water to use as a fertiliser. The magnesium will dissolve into the water.

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