National Gardening Week 2023 is held between May 1 and May 7 and is run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to raise awareness of gardening and horticulture. It’s the perfect week to start your spring gardening adventure and plant homegrown vegetables, flowers and other plants.
When gardening, sometimes plants need a helping hand either from regular fertilising or mulch.
However, there are ways to give plants a natural boost using kitchen cupboard staples.
With this in mind, Savoy Stewart has shared three natural ways to keep plants healthy without breaking the bank.
Natural ways to keep plants healthy:
1. Cinnamon – 70p
Cinnamon can be picked up from Asda for just 70p and has multiple purposes in the garden.
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Scientific studies have found that cinnamon can be used to treat mould on plants.
One of the most common moulds that can be found on plants is white mould which usually infects them in early spring.
The gardening experts have shared how to use cinnamon to treat plant mould using the spice and warm water.
She said: “To use cinnamon to treat plant mould, you should take one teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and five litres of warm water, and let it sit for a few hours.
“Your cinnamon fungicide will be ready once this is complete. Cinnamon also helps protect seedlings against rot, which can also accelerate growth.
“For seedlings, you don’t need to prepare the solution, just simply sprinkle some ground cinnamon directly onto the seedlings, and let it get to work.”
2. Using coffee grounds – £1.99
Ground coffee can be purchased from Aldi for as little as £1.99.
Coffee is a part of many people’s daily routines but can also be used to aid plants.
The cupboard staple works best for plants that prefer acidity like roses and tomatoes which love acidic soil.
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Simply, sprinkle the used coffee grounds over the surface of the soil or make the coffee and pour it directly onto the soil once cooled.
The experts said: “Soak up to six cups of used coffee grounds for up to a week to make garden coffee, then you can use it to give your plants some care.”
3. Using eggshells – £1.29
Aldi sells a pack of six eggs for as little as £1.29. Plants that need less acidic soil might prefer eggshells.
Some plants which prefer less acidic soil include lentils, chickpeas and soybeans.
Eggshells provide calcium for plants which is an “essential nutrient” and help lower soil acidity.
To use eggshells, simply clean them out, crush them and then use them in the garden.
The Eden Project’s Living Landscapes Manager Julie Kendall told Savoy Stewart: “Now it’s the time to start sowing crops. Some harder crops, such as carrots and peas, can be sown directly into the ground outside.
“Tender crops, like sweetcorn and courgettes, will do better in a greenhouse, shed with windows or sunny windowsill. You don’t necessarily need to have a dedicated vegetable plot if space is limited.
“Vegetables, fruit and herbs can be mixed together along garden borders, like a potager garden, and many can also be grown in pots, such as salad leaves and radish.”
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