Garden

63 tips · Small tricks. Big impact.

Balcony box watering rule of thumb: about three litres per metreBamboo canes as a tent-shaped support for tomatoes in potsBrushing and rinsing garden tools after useBurying chopped banana peel at the root zoneChoose balcony boxes at least 20 cm high and wideCleaning and oiling wooden tool handles with soapy waterCoffee grounds around sensitive plants against slugsCoffee grounds to deter Colorado beetlesCollecting slugs from boards laid out overnightDethatch lawn moss from mid-March rather than in autumnDiluted nettle manure as vegetable fertiliserDrainage layer of expanded clay, gravel or shards at the pot baseEarwig pot hung in a tree against aphidsEdge the lawn straight with a taut line and a 45-degree cutForce a hyacinth in a glassFreezing apple slices individuallyGermination test on kitchen paper before sowingGrinding eggshells finely so they workGrow vegetables in pots of at least eight to ten litresHealthy potato haulm on the compost heapInterplanting onions or leeks among carrotsKeep the lawn at 5 to 7 cm in summerLeave grass clippings on the lawn when mowing often in dry weatherLet the lawn rest during long heat and droughtLetting harvested garlic cure on the bedMix fine seeds with sand for even sowingMix the excavated soil with sand before refilling the planting holeMixing coarse and fine material in compostMow short and scarify the turf before overseedingMow the lawn only at about 20 cm of grass heightNettle brew sprayed against aphidsNever cut more than a third of the blade length when mowingNot washing garlic after harvestOiling the joints of garden shearsOutdoor balcony boxes and pots need a drainage hole in the baseOverseed a lawn only once soil stays above 12 °CPlastic pots with drainage holes for balcony plantsPre-sprout potatoes in an egg cartonPropagate lavender from summer pruningPropagate tomatoes from side shoots in a glass of waterPut balcony tomatoes under a roofRadish seeds as row markers when sowingRecognising the right harvest time for garlic by its leavesRemoving rust with steel wool before the seasonRinsing aphids off with a firm water jetRipening an unripe avocado with an appleRoot strawberry runners in a banana endSlug fence with an outward-curled top edgeStand tomato pots on feet instead of saucersStoring apples apart from other fruitStoring carrots in sand in the cellarStoring garlic dark, dry and coolStoring garlic in mesh or wooden crate rather than a bagStoring root vegetables cool and humidSwelling a loose wooden handle in water to tighten the metal shankTell light and dark germinators apart when sowingThin twigs as the base layer of a compost heapUse a PET bottle with holes in the cap as an upside-down watering deviceWater only when the top layer of soil has dried outWater the lawn deeply and infrequently because roots are shallowWatering wick from cotton or real wool for vacationsWillow water as a rooting aid for cuttingsWinterising garden tools in the off-season