A gardener has found a simple hack to grow a nearly endless supply of strawberries using something you might already have lying around your house.
The scoop
TikToker Torri (@torriangardens) shares their tips and tricks for the home and garden with nearly 60,000 followers.
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Instead of using garden staples to hold down the stolons, or runners, on their strawberry plants, Torri uses bobby pins. They explain that the mother plant reproduces by sending out long shoots, called runners, which reproduce to create new strawberry plants.
You should cut off the runners if you want the mother plant to focus on growing strawberries, but if you want to have an ever-expanding strawberry patch, you can let the runners grow.
The poster then shows how to use bobby pins to direct and pin the runners down into the soil. Lay the runners out in whichever direction you’d like to help them create more new plants.
And that, as they call it, is “the infinite strawberry glitch.”
How it’s helping
Growing your own strawberries could save you money by avoiding buying strawberries in the grocery store.
The USDA Economic Research Service found that “in 2023, the average retail price for fresh strawberries was $3.80 per pound.” In addition to saving money, gardening has great benefits for your mental health. The Mayo Clinic explains that gardening “has been shown to lighten mood and lower levels of stress and anxiety.”
According to Rutgers, “About one-third of the United States’ population, or 117 million people, participates in gardening, making it second in popularity only to walking.” The article discussed the many health benefits of gardening, from getting moderate physical activity to providing fresh produce right at home. The study also notes that people who garden tend to eat more fruits and vegetables as part of a nutritious diet.
One BBC article discusses the benefits of gardening for living a longer and healthier life.
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Gardening is now being used in some countries to stave off dementia, strengthen cognitive ability, and improve communication and social interaction. “Research shows gardening preserves cognitive function, helping you live well for longer,” according to the outlet.
What everyone’s saying
Several followers commented that they also use bobby pins to help propagate their strawberry plants.
One user said, “It’s cheaper and smaller to use poppy pins.”
Another person was ready to join in on the hack, saying, “Let me go get my bobby pins right now!”
Someone else simply added, “Definitely using this tip.”
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