Nearly everyone has that rack of spices sitting in the pantry, full of a wild variety of flavorings that, for whatever reason, never get used and take up space.
Well, Garden of Nash (@gardenofnash) has a message for perpetually unchanging spice racks across the country.
Garden of Nash dropped a TikTok video that not only provides everyone with an excuse to clean off their spice rack, but also offers an exciting and very useful alternative to tossing them in the trash.
“I needed to see this,” said one viewer, and it is indeed useful.
@gardenofnash Old spices for the win! We made natural bug repellant and pesticide out of pepper, ginger, and cinnamon spices. #gardening ♬ Chill Kitty (Lofi) – The Machinist Beats
The scoop
Garden of Nash mixes a variety of spices (in this case, black pepper, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and ground ginger) into a standard planting pot with drain holes in the bottom.
The holes allow Dr. Nashlie to walk around the perimeter of the garden and throughout, sprinkling the spices, without wasting too much in a single area. A drain pan helps with transport, taking the pot from inside to outside without spilling.
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How it’s helping
Piperine is the natural pest repellent found in black pepper, and it has insecticidal and repellent properties that drive away ants, many species of moths and beetles, and mosquito larvae, according to research published in the journal Parasites & Vectors.
Cinnamon, ginger, and garlic also share pest repellent properties with piperine. No one likes to waste their money, and spices that no longer hold value as fresh flavor enhancers still have a productive use.
It also saves money on gardening in general, maintaining the health of the plants, allowing for a positive harvest, and avoiding the use of expensive and unhealthy chemical pesticides.
The physical and mental health benefits of gardening or growing your own food are extensive, and the use of old, forgotten spices sitting in the back of the cabinet makes it all the more productive for everyone.
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Even better, there is evidence that cinnamon can prevent or control weeds through its essential oil or extract variations, according to research shared in the journal Molecules.
Not exactly the same as emptying the old spices off the rack, but helpful for avoiding herbicides as well.
What everyone’s saying
One piece that gets lost in the mix of pesticide and herbicide usefulness is the efficacy of spices in deterring dogs and cats, as well as a few other animals that might find something tasty in your garden.
One comment highlights the animal-deterrent power of adding spices to a garden: “It will help keep cats out of your garden as well if anyone has trouble with neighborhood cats using your beds as litter boxes!”
Many others agreed wholeheartedly, recommending the same: “This is a great idea, using old spices in your pantry as an organic pesticide.”
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