With spring officially upon, this common household item could become a lifesaver for those wanting to tackle the garden
One kitchen staple will help you transform your garden this spring.(Image: Getty Images)
Following a miserable and cold winter, many Brits are looking forward to getting back outside in their gardens to enjoy the longer days and warmer weather. After spending months indoors, many people can’t wait to host garden parties for friends and family, or to just simply sit outside with their morning cuppa.
However, before any of this is possible, the majority of households will have a big task on their hands – sorting out the garden. Having been neglected over the winter season, our outside spaces are likely in need of some TLC to bring the plants, lawn and flowers back to life.
While some garden lovers will have already created a list of tasks to be completed, others will be stumped on even where to begin. For those wanting to tackle more than just mowing the lawn this year, an gardening expert has taken to social media to share some handy hints and tips to get new gardeners started.
Known as Gardening with Ish on TikTok, he currently has over 133,200 followers on the platform. Along with sharing advice on helping plants flourish, how to make gardens pet friendly and his personal pet peeves, he highlighted one kitchen item that can be used to tackle a variety of jobs around the garden.
In order to help save households from spending a large sum of money on different sprays and gardening solutions, Ish claims that a simple bottle of white vinegar can be just as effective. Priced at only 35p at Tesco for a 568ml bottle, this household staple could leave your garden flourish and pest free.
White vinegar is great for both gardening and cleaning.(Image: Getty Images)
Gardening tasks that can tackled with white vinegar1. Pests
Ish’s first tip is that white vinegar is great for repelling unwanted guests, such as ants, mealybugs and even cats. He said: “What you want to do is take a spray bottle and fill 50/50 white vinegar and water, and spray around the edges of the borders.”
The smell of this mixture should destroy the pheromone smell, which should distract ants and mealybugs, forcing them to look elsewhere. On top of this, he claims that cats detest the smell. However, he does warn that gardeners do not want to spray directly on the plants.
A simple spray of this solution should therefore keep bugs and cats away from your borders and keep your garden bright and colourful.
2. Weeds
White vinegar is also able to help kill weeds in your garden. This is due to the acidity being able to burn leaves on the plants on contact. After using the simple at-home spray, gardeners should be able to see results in just a couple of hours.
For those who struggle with weeds growing between the slab on your patio, you may want to follow Ish’s spray recipe.
He states: “Simply take an old spray bottle, rinse it out, add a tablespoon or two worth of salt, and then a drop of washing up liquid. Then top the rest up with your white vinegar. This makes your very own weed spray. Spray directly onto the foliage and watch the results in a matter of hours.”
Content cannot be displayed without consent3. Gardening tools
Now while we have left our gardens to fend for themselves over the past fews months, the same can be said for our gardening tools. Whether they were accidentally left outside or is a damp shed, these tools may have developed rust over time.
However, this does not mean you have to throw gardening equipment out as white vinegar can be used to break down the rust and leave them looking brand new.
Ish said: “If you have accidentally left some of your gardening tools out in the rain, don’t worry. Whilst they have got a little bit rusty, simply pop them in a jug of white vinegar and leave overnight. This will help break down the rust and get them looking as good as new.”
4. Plant fungal infections
White vinegar can also help fungal infections and powdery mildew on your plants. Simply mix in under a tablespoon white vinegar per one litre of water and spray this onto the plant. This will help disrupt the pH of the fungal infection, making the plant inhospitable.
However, Ish warns: “Only do it once a week and not too much because too much vinegar is not great for your plants.”
On top of these hacks, the gardening expert also added that white vinegar can be used to help repel fruit flies and bugs, as well adding a little bit to your water can help make cut flowers more fresh.
Comments are closed.