Turn Pink Hydrangeas Blue with Vinegar
Unlike baking soda, distilled white vinegar is acidic, and acidic soil is the secret to turning your pink hydrangeas blue. (Note: This doesn’t work on white hydrangeas.) Vinegar also enhances the soil of acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons and gardenias. Use a cup of white distilled vinegar to a gallon of tap water. CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE Hydrangea Care & Planting – How to Grow Hydrangea Flowers
Say Goodbye to Beetles with Dish Soap
My biggest complaint with Japanese beetles is how they can quickly turn beautiful zinnia leaves into lacy remnants of their former selves. They also decimate over 300 other types of garden plants. Unfortunately, the best way to get rid of them is to hand-pick them off your plants…and drown them in a mixture of water and dishwashing soap. Sorry…not sorry….we’re talking zinnias here! For your own safety
Attract Earthworms with Coffee Grounds
Adding coffee grounds to your soil benefits your soil by attracting earthworms and microorganisms (both of which make your soil healthier and more fertile). But note: fresh coffee grounds are acidic, whereas used coffee grounds are neutral. If you are enhancing the soil of an alkaline-soil loving plant (such as geraniums or sweet tomatoes), then used coffee grounds are the way to go.
Keep Weeds Out With Cornmeal
Ditch chemical weedkillers and opt for an all-natural solution instead. Cornmeal, aka that stuff you use in cornbread, or more specifically corn gluten meal (CGM) is great for killing weeds—but only if they haven’t germinated yet. It’s best to clear out the grown weeds first, then sprinkle corn gluten meal to kill the seeds—otherwise, you might accidentally provide the weeds with extra nutrients.
