Gardening hacks

With very little free time but love to everything that is green I built-up some gardening shortcut that make my life easier. Also as with most projects I set up, optimizing the cost is very important to me. It is like an extra level of difficulties that my brain enjoy!

So the web is already full of advices better that I can give in general for gardening, so my goal in this article is really to share specific key points with you.

#1 At Spring, pick-up the seeds from your favorites vegetable from the grocery.

Tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers seeds are easy to start. You don't even have to bother with cleaning and drying the seeds, simply spreads them in earth. Make sure it has enough sun, water and that your pot is well drained, that's it! Potatoes and onions peels are easy to germinate as well. There are also a lot of vegetables that can regrow, such as celery and shallots. I use to plant them in soil so that they get new minerals.

#2 Spinach and croissant plastic contents make awesome mini green houses!

Put a small amount of earth, seeds and water in them. Allow enough space for the plants to grow. Close the lid and put to the sun! This will save water and will get them started quicker with the temperature being nice and warm. When the plants are strong enough and the outside temperature warmer, either transplant into large pots or add earth to the content and create draining holes under the content and re-use the cover to collect the draining water if inside.

#3 When potting, don't be cheap on the amount of soil

Put as much soil as you can. Plants consume the soil and during hot days, the more earth you have, the more resistant will be your plants. I use to fill 90% with compost, wait a few days. This is in case there would be remaining traces of food that raccoon enjoy. If no raccoon mess after a few days, I plants and wait a few other days.When the plants grown a little bit, I add the extra 10% of missing soil with black soil for appearances and so that roots are really deep in soil. Also if you are to buy pots, ensure they are the deepest you can afford.

#4 Lawn mower tips

Even thus this may be trivial for some peoples, it seems it may not be the case for everyone. (At least in my neighborhood!) Use the "Rabbit" mode only when required! That can be during cold start, shredding and when mowing extra-dense lawn. Using "Turtle" mode will save you fuel, maintenance and noise!!! When collecting the branches, leafs or other plants, stack-up this on your driveway and mow it! Mix it up in your compost and it will disappear by magic! I recommend doing the small branches only and to shred them over the driveway otherwise the residues can damage the grass. On the driveway it is easier to clean up after. Be aware of the branches spinning off the mower, if needed wear safety glasses and ensure a certain safety radius.

#5 Space saving: Roof=Water heating/solar panel ok got it, how about the walls?

With small urban space, it is important to maximize the space. Walls have huge potential for gardening. That can be filled with suspended pots and vines. There are so many types of vine available. Some are decorative, other produces grapes, but do you know Hardy Kiwi? This type of vine is strong enough to live in zone 5 climate (Such as Montréal area). They are also perfect for lunch because they don't need to be peeled like their big brothers.

#6 Watering

Collect rain water and have it heated by the sun for free. Plants prefer tempered water. If you can't afford a huge container, let a few contents outside. It is also handy as you can pre-mix your fertilizer in them. Avoid putting water on the leaves, especially during sunny day.

#7 Plants a lot of fruits!

Fruits taste good and are good for the health, of course! But they are also perennials plants, make beautiful flowers and are very low maintenance! Avoid trimming grass on the side of the fences or the house by setting a nice any-berry hedge. Get shadow from fruits trees! Fill the wall with vines!

More tips to come eventually, until then feel free to post your tips!