These simple yet often overlooked gardening tips make gardening easier, safer, and more efficient. From pulling weeds at the right time to outsmarting invasives, these practical tips can save you time and effort.
Also see 7 Cheap (But Smart) Tips to Create Your Dream Garden for ways to grow what you want on a modest budget.
Simple Garden Tips
These simple garden tips won’t transform your life, but they can make your time in the garden a little easier—and sometimes safer.
Take a look and let me know if you have any to add.
They’re all little things that make life in the garden a little more enjoyable.
1Keep extra sunscreen by your garden gloves.
Keeping sunscreen near your gloves is a good reminder to apply it before gardening and to reapply it as the day goes by.
Bonus if you keep a big, protective hat handy too.
2Wear a mask and gloves while handling potting mix.
Potting mix can release fine particles and spores that may be harmful when inhaled. I know some gardeners do not like wearing gloves but at least protect your lungs with a mask.
These N95 masks are a good option.
3Write your plant tags before you plant.
It’s much easier to prepare plant tags or markers while your hands are clean and dry rather than scrambling at planting time. Plus, they’ll look nicer.
I learned a long time ago that “I’ll remember what I planted” is garden folklore. For this reason, it’s very nice to have planting notes ready and tags (like these ones) prepared in advance.
4Use Google Lens to identify plants.
While there are numerous plant ID apps, Google Lens (free) often does a good job identifying plants. Use it on your phone in the garden or snap photos to identify later.
For best success, don’t just photograph buds and flowers but also the basic size and structure of the plant including stems and leaves. Those details are often key for identifying different plant species.
5Pull weeds after it rains.
Not only is it much easier to pull weeds after it rains but you’re more likely to remove the entire root. And if you don’t, well, you’ll be pulling that same weed again in no time at all.
6Understand how each invasive species spreads to effectively remove it.
It can be very difficult to remove invasive plants. The best secret I know is to beat them at their own game. First, identify the species, then find out how it spreads. Once you know its method, you can better understand how to stop it.
For example, if the plant spreads by seed, the first line of defense is to remove any flowers before they turn to seed.
If a plant spreads by runners, you likely have a lot of careful digging in your future.
And do check with your local conservation authority for their best tips.
7Chop and drop for instant mulch.
Instead of bagging up garden clippings or carting them to a yard waste pile, chop them up and leave them on the soil a.k.a. “chop and drop.” Instant, free mulch! The clippings help retain moisture, suppress weeds, and return nutrients to the soil as they break down.
My only exception is anything invasive I don’t want to spread. Otherwise, it’s such a time saver to just let things decompose in place.
8Add water to potting mix before you plant.
Dry potting mix is hydrophobic and fluffy. Add water first, letting it sink down, to get the volume right before adding your plants.
Curious if it’s ok to reuse potting mix? Generally, yes, but read this first.
9Use sticky tape to hand-pick pests.
When removing pests like cucumber beetles as their devouring your crop, wrap some duct tape around your fingers with the sticky side out and use that to grab them. It prevents them from falling to the ground and coming back for revenge.
10Keep soap, a nail brush, and a towel by your outdoor faucet.
Is it not one of life’s great mysteries that even gloved hands get dirty in the garden?
I used to think this tip was silly, but washing outdoors really does help prevent garden dirt from getting into the house. Now I make it a habit to hang up my gloves (upside down to dry) and scrub my hands before going inside. Bonus if you add a little mirror. And cheers for no more grubby paw marks on door handles!
If you have a favorite simple tip to share, leave it in the comments.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
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