I’m a gardening pro & never throw away kitchen sponges – they are worth gold when it comes to your plants, here’s how
A GARDENING professional has revealed a surprising hack which will save you from spending a fortune on products for healthy plants.
They claim the trick which is “perfect” for your home and garden plants growth.
They also explained how the dishwasher sponge gardening hack is also a surprising watering tip too.
The surprising hack account, which goes by the name of Simple & Fast on YouTube, has urged people to not throw away their dishwashing sponges.
They said the 57p kitchen product is “worth pure gold on your plants.”
Talking about every time someone throws them away, the gardening pro said: “We don’t know that what we are doing is wasting a powerful ally for our plants, our garden and our pots.”
A dishwashing sponge can take many years to decompose which is not good for the environment.
Disinfect the sponge
The first step is to let the sponge rest in water with a “little bit of soap” for one hour.
The gardening pro added: “These sponges are incredibly useful for all kinds of plants.
both for pots that we have outside and for indoor plants.
“Also, if we want to have vegetables and greens at home grown in pots.”
Cut the sponge into very small pieces
With a pair of scissors, cut the dishwasher sponge into very small pieces
The gardening pro added: “Once we have all our sponge cut, we are going to start using it to benefit the soil of our pots and plants.
“and we are going to use the sponge to fill one of these pots.
“either because we want to transplant a plant or because we want to sow something that we already have.
“and it is that the most incredible use that we can give to our used sponge is to mix it with the earth.”
Mix the piece with mud
Mix the small pieces of sponge into the base of the plant pot along with mud.
The gardening pro said: “What happens is that they have already begun to absorb the nutrients from the soil itself and the moisture from the soil that I have added to the bucket.
“Now we are going to transport our pot.”
The gardening professional explained that sponges will help keep the plants moist and the water will last much longer.
They explained that it is perfect for plants that dry out quickly, or if you have to go away on a trip and want to make sure they are kept well watered.
Genius idea! Why on earth didn’t I know this before?
Gardening fan
The gardening professional even claims that the fertiliser will last much longer as the sponge will be in “charge of dosing the fertiliser little by little.”
They added: “We will not have to worry because the earth will always have the right amount of moisture and adequate water and that’s thanks to the sponge.”
Simple & Fast, has over 459k subscribers, with thousands often tuning in to watch their life hacks.
This video has attracted over 19k likes, and over two Million views.
Over a thousand people also rushed to the comments section to share their thoughts.
One wrote: “ I love tips like this, have always been a recycle nut, just ask my elderly clients!!
“I started in the 1970’s, after a commercial showing an Indian brave crying, looking at garbage everywhere. I am 60 now.
“Please, everyone, at least recycle, cleaning of our rivers is starting, let’s all help, by just recycling.”
Another added: “Genius idea! Why on earth didn’t I know this before?”
However, some were concerned with the advice, especially for plants that people were planning to eat.
The Sun's Gardening expert top bargain buys
Veronica Lorraine says:
“French company Germie’s sustainable seed starting kit looks like honeycomb, is made of recycled plastic, and provides up to 41 compact pods for seeds, which can be used multiple times. From £17
“Bird feed brand Peckish has launched a £2.49 Coco-Not feeder, which looks just like a coconut but is 100 percent plant-made, so has none of the terrible airmiles
“Feverfew designs gloves just for women – which come in four different sizes, cost £22.95, have padded touchscreen fingertips, and are incredibly comfortable.
“Niwaki has bought out a new, longer, but still lethally sharp and surprisingly lightweight £48 Golden Spade – utterly invaluable for the taller gardener.”
One warned: “I would be very careful not to use this in anything you plan to eat, like herbs and things because of the plastic from the sponges getting into the food.
“As that’s usually why people grow their own veg/fruit/herbs is to avoid the nasties like microplastics and pesticides etc.
“But it looks like a good idea for normal house plants.
“I just put a layer of stones like gravel in the bottom of the pot.
“I think it works well for drainage, as well as stopping the soil coming out the holes in the bottom of the pot.”
Others gave their gardening tricks too.
One wrote: “A trick I use when potting a plant is to use the original pot to make a space in the new pot.
“Put a layer of soil in the new pot. Take the plant and root ball out of the original pot.
“Place the old pot inside the new pot and fill it with soil.
“Take out the old pot and you now have a perfect space to replant the root ball, after a bit of teasing. Firm in the plant and water.”