My Cool Whip gardening trick is great for seeds that are finicky about sprouting, you won’t have damaged roots
ONE cheap food item isn’t just tasty, it can also serve as a gardening trick.
The tip is ideal for growing difficult seeds and even prevents root damage.
Redditor Usda-5b shared their easy hack for saving seeds.
“Many people germinate seeds in plastic bags lined with paper towel. It’s very common with seeds like ultra-hot peppers that can be somewhat finicky about sprouting,” they said.
“It makes it easy to control the heat, humidity, and responding quickly to mold or other problems,” they continued.
Still, they had their own desired method.
“Using a covered cup – or Cool Whip container – lined with paper towel and coffee filter has been more convenient for me,” they said.
“Roots don’t penetrate coffee filters like they do paper towels, so it minimizes the possibility of damaged roots.”
It seemed they had whipped up one valuable and affordable technique.
Target sells an eight-ounce container of Cool Whip for $2.19.
They also explained how they use paper towels underneath to retain moisture.
Those fussy plants can’t fool them.
As soon as they notice a root “poking out,” they plant them in a small pot.
“With peppers especially, the root digs in, the stem emerges upward, and then the seed leaves get pulled out of the seed case by the stem,” they said.
“If they aren’t deep enough, the seed case can get stuck on and kill the seedling,” they continued.
Their growing tip even worked for “questionable” seeds.
“Instead of devoting a bunch of pots to seed sprouting space, I can pick out and pot up the healthy seeds as they sprout,” they said.
“Bad seeds usually get moldy, and I remove them before they can affect the good seed.”
Others were eager to try out the treat for themselves.
“Thanks for the tips, especially with the coffee filter,” wrote one Redditor.
“Might have to try this for next year’s peppers – I’ve just been planting twice as many as I want and culling the weaklings this year,” they added.
“Next year, I plan to buy a heated propagator mat and some grow lighting to start everything off earlier.”
Easy gardening tips to save money, maximize space, and repel pests
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- Banana peels, vinegar, and coffee grounds are often recommended as natural fertilizers.
- Dollar Tree sells four packs of seeds for $1.25.
- Try a vertical planter like Amazon’s Mr. Stacky 5 Tier Stackable Planter, $35 to make more use of a small space.
- Use netting like the Garden Netting Pest Barrier, $8, from Amazon to keep away bugs that eat your vegetables.
- Try sacrificial planting to reduce the use of pesticides and keep pests away from your garden. Deliberately growing certain plants to attract agricultural pests can keep them away from the plants you want to protect. Examples include marigolds, lavender, catnip, and chives.
- For pesky weeds in your garden, the Grampa’s Weeder – The Original Stand-Up Weed Puller Tool with Long Handles, $45, from Amazon is a helpful tool you can use without having to bend over.