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Gardening is an age - old drill and is therefore filled withancient wisdomand mythologic legends . Whether you ’re a mollify green thumb or a budding gardener , it ’s easy to come down for these kinky bits of horticulture lore , sprinkled munificently throughout books , blogs , and neighborly advice . After all , if it worked for Grandma , it ’ll work for us , right ? Not always .
Join us as we unscramble ten of the most flakey horticulture myths and freestanding fact from fiction . So , put on your gardening mitt and get ready to dig in .
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1. Bury Rusty Nails to Improve Soil Quality
This myth seems to have emerged from a introductory understanding of chemistry . Iron is an essential plant nutrient , so why not add iron to yoursoilvia some old nail ?
Yes , plants need smoothing iron , and yes , nail rust because iron reacts with atomic number 8 . However , the resulting atomic number 26 oxide , also know as rust fungus , is n’t in a anatomy plants can readily suck up . Iron needs to be in a soluble form for plants to take it up from the dirt . iI your plants are displaying sign of the zodiac of smoothing iron lack , consider summate compost or a particularly formulated iron - racy fertiliser to your grease .
2. Human Hair Deters Pests
In an age - former attempt to cohabitate peacefully with nature , some gardeners began to appear for humane ways to deter wildlife from their precious plants . The idea was bare : by scattering clippings of human hair around their gardens , they hop the flavour would mimic human presence and frighten off critters likedeerand rabbits , restrain their gardens secure .
It turns out there ’s a strand of true statement to this one . Some gardeners cover success using human hair as a deterrent , with the theory being that the aroma of humans can avail keep sure wildlife at bay tree . Not to mention , as hair decomposes , it actually releases full of life nutrient into the soil .
3. Talk to Your Plants to Help them Grow
This myth in all likelihood originated as a piece of poetical anthropomorphism , a amatory idea that our leafy familiar respond to our representative and mien , thriving on the phone of human conversation .
While it might vocalise jolly wacky , it turns out there ’s some truth to this one … for char at least . In a riveting experiment by theRoyal Horticultural Society , it was get a line that a woman ’s voice can give a important boost to plant outgrowth — especially tomatoes . This intriguing study found thattomato plantslistening to the voice of women develop 1 to 2 inches taller than those exposed to human ’s voices . Most likely , plants are responding to the shakiness from outspoken phone . Whatever the reason , talking to plants certainly does n’t injure them or you .
4. Bury Banana Peels to Help Roses Thrive
banana are a nutritional power plant , and it seems that their peels , which are often overlooked , have been recognized by gardeners as a strong secret weapon . High in atomic number 19 — an essential nutrient thatroseslove — banana skin are often touted as an eco - favorable and affordable solution for robust , bloom roses .
While banana tree peel do contain good amount of potassium , Lucifer , and other nutrients , burying them near your rosebush is n’t the most effective way to promote plant wellness . A better coming is to use a balanced rose fertilizer that contains all the necessary nutrient in the right proportions — and just add banana peels to your compost pile .
5. Nothing Grows Under a Walnut Tree
Walnut trees have long been accused of harboring a secret arm to eliminate competition — juglone , a chemical that can stamp down growth in certain other plants . This has lead to the pervasive myth that nothing arise under awalnut Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
It turn out this is at least partially true . Some plants wo n’t be able to thrive under a walnut tree tree , and some may buy the farm altogether . However , PennState Extension publishes anextensive listof flora tolerant of juglone .
6. Pee on Your Lemon Tree
The human beings of gardening advice can sometimes get a bit , well , personal . One such myth evoke that take a leak on your maize tree could be the closed book to its wellness . This come from the fact that urine is mellow in nitrogen , phosphorus , and K — all of which are essential plant nutrients .
Human urine can indeed be a cheap , eco - favorable fertilizer , supply it ’s used correctly . While urine is generally aseptic , ensure that the mortal contributing is n’t ill or taking medications that could touch on the plants . However , there are plenty oforganic fertilizersthat can do the trick or else . If you settle to try this one , stick to once a workweek — too much of a good affair can quickly turn bad !
7. Beer Will Help Your Lawn Grow
This myth bubbles up from the opinion that the sugars and yeast in beer can feed your lawn , advance riotous gullible growth . It ’s an likeable thinking : relish a cold one while at the same time like for your garden . It ’s almost too good to be true , right ?
Alas , as appealing as the myth might be , beer is not a magic potion for a beautiful lawn . While it ’s improbable to harm smoke , it wo n’t importantly help ontogenesis either . The trace amounts of nutrients in beer do n’t liken to those in particularly formulatedlawn fertilizers .
8. Coffee Grounds Acidify Soil
Coffee lovers , this one ’s for you . It ’s well know that java is acidulous , so it ’s easy to make the leap and assume that used coffee grounds must be too . The myth suggest that these grounds could be a bully way to acidify stain for plants that opt a lower pH , like azaleas or blueberry .
But it turns out this myth is false . While coffee is indeed acidic , by the metre those grounds have been brew , most of the Elvis has been leached out , leave the footing nigh electroneutral in pH. However , that does n’t think of yourcoffee groundsare destined for the landfill . Used java grounds can be a fantastic addition to your compost pile or garden in other ways . They are copious in organic material , which meliorate soil social system , enhance water system retention , and supports a healthy population of good microorganisms .
9. Plant Potatoes on Good Friday
This old folks feeling likely stem from the timing of Good Friday , which often co-occur with the start of the planting time of year in many regions . It is true thatpotatoesshould be planted in the spring . However , the good sentence to imbed potatoes — or any other crop — bet on local climate conditions and the specific needs of the plant , not a date on the calendar .
10. Adding Sugar to Soil will Make Tomatoes Taste Sweeter
Who does n’t require a gratifying , juicy tomato fresh from the vine ? In the pursuance for the perfect Lycopersicon esculentum , some gardeners swear by the idea of adding sugar to the soil . The mentation is that the add sweetness in the grime will translate directly to a cherubic fruit .
While it ’s a wizardly idea , the sweetness of tomatoes is not determined by the soil ’s saccharide capacity . The truthful author of sweetness in tomatoes are the plant life ’s genetic science and the photosynthesis cognitive operation . Each miscellany of tomato has an inherent level of sweet . Certain type are naturally sweeter than others , thanks to their genetical makeup . And the plant ’s photosynthesis process — whereby it uses sunlight to commute weewee and carbon dioxide into glucose , the sugar that fuels works growth — is the tangible epitope of the sugar degree in your tomato plant .
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
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We ’ll help oneself you set up your first garden — whether that ’s a few gage on your patio , a provoke bed , or an in - solid ground plot out back — and select the right plants for your soil and realm .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
