If you’ve only been using aluminum foil to wrap food for all these years, then you’ve been missing out! Aluminum foil has so many uses in the kitchen and home but do you know it is also useful in the garden?
Check out the 7 best Aluminum Foil Uses in the garden!
Disposable Dispenser for Solutions
The fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides are a pricey investment on the part of every gardener. Whatever be their exact use, they certainly don’t come cheap, and hence cannot be wasted. A homemade funnel can be effectively used to pour the garden solution back to its original bottle and reduce the mess in the process. This funnel can be made by using a sheet of aluminum foil, rolled up into a cone and filled with the solution. No mess, no waste, and no hassle! Visit Lifehacker to see this DIY!
Resist Deer
Protecting your garden with a fence is not enough sometimes; their long svelte legs give them enough momentum to leap over fences. A thin strip of aluminum foil might just be your solution if you face this problem! Just wrap the bases of the shrubs and saplings with aluminum foil. It’s important to note that the foil must be at least 2-2.5 feet high (or your waist length) since deer are very much adept at grazing on plants shorter than their height.
Make a Sun Box to Incubate Seedlings
One of the most interesting aluminum foil uses in gardening is making a convenient sun box that helps reflect sunlight and encourage the effective growth of seedlings by providing warmth and more sun reflection. Find a cardboard box or a shoebox and line all of its sides from inside with aluminum foil. It should extend two inches beyond the top and sides. Use tape or glue, if needed to ensure the foil stays in place. Now, poke small holes for drainage along the bottom side of the box and put your seed pots in it.
Scare Birds
Birds are naturally terrified of shiny, noisy things, so if you are afraid of getting your fruits of labor ransacked by the seasonal parakeets, just tie a few strips of aluminum foil from the branches of the tree, and if possible, do stick a pair of scary eyes on the strips for guaranteed success (for fun too).
Protect Trees from Rodents in Winter
Voles, mice, and rabbits cause extreme destruction to trees and shrubs. These pests cause subsurface damage that poses a threat to the health of the plant and also reduces their potential for future growth. In order to safeguard your trees in winter, use aluminum foil. Actually, the feel of aluminum foil scares the rodents away and prevent them from sliding through it. You can also use it at home, see here!
Measure the base of the tree trunk, and tear adequate sizes of foil sheets. Take two layers of foil and wrap them around the trunk for protection. Press the foil against the trunk so that it adheres well. It is advisable to go layer by layer- first work your way upward with one sheet of tinfoil, and then go on to add the next layer, starting from the base of the tree.
Keep Slugs & Pests Away
To keep small insects like slugs and bugs at bay, use foil for mulching. Simply lay sheets of new or used aluminum foil around the base of your plants. To keep it from blowing in the wind, hold the corners down with some dirt or small stones. Alternatively, you can mix mulch with foil strips in a wheelbarrow and then scatter the mulch evenly around your plants.
According to Florida State Horticultural Society, this conserves moisture in the soil, reduce soil temperature and prevent weed growth too. And of course, the reflective mulch also repels pests and insects.
Confuse Squash Vine Borers
Vine borers have a tendency to lay eggs on certain parts of the plant that are maximally vulnerable, such as leaf undersides, stems, and base of the flowers. It is possible to prevent colonization of female vine borers by wrapping wide collar of aluminum foil at the plant’s base or lower stems early in the season. This will confuse the vine borers and they will lay eggs on aluminum foil. If you want to learn more ideas to get rid of vine borers, visit University of Maryland’s website!
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Source:balconygardenweb.com
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