You are proud of your garden, but every year you notice that your neighbors' tomatoes are redder and their zucchini are larger. What's the catch?
It turns out it's not just about seed varieties or luck. There are little tricks that work like magic.
For example, planting marigolds between the beds does more than just decorate the garden - these flowers secrete substances that suppress harmful nematodes in the soil. And if you water tomato seedlings with a weak milk solution, it will protect them from fungal diseases.
But the most unexpected life hack is “deceptive watering.” If you slightly reduce watering of root crops (carrots, beets) a week before harvesting, they will become sweeter, as the plant will begin to accumulate sugar in response to stress.
Try it and your neighbors will come to you for advice!
The secret to giant squash is music. It sounds strange, but studies show that low-frequency vibrations (for example, from working equipment) accelerate the growth of pumpkins.
Don't believe me? Place a speaker next to the bed and play classical music at medium volume for 2-3 hours a day. In a month, you will notice that the vines have become longer and there are more ovaries.
Another trick is the "friendship" of plants. Corn planted next to cucumbers will become a natural support for them, and basil growing at the foot of peppers will scare away aphids and give the fruits a piquant aroma.
But never plant potatoes next to tomatoes - they compete for nutrients and suffer from the same diseases.
Did you know that compost can be prepared in just one month?
Instead of waiting a year, mix organic waste with soil, add a handful of sugar and water with a yeast solution. Cover with black film and stir daily with a pitchfork. Bacteria will be activated, and the compost will “mature” in record time.
And don't throw away eggshells! Crush them and sprinkle them around the cabbage - this will protect against slugs and enrich the soil with calcium.
But the main secret of the neighbors is that they are not afraid to experiment. For example, they water the beds with fish broth.
It sounds crazy, but fish cleaning scraps soaked in water for a day are a storehouse of phosphorus and microelements. However, it is better to do such “aromatic” watering in the evening so that the smell disappears before morning.
And try "dyeing" the fruit. If you wrap growing apples in transparent bags with holes, they will ripen faster and be sweeter, since the greenhouse effect will increase photosynthesis.
Author: Igor Zur