3 Store Cupboard Ingredients That Are Great For Your Garden

~ Everyone has a cupboard in their kitchen that is full of different ingredients. We have things to use for baking and cooking that stay there for months or years. A well-stocked store cupboard can save you when you need to rustle up something to eat, but did you know it may also be a garden saviour? 

Believe it or not but there are some great store cupboard ingredients you can utilise to enhance in your garden.

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Baking Soda

It feels as though any post talking about household hacks will include baking soda. It’s arguably the most versatile ingredient in your store cupboard, but it does much more than help you bake cakes or clean things around the home. 

Did you know that sprinkling some baking soda on your soil will help you grow a variety of flowers? Certain plants, like geraniums, need alkaline soil to grow. Baking soda is alkaline, meaning it reduces the acidity of your soil and creates the perfect conditions for some plants. If you need to plant anything in alkaline soil, this is a great ingredient to have handy.

 

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Molasses

Molasses is an ingredient avid bakers will have handy for many years. It’s a really dark and thick substance that’s basically the by-product of sugar. Primarily, it adds sweetness to your bakes and can also be added to some alcoholic beverages. 

However, garden molasses is a popular thing that lots of gardeners are using. Because molasses contains organic matter, it will improve the soil structure in your garden, allowing plants to grow a lot more quicker. Plus, it acts as a natural pesticide to keep annoyances away without relying on harmful chemicals. 

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Coffee Grounds

Most people will have ground coffee in their kitchen cupboard at some point. If you’re an avid caffeine drinker, you’ll have a cup of coffee every morning before work. Instead of throwing away your used grounds, why don’t you put them in your garden? I certianly do. I add it directly to any outside plant soil.

Coffee grounds can be used in composting to add nitrogen to your organic compost. Moreover, you can also use them as a fertilizer for some plants. Adding more organic matter to your soil will attract microorganisms like worms and other creatures to help the plants grow nicely and healthily. It’s worth pointing out that raw coffee grounds are more acidic than used ones. So, if you are looking to add more acidity to your soil, add the coffee before you cook it. Cooking removes the acidity and neutralises the coffee. 

Isn’t it funny how these common store cupboard ingredients find other uses outside of the kitchen? You have probably had all of these ingredients in your home at one point or another, yet never considered using them in the garden. Well, perhaps now is the time to try something different and experiment with store cupboard items. While you’re at it, take a look at anything else you have in your kitchen. There are plenty of other ingredients that can be taken into the garden and put to use. 

Have an amazingly green day, my dear friends.

Luda@plantsandbeyond.com