My gardening technique can save you lots of time weeding – adding a sweet mulch reduces how much you need to water, too
A GARDENING expert has shared a technique that saves time on weeding.
A favorite gardening mulch of his also helps reduce how frequently he waters plants.
Pablo Quintero Restrepo (@UrbanBackyardGardening), a gardening YouTuber, shared his tips and tricks with The U.S. Sun.
Restrepo divulged his go-to techniques that save him time and money.
“There is a technique that I really like, and if done properly, it can save you lots of time weeding; this technique is called “No Dig” gardening and is taught a lot by Charles Dowding on his YouTube channel, a great Youtuber for experts and beginners,” he said.
“In a nutshell, “No Dig” enriches the soil without disturbing it and reduces labor and weeds by using compost spread on top of the soil,” he explained.
“Also, use cardboard before adding the compost as it suppresses weeds in the garden bed, reducing the amount of work you may have to do.”
The pro encouraged novice gardeners to save their food waste for compost, a sustainable and free practice that adds nutrients back to the soil.
“I try to create as much homemade compost [as possible] by composting all the kitchen scraps throughout the year,” he said.
“I have two compost bins, which are very helpful. [A] fun fact is that none of the kitchen scraps goes to the [trash] bin, which is apparently very helpful to the planet.”
On top of his homemade compost, Restrepo shared his favorite sources of nutrients for his plants.
“If needed, I feed my soil with blood and bone [meal] fertilizer, organic dynamic lifter, and/or rock mineral as they are great to replace all the nutrients the soil needs,” he said.
“Also, burying food scraps in the soil has helped me with improving the soil in the past; just make sure they are well buried and [have] at least [12 inches] of soil on top of it.
Restrepo uses organic cane mulch to suppress weeds, creating a protective blanket over his soil.
“It will retain moisture, reducing the amount of water you will use and providing valuable nutrients as it decomposes with time,” he explained.
To further keep weeds at bay, the gardener concocts homemade natural pesticides, including an effective mix of water, soap, vegetable oil, and baking soda.
Are there common gardening mistakes you'd warn people about?
Restrepo explained that while making mistakes is “part of every gardener’s journey,” a few can be easily avoided.
“One of the most common mistakes for beginners is planting in the wrong season,” he said.
“If you live in a zone of the world where there are seasons, then you will have to look at what vegetables can be planted at the specific month that you are at; if there are no seasons, then you will have to check what can be grown locally.”
“Another common mistake is not preparing the soil with adequate nutrients,” he added.
“People will plant in any soil hoping that everything grows well, and unfortunately, a few months later, the results will be very poor, leaving them disheartened and not wanting to keep on growing vegetables.
“They have to realize that soil is a living system, and the system requires nutrients so it can provide [them] to the plants. Feed the soil, and the soil will feed your plants.”
“You can also create a few more by extracting a food’s specific repellent properties by making a tea and then diluting it with water,” he added.
“I also like to use cardboard to cover a specific part of the garden and let it sit on the soil until I am ready to plant.
“Weeds will be weak or nonexistent depending on how long the cardboard has been sitting there for.”