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The Sun
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Burying a £1 Tesco buy in your soil will save your plants from being suffocated by July's heavy rain showers
BETWEEN bouts of heatwaves the unpredictable weather has brought us heavy rain showers. If you're worried about the impact on your flowerbeds, a simple trick can help. Rain showers can cause the soil in your garden to become drenched, potentially drowning your plants. If you want to prevent your plant's roots from becoming suffocated in the water, burying a household item in your soil can help protect them. According to the gardening experts at you should place used matchsticks in your garden soil this summer. With heavy rain showers interrupting the otherwise sweltering summer, gardeners are being advised on the best ways to look after their plants. Handy hack 'Everybody loves a hack, especially one that saves money," said a spokesperson for "Putting these common household items to use in your garden could help to solve any issues you're having whilst saving you money as well.' One of their top recommendations involves the benefits of matchsticks for your soil. By burying used matchsticks head-down in your soil, you can help to promote plant growth due to the small amounts of phosphorus. A small level of oxidised phosphorus can help to boost root development. And the charred wood from the burned matchsticks is also somewhat porous and can help to aerate your soil. When mixed into soil, matchsticks can reduce compaction and help water drain more easily. This in turn helps to prevent waterlogging and root suffocation. And you can pick up a box of matches for just £1 from Tesco. Other issues Constant rain can also cause root rot, decaying them and turning them black, mushy, or smelly. Nutrient leaching, soil compaction, root exposure, and displacement can also result from too much water. And if you use planters and pots in your garden, make sure to opt for ones with drainage holes. More on gardening hacks A handy trick can help to transform the yellow patches on your lawn this summer. A budget-friendly step will keep your grass looking greener than ever throughout the year. Plus, a mowing hack that gardeners swear by for keeping your grass looking lush. And make sure to avoid a common gardening mistake that could be damaging your lawn. Another budget buy will leave your lawn looking healthier than ever in a matter of days. 2
Tom's Guide
19-07-2025
- General
- Tom's Guide
People are sprinkling used coffee grounds outside their front door this summer, and it makes more sense than you think
Summer is really hitting its stride, but with the sunny weather comes unwanted pests, and the most pervasive of these can be ants. Ants travel far and wide in search of food, and they famously spread the word when they hit gold. So all it takes is an open door or some alfresco dining for ants to swarm your home, and getting rid of them can be a nuisance. If this sounds all too relatable, you may have searched online for the best ways to keep ants away. Many of these techniques involve chemical deterrents, but seeing as ants are largely annoying instead of harmful, it's a shame to kill these garden helpers in their tracks. And according to you don't need to. All you need is some kitchen waste. And if you're anything like me, you'll have an abundance of it going spare in your home. You might think ants would love coffee grounds, considering these crumbs are the perfect size for ants to carry, and surely offer some nutritional value. However, sprinkling some coffee grounds outside your front door, or around whichever entrance the ants have found to your home, will actually act as a natural deterrent. Why do ants hate coffee grounds? According to GardenBuildingsDirect, they don't like the smell. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. This also applies to vinegar, which experts say you can spray outside your home as an ant deterrent. "Ants dislike strong scents, and it disrupts their trails, making it harder to find food," explains the site. There's a second reason why ants hate coffee, and it's about the texture of the grounds. "Ants don't like the smell and acidity of coffee grounds, and they don't like the feeling of them underfoot." According to "Research shows that caffeine is effective in repelling slugs and snails when applied to foliage or the growing medium of plants. This is because of the naturally abrasive properties of coffee: soft critters tend to avoid rough surfaces." So it's not just ants that will avoid your coffee grounds, but also slugs and snails. To keep pests at bay, simply "create a barrier by sprinkling them around entry points and replace regularly." However, be aware that "once they dry, they become less effective". I'll be taking my used grounds straight from my knock box to my front yard to make the most of the residual moisture, but you could also add some water to re-hydrate grounds and get more use from them.
