7 Incredible Gardening Hacks That ACTUALLY Work

When you've been in the game as long as I have, you see hundreds of phony "garden hacks" that are just simply ridiculous... but you also occasionally come across some that seem crazy, but actually work. See my favorite hacks in this video!

IN THIS VIDEO

SUPPORT EPIC GARDENING

LEARN MORE

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:20 - Air Layering
02:12 - Money Saving Hack Epic Deals
03:10 - Regrowing Kitchen Scraps
04:44 - Subterranean Planting
05:55 - Maximizing Your Dollar
07:49 - Overwintering
09:31 - Milk Carton Sweet Potatoes
10:38 - Grafting Tomatoes

DISCLAIMER

[FrozEnbyWolf]

I found that sweet potatoes don't really care what medium you use to root them, since it just has to retain water. I used woodchips instead of potting mix, and it worked just fine. All I did was sift the woodchips through a mesh, since I didn't want the large chunks.

[MrKoobuh]

When separating onion starts from a flat pack, a somewhat gentler (but messier) way to separate the roots is to soak the roots in a bucket of water, and separate them while swishing in water. If you're ham handed like me, you'll break far fewer roots. To plant, I push in moist soil straight down with a trowel, pull the soil to one side, gently place the roots down in the crack it opens, then pull the trowel out and firm the soil on the side I pulled the soil toward.

[jdean]

Are there bloopers of you just crouching behind a bed waiting for a scene to start? There've gotta be haha

[lawrenberghanson]

Fun tips!! The grafting tip reminded me of an alternative living documentary I recently watched about Baldassare Forestiere. He was a very epic gentleman from Sicily, Italy in the 1900s who moved to Fresno. There was a golden age of farming citrus at that time but was duped into buying hardpan land. However, he didn't let that stop him and took advantage of the hardpan and figured out how to grow his citrus trees. One of the things he did was graft 7 different kinds of citrus on one tree. Only two of the grafts are still present after his passing but the tree is over 100 years old. You can still see the large nubs where the grafts were and grew.

[bakedpt]

It's worth noting that marcotted (air layered) tree's usually have a shorter lifespan and are generally smaller - this can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on context - but otherwise a pretty useful way to propagate trees!

[glenncombs]

I vaguely remember doing the sweet potato milk carton hack in third grade. (Mrs. Hendel, Maywood elementary, South Seattle, 1970). Great memory!

[andralandi]

Those propagation spheres for air layering are an aesthetic game changer. I did air layering with some camellias last year using peat moss, plastic wrap, tape and aluminum foil. It worked, but it also looked like we were growing baked potatoes all season 😂😂😂

[puggirl]

Neat I'll keep air layering in mind. I do love to grow veggies that are sprouting rooting or otherwise don't get eaten in the garden. Another one that is good is to cut the bottom off of a celery and it will grow out of the center into a new plant with just water. I know some don't think celery is tasty or whatever negative experience they have. As a cook it is part of the mirapoix so I keep it in my garden for flavoring soups and stocks and other dishes. I hate to go and buy a celery just to use a few stalks so I like it in the garden.

[kbjerke]

I accidentally forgot about a sweet potato that I'd left in the laundry room. It had sprouted multiple impressive slips all on its own by the time I discovered it! Seems they don't really need any encouragement. Thanks for the video!

[gloriouslumi]

I've used cut up plastic straws and strips of nylon or ACE bandage to graft tomatoes. I've even used them to splint broken stems when I wait too long to provide support and they break in half 😱😱😱Just cut a slit in the straw to slip it around the cut area, and starting at one end wrap the plastic with a stretchy material. The slit and the material are both safeguards against constriction, though heavier tops may require more external support than just a clip or some plastic may require.

[adamkuras]

I have tried these air layering balls as well, I tried it on an olive tree branch and persimmon tree branch, the branches just died. He tried it on a fig tree branch, I believe this would work, as they are so easy to grow. In winter cut and put branches in a pot with potting mix or soil, keep the watered, when spring comes watch them grow.

[Chet_Thornbushel]

I’m overwintering a pepper for the first time this year. I bought a jalapenoXfish pepper hybrid at a local garden expo and it grew incredibly slow and it produced NO BLOOMS at all! I just couldn’t stand pulling it and tossing it to the compost when frost was imminent so I dug it up and have it in a window inside. I really hope I can get some fruit off it this upcoming year to see how they are! It seems like such a cool cross that I’ve gotta get something from it!

[Aurora_on_AT]

When grafting your tomatoes, If you cut above the first node, you can allow the original plant to have 1 main stem from the original type, and with the graft, you can grow the second kind. With some training you can get 2 varieties from the same plant. It will impact the yield, however, is an excellent space saver.
(You can do this with peppers too).

[smas]

Thank you Kevin.
Amazing experiences you bring to the table and an opportunity
for discussions in your community of subs. Also.
Comments on many other channels and from content creators rave about your products. Sales are on a grand scale. Thank you.

[julius_the_python]

I accidentally overwintered my Sugar Rush chili peppers. They were just pretty and I didn't want them to die so I brought them in and set them in front of my balcony door and some of the leaves started dying so I cut them back because they did have little suckers growing and I just wanted to see what would happen. Who knew this was a thing. Now I've got three giant Sugar Rush bushes in berlin!

[verleejenkins]

I have 3 eggplant, 2 peppers and 4 tomatoes overwintering in my window sill. Rather than using big ones this year, I used small cuttings. And thanks for the sweet tater hack! Love Botanical Interests, especially the extra seeds from both you and MI Gardener! I was born in San Diego but live in NW Arkansas now. God bless 🎉

[NicolaiAAA]

I tried the sweet potato one last year after seeing someone else do it and it worked beautifully. Unfortunately they got sick so I was only able to harvest from one - and those were essentially fingerling sweet potatoes. Tasted nice roasted though! I really do want to do the pepper overwintering next spring though. I have plenty of seeds, but I think the overwintering option would be faster, plus if I keep them in their respective pots then I have more garden space! I do like the overseeding for certain things too. Especially green onions!

[The-three-eyed-Prophet]

grafting tomatos has never worked for me so far but i give it a new tryy i also saw people grafting tomatos on a potato plant they call it a tomtato lol ...

[tannenbaumgirl]

Yes Kevin, I've been propagating trees with those blacks enclosures for 15 works, excellent method to propagate.

[stephaniegagnon]

I have been trying to grow my own food for a couple years now. One I live were the UV gets to 11... so it’s been a crazy learning curve. Anyways the point I’m trying to make is this is the year I’m getting to start my raise bed gardens. I like your front yard and want something similar, I like those containers because I can add as I get more money and it will look cohesive. I’m super excited!!