Instead of tossing those tired washing-up sponges in the bin, gardeners are being urged to put them to fantastic use if they want their plants to thrive for a long time this summer. Gardening is a task that many find difficult to get to grips with, especially when it comes to maintaining the health of their plants. Being in the middle of summer, garden plants need more attention. However, using something as simple as a dishwashing sponge can go a long way.
A Gardener’s Secret Weapon
Taking to YouTube, a gardening enthusiast on the site Simple & Fast has shared a video urging gardeners to “never” throw away dishwashing sponges as they are “worth their weight in gold to your plants.” Speaking about every time someone throws them away, the gardening pro said, “We don’t know that what we’re doing is wasting a powerful ally for our plants, our garden and our pots.”
Gardeners should aim to complete this task before the end of July so that plants can thrive in August and for the rest of the summer.
Preparing the Sponges
The first step is to leave the sponge in water with “a little bit of soap” for an hour. The gardening pro added, “These sponges are incredibly useful for all kinds of plants.” Next, use scissors to cut the sponge into very small pieces. The gardening pro added, “Once we have all of our sponge cut up, we will start using it to benefit the soil of our pots and plants.”
Mixing the Sponges into the Soil
Mix the small pieces of sponge into the soil in the plant pot. The gardening professional said, “What happens is that they have already begun to absorb the nutrients from the soil itself and the moisture from the soil that I have added to the bucket.” The professional gardener explained that the sponges help keep the plants moist and the water lasts much longer. They explained that it is perfect for plants that dry out quickly or if you are going on a trip and want to make sure they are well watered. The gardening professional even claims that the fertilizer will last much longer as the sponge will be “responsible for dosing the fertilizer little by little.”
Benefits of Using Sponges in Soil
“We don’t have to worry because the soil will always have the right amount of moisture and enough water, and that’s thanks to the sponge,” she added. The sponges act as water retention, feeding your plant until they are composted over time, breaking down and turning into plant food.
Simple & Fast has over 526,000 subscribers, with thousands tuning in frequently to watch their life hacks, and this video has garnered over 21,000 likes and over three million views. Over a thousand people also flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts. One wrote, “I love tips like this, always been a recycling nut,” while another added, “Genius idea! Why in the world didn’t I know this before?”
Caution for Edible Plants
However, some were concerned about the advice, especially for plants that people plan to eat. One warned, “I would be very careful not to use this on anything you plan to eat, like herbs and stuff, because the plastic from the sponges will get into the food.”
