13 brilliant fertilising tips and tricks

To get fertiliser to the base of bushes and other dense plants, use a length of 8mm PVC. Slide one end down to the plant base and pour the fertiliser into the pipe. Cut the top of the pipe at 45 degrees to give yourself a larger opening.

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When it’s time to clean out the refrigerator, be sure to save those plastic berry containers for repurposing ideas. You can toss the mushy raspberries, but wash and dry the container – it’s perfect for spreading grass seed on your lawn.

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So you fertilised your lawn last week, and now you’ve got some streaks of pale grass where you missed, and some really dark streaks where you hit twice. To prevent this, use two short lengths of wood as markers. Whenever you start a new row from either end of your run, drop a marker at the edge of the line of the fertiliser. Aim for the marker as you proceed, and move the marker at each end every time you make a turn. It works with a broadcast spreader as well. — Jim Carabetta

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Epsom salt (hydrated magnesium sulfate) is known for its home remedy uses, but the garden might be the place that it shines the most. Like store-bought fertilisers, Epsom salt contains magnesium, which aids in seed germination, chlorophyll production and absorption of vital nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus.

Most plants grow better with a ratio of two teaspoons to 4L of water per month. You can also dilute the Epsom salt with water in a bottle and apply as a foliar spray. Misting the plant greatly increases its growth. This works especially well on vegetables and roses. — Taylor Peterson

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If you think your soil may be too acidic (low pH) for a sensitive plant like geraniums, mix in a sprinkle of baking soda with the soil before planting, then water the area thoroughly so it mixes in well. Baking soda is a natural alkaline substance that will raise the pH level at a fraction of the cost of soil amendments such as lime. It only takes a few seconds, and it’s right there in your kitchen.

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For an easy and green way to start seeds, save your toilet paper and paper towel tubes. Cut the tubes into 5mm lengths and set them in a waterproof tray. Fill the tubes with potting soil and plant your seeds. When the seedlings are ready to move to the garden, plant them right in their cardboard tube. The cardboard will decompose. Be sure to keep the tube below the soil surface, so it doesn’t wick moisture away from the roots.

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Reuse a plastic clamshell container from the salad bar as a mini greenhouse for starting seeds in the spring. After washing the container, punch a few holes in the top. Fill the bottom with potting soil and plant your seeds. Close the lid and place the container in a sunny spot. It acts like a mini greenhouse, allowing the sun to reach the plants while holding in moisture.

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If you want the best lawn in town, fertilise four times a year. But if you can only bother to fertilise once a year, you still have a great lawn if you only fertilise in autumn. Choose a fertiliser that’s labelled 4-1-2. (Those numbers refer to the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the fertiliser.) Better yet, ask an expert at a garden centre for advice about the best fertiliser blend for your autumn grass type and local soil conditions.

Apply the fertiliser about three weeks before the last mowing of the season. Fertilising in autumn provides energy and nutrients for the grass roots as they multiply in cooler weather before the grass goes dormant. The roots store food for the winter as well, which gives the grass an initial growth spurt when it emerges from dormancy in the spring.

Leave a bag of fertiliser or weed killer open for long and it’ll soak up moisture from the air and won’t go through a spreader. Even grass seed could use an extra layer of protection from a moisture-wicking concrete floor. Place opened bags of lawn products in large resealable plastic bags. The products will be free of clumps or pests when you need them.

Late summer and early autumn are the best times to reseed any dead areas. Summer is just too hot for the seed to thrive. Water the new seed a couple of times a day until the grass is about 3-4mm high. Don’t use normal fertilisers, however. Use a product formulated for new grass. Spread the seed out a little or the grass won’t thrive due to overcrowding.

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