20 GARDEN HACKS FOR THE QUIRKY AND PRAGMATIC PERMACULTURALIST

JULY 8, 2016 BY JONATHON ENGELS & FILED UNDER DESIGN, HOW TO

There is a new termhackspinning wildly on the World Wide Web, and Ive
resisted it. I grew up in a time where a hack was someone who did a crappy job, so
transitioning into the new definition has been an arduous process for me. But, words
evolve, and times change. I dont want to be the guy standing in the way, so for
those of you only now stumbling on to the new hack, or life hack, it is a technique
that helps manage time more ones time and chores more efficiently, as well as
save money and reuse present resources.
In substance, that doesnt sound so bad. In fact, this idea seems a key component
to good permaculture design. Well I wont promise that the following hacks will
change your life the way permaculture might, but they might be useful, they might
add a little logic or funkiness to the garden, and they could definitely inspire some
new ideas for the innovative amongst us. After all, new terminology is no reason to
kick a good idea to the curb. How many times have I, despite only being a few years
into it myself, been asked: Whats permaculture?
Here are some of the more impressive gardening hacks Ive come across:
Video: 21 Garden Hacks
1. The Wine Bottle Self Waterer: Nothing new to many, this is a clever idea for the
container garden or small plots that dont get attention everyday. Fill a wine bottle
with water, stick it neck-down into the soil, and itll act as a slow release water
dispenser for the garden.
2. Gutters for a Vertical Garden: Vertical gardens are a great way to utilize space in
urban environments or to keep Zone 1 gardens even closer. Use old rain
gutters and/or pipes to build lettuce and herb beds along walls or fences and get
the most out of your space.
3. Coffee Grounds for Fertility: Liquid coffee may be what we use to wake up, but the
grounds are outstanding for keeping plants perky as well. They are high in nitrogen,
and the process of brewing coffee washes away the acidity. Plus, they deter pest.
Lots of things can be done with spent coffee grounds and used up tea leaves.
4. Seedling Pots a Plenty: Toilet paper rolls make great seedling pots, as
do newspapers and old fruit rinds. Fill them up with soil, get the plants started, and
then just put the whole contraption into the ground. Itll protect young roots then
soften and degrade, letting the more mature roots reach out into the soil.
5. Milk Jugs and Plastic Bottle Watering Cans: There is no need to buy a watering
can, as they are put into the recycling bin daily across the world. Poke a few small
holes in the lid of a milk jug or plastic bottle, fill the bottle with water, and use it as
watering can.
Video: 7 Gardening Hacks with Plastic Bottles

6. Plastic Bottle Water Reservoir: Use the same set up as the watering can, but this
time cut the bottom of the bottle off. Bury it in your plant pot or garden bed. It can
then be filled with water and will release it slowly into the soil as needed.
7. Tools in the Sand: Hand-held gardening tools, especially for the less diligent of us,
are constantly going rusty. To help with this, make a stand for them by filling up an
old plant pot with sand, and store them metal-first in it. The sand will help to
prevent rust. Add a bit of oil the mix to keep shears opening and closing well.
8. DIY Plant Labels: Use old plastic bottles, yogurt pots or similar containers to make
your plant labels for seedlings or experimental gardens. Cut them into strips and
write the name of the plant with a permanent marker. Strips of bamboo or stonesif
they are in the garden alreadyalso work well and are, of course, natural.
9. Measuring Tool: For the very precise among us, this hack works well. Mark out
measurements on the handle of a shovel (or whatever tools), and when planting,
you will be able to space things appropriately. Its a bit anal, but then again, some of
us are. It could also be used to measure the depth of holes or other rough distances.
10. Reuse Your Kitchen Water: Not all of us have had the time, money or energy to
set up a proper greywater system for our homes, but that shouldnt stop us from
reusing it in the garden. Let water from boiling vegetables or pasta cool, use plantbased washing up liquid (avoid dishwater with dairy or meat), and then water the
garden with it all. Saves on resources and money.
Video: Creating a Home Graywater System
11. Soak Your Beans: Soaking beans is a key to cooking them, as it releases antinutrients that make us gassy and cuts down tremendously on cooking time. But, its
also very useful in the garden, as it allows the seeds (any hard-coated seed) to get
a head-start with germination before even being in the ground.
12. Frozen Herbs on Demand: Herb gardens are great, as nothing brings a meal to
life quite the same way. A cool way to store herbs when they are plentiful is to
separate them out and place them in an old ice cube tray with water or oil. Put it in
the freezer for later, and then pop the cubes into dinner as needed.
13. TP Seed Tape: Sometimes its really difficult to sort out planting small seeds, but
a little ingenuity can help. Use toilet paper. Mist it with a little water, then place the
seeds where they need to be, and finally plant the tissue in the garden. Everything
will be spaced appropriately.
14. Seed Testing: Before we were hip to the hacks, we likely made a lot of mistakes,
overlooking things like labeling seeds properly. So, we are left with a packet,
wondering if theyll work. Prior to planting them all out, test a few on a wet paper
towel to see if they sprout.
15. Seed Bank: Most of us are already in the habit of saving old jars. They can be
used for canning, pickling and so on, as well as food containers instead of the
plastic weve become accustomed to. They also work very well for storing seeds,

keeping them safe from bugs and weather, and come in all sizes to make them
convenient for every type.
Video: How to Create a Seed Bank at Home
16. Send Bank Revisited: Another cool idea for seed banks, especially for smaller
seeds, is to take old photo albums and put them into the picture pouches. Then, its
easy to arrange them and flip through to find what you are looking for.
17. Grow from Kitchen Scraps: In addition to growing from cuttings in the garden,
always be sure to think of the market and supermarket as possibilities for acquiring
seeds or cuttings that youve had trouble finding. Root cuttings of herbs in glasses
of water, or replant the bases of lettuces, cabbages and so on. Or, get hard to find
dried legumes, organic quinoa, other seeds, and plant them instead of cook them.
18. Coffee Filters for Soil Retention: Coffee filters are great for lining newly planted
pots so that they can drain water but not the soil. Place them in the bottom of the
pot before filling it with earth. Eventually, it will degrade, but hopefully the roots are
holding onto the soil a little more tightly by then.
19. Garden Supplies from Around the Neighborhood: While many of us have an eye
on self-sufficiency, which means there isnt a lot of waste, we can still acquire extra
organic materials, bottles, buckets, mulch, lumber and so on by visiting places
restaurants, lawn care businesses, horse stablesthat have what we are looking for.
Set up and exchange to get supplies for free.
20. In-Situ Composting Bins: Use old buckets and garden pots to make composting
or vermiculture bins right in the garden. Drill holes along the bottom rim of the
bucket, about a third of the way up. Bury it (only deep enough to cover the holes) in
the garden bed. Put compost in that. The nutrient-rich liquids will leach into garden
beds while to organic materials are breaking down. When its full, add it to a larger
compost pile or if its ready to the garden bed.
Video: Worm Towers from 5 Gallon Buckets
Special thanks to Buzzfeed, Clicworthy, and Shareably for gathering and composing
their ideas from which other hack (the old term) writers can hack (the new term) to
make their own lists. Sharing information is a beautiful thing.
Feature Image: Courtesy of Ruth Hartnup