Are garden expenses making you feel blue? Then these garden hacks might brighten your mood.
In a viral video shared on TikTok by gardener Jennifer Burrows (@5mingardener), she showed users a trick for growing an unlimited supply of blueberry plants for free by taking cuttings from existing, mature plants.
@5mingardener Click + for more information on propagation in the garden. #blueberry #garden #more #gardentok ♬ Happy Summer – Vin Music
“If one person has a blueberry, everyone can have a blueberry,” Jennifer says in the video, before detailing how it's made.
scoop
To propagate new blueberry plants, you first need to cut small cuttings from mature blueberry plants.
Jennifer explains that the best cuttings with the strongest roots come from the fresh green stem of the plant, not the older brown, lignified stem. Once you've found the perfect stem, a small angled cutting, about 6 inches long, will accomplish your goal without harming the parent plant.
Next, prepare the cutting for propagation: Jennifer says to remove almost all of the leaves from the cutting, leaving a few leaves on the top.
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“We do this because we don't need leaves,” Jennifer explains.[The stems] It burrows under the soil and puts out little roots from every spot where you remove the leaves.”
The next step is optional, but Jennifer recommends it to encourage root growth in your cuttings: Instead of using a hormonal root growth enhancer, apply a generous amount of raw organic honey to the stem where the roots will emerge.
Finally, the cuttings are ready to be planted. Jennifer carefully plants the stems in containers, being careful not to lose any nectar, and gently covers them with soil. Then she waters them generously and covers them with a small clear plastic container to retain moisture.
“You should start to see new growth after a couple of weeks,” Jennifer concludes.
How it helps
Jennifer's hacks and others like them simplify gardening and best practices, making them accessible to novices and experts alike.
Growing your own food has so many benefits – physical, mental, social, financial and environmental – so the more people who grow their own food, the happier and healthier we and the planet will be.
Starting a garden doesn't have to cost a lot of money: A $70 investment can produce up to 300 pounds of fresh produce per year (approximately $600 value).
Additionally, home-grown produce significantly reduces carbon pollution: Compared to store-bought produce, which releases 0.18 pounds of carbon per pound during transportation, growing 300 pounds of your own food reduces the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere by about 50 pounds.
Home-grown food tastes better and is more nutritious. Research shows that home-grown produce is high in fiber, which aids in digestion, weight management and cholesterol reduction. A University of Colorado study found that gardeners consume about 1.4 grams more fiber per day and exercise about 42 minutes more per week than non-gardeners.
The benefits of growing your own food are not just tangible: As well as providing constant access to fresh produce, gardening improves mood and mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. These benefits are further enhanced in community gardens, which create social connections, foster a sense of community and increase subjective feelings of well-being, optimism and resilience.
What everyone is saying
Commenters on Jennifer's viral TikTok were amazed by the hack and immediately wanted to try it for themselves.
“I never knew you could multiply blueberry plants!” one user wrote. “I'll be doing that this week.”
“I'm running outside to try this right now,” wrote another.
“Maybe I'll grow some more blueberry bushes this weekend,” someone said.
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