Have you ever been in a situation like this? While tending to a healthy growing plant in your garden, you accidentally snap the stem.
Don't panic: our new favorite hack using a band-aid and aloe vera will help your plant recover and keep producing delicious fruits and flowers.
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Organic gardener Deanna Talerico (@deannacat3) recently shared this great tip on Instagram.
“Did you know you can use a Band-Aid or duct tape and fresh aloe vera to fix a broken plant stem?” she asks in the video. Simply squeeze some fresh aloe vera onto the broken stem and then wrap the Band-Aid or duct tape around the stem to keep it in place.
Deanna adds: “Aloe acts like a natural rooting hormone, helping plant tissue heal in the same way that human skin does.” While aloe vera can speed up the healing process, she points out that simply taping the stem down can also help with recovery.
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This simple hack will save your precious plants from premature death, allowing them to continue growing and producing fruit. Repairing broken stems will extend your harvest so you can enjoy fresh, homegrown fruits and vegetables for longer.
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As well as saving money on produce, gardening has numerous benefits: it provides exercise and stress relief, improving your mental and physical health.
Plus, growing your own food reduces the demand for mass-produced, store-bought, and globally shipped produce, lessening our impact on the environment.
If you're looking for a more eco-friendly alternative to plastic band-aids and tape, consider wrapping an old T-shirt or rag around the broken stem – this will reduce waste while helping the plant recover.
What people are saying
Gardeners who have tried this hack rave about its effectiveness.
One commenter said, “I did this following your advice last year and couldn't believe how well it worked. It even saved some mid-season tomatoes that were knocked over in a storm.”
Another person said: “After watching your video I re-taped one last week and now I have little tomatoes growing!”
Some gardeners have their own twist on this method: “I use floral tape and it always works,” commented one user.
So the next time you accidentally break a stem in your garden, don't lose hope: grab some aloe vera and a band-aid (or an eco-friendly alternative) and wait for your plant to recover.
With just a little love, your vegetables will thrive in no time.
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