Gardener shares little-known tip to get '10x the value' out of purchases: 'Perfect'

You may be in the doldrums of winter, but you will be gearing up for your spring garden soon enough. One gardening expert shared their favorite way to maximize the value of seedlings. 

The scoop

Next time you purchase seedlings, you may end up with more plants than you realize. In a YouTube Short, Epic Gardening (@epicgardening) explains that you can often get many plants from one small potted vegetable such as a leek. The caption calls this hack an "easy way to 10x the value out of the seedlings you buy at the garden center!"

The creator demonstrates this hack during a trip to the nursery. In this example, they break up a leek, but the tip can be applied to many seedlings. Start by removing the whole thing from its pot. Next, gently separate and tease apart the roots. Each leaf culminates in a small bulb, and each one should grow into a leek.

"One tangled mess of leeks turned into 12 or more perfectly plantable specimens," they say.

How it's helping

Tips such as this one can help you save money and maximize your gardening yields. If you have the space for it, growing your own food can be an enjoyable way to be a little kinder to the planet. Gardening is an eco-friendly way to feed your family, and if you include pollinator-friendly plants, you can also support your local fauna.

If you have a traditional grass lawn, you may be able to save money by swapping out a portion for a vegetable garden. Grass lawns are incredibly resource-heavy, requiring tons of water, fertilizer, and pesticides. While gardens also require water and sometimes fertilizer, they also provide you with valuable produce.

With some upfront cost, many people will be able to save hundreds of dollars a season by growing delicious produce. Not only does gardening have environmental benefits, but it can also be a healthy pastime. Gardeners often have lower stress levels and get more fiber in their diets. The National Gardening Association also claims that "45 minutes of gardening burns as many calories as 30 minutes of aerobics."  

What everyone's saying

This clip has more than 150,000 likes and has garnered hundreds of positive comments.

"I did this with my lemon grass this year. Bought one plant; it's now in three giant containers," wrote one happy gardener.

How often will you be gardening this summer? Every day 🥗 At least once a week 🥕 At least once a month 🌱 I don't garden 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Someone else explained: "I did this with my coffee 'plant' ended up with nearly a dozen 4 inch tall coffee plants. I kept the largest for myself and gave the rest away to friends and family, mine is now about 2 feet tall."

Another commenter was thankful for this tip that is useful for procrastinators: "Perfect for those seasons you didn't quite get to starting your seeds."

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