Indoor gardener shares clever hack to make the most of your plants: 'Wait this is actually so smart'

Plant lovers know the struggle of moving delicate cuttings from water to soil — roots can clump together, break, or struggle to adjust, leading to transplant shock. But one TikToker has shared a simple trick that makes the transition much easier.

The scoop

TikTok creator Curly Plant Mom (@curly_plant_mom) posted a video demonstrating her easy propagation hack.

@curly_plant_mom Save this trick to try next time you plant your cuttings! Those fresh roots are so fragile. Creating a really wet, soupy soil allows those roots to float through the soil and lay spaced out rather than all clumped together or broken. This helps so much with decreasing the shock most cuttings experience when moved to soil 💚 #plants #houseplants #propagation #planthacks #plantmom ♬ champagne season - Troy Ogletree

Instead of planting fresh cuttings in standard damp soil, she recommends saturating the soil with extra water to create a loose, "soupy" consistency. This prevents fragile roots from clumping or breaking as they adjust to their new environment.

"Those fresh roots are so fragile," she explains. "Creating a really wet, soupy soil allows those roots to float through the soil and lay spaced out rather than all clumped together or broken."

How it's helping

This method makes growing your own garden easier for beginner and expert gardeners alike. 

Choosing to use this technique and grow your own food sustainably has many benefits. By reducing transplant shock, it increases the survival rate of cuttings, meaning less time and money spent replacing failed plants. This reduced stress will only add to the many mental health benefits that gardening already provides for people.

Successful propagation leads to better-tasting, pesticide-free produce — plus, it cuts down on grocery bills. Beyond the personal benefits, gardening has a positive environmental impact, reducing food waste, cutting reliance on industrial agriculture, and improving air quality.

What everyone's saying

The hack resonated with plant lovers on TikTok, with many users eager to try it themselves.

"Wait this is actually so smart and then they're not crammed either," said one commenter. 

"I have to try this!" said another.

How much time do you spend taking care of the plants inside or outside your home? Several hours a week 🧑‍🌾 One hour a week ⌛ Less than one hour ⏳ I don't have any plants 😢 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

As more people share useful techniques like this one for gardening, we can all learn to save money and contribute to the environment at the same time.

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