A popular TikTok video shows gardeners a better way to water their seedlings without damaging the plants.
The video, posted by Epic Gardening (@epicgardening), has gotten more than 102,000 likes and 256 comments so far.
It begins with a full view of the narrator's seedling table, a kind of above-ground garden on a table outside.
"I'm surprised I didn't do this sooner," the TikToker admits.
@epicgardening Pro seedling watering tip 💦 #garden ♬ original sound - Epic Gardening
The scoop
The video begins with the image of the narrator's seedling table, which is basically a garden on a workbench.
He then shows viewers how most people water their seedlings and explains the problem with watering them from above, including the fact that they dry out quickly.
He then presents viewers with the option to place the seedlings over trays filled with water, so that the water comes in from below, which he claims lasts longer and prevents the plants from getting damaged.
This continues a recent trend in gardening advice relating to bottom-watering, which many plant enthusiasts have recommended for houseplants as well.
How it's helping
This method appears to save water in the long term, which not only reduces the gardener's water bill, but can also prevent significant water waste.
This is very important at a time when certain parts of the globe are experiencing increasing drought and subsequent water scarcity due to our changing climate, the long-term result of human industrial activities.
Overall, gardening has many advantages for food production. There are also many benefits to turning your simple traditional grass lawn into a garden.
First, it saves water since grass lawns devour approximately 3 trillion gallons of water each year in the United States alone. Gardens don't require nearly as much and are much more productive.
Second, it avoids the use of plastic since fruits and veggies bought at the store are often wrapped in this material, which can end up in our oceans and take hundreds of years to break down, killing aquatic animals and potentially even poisoning our drinking water.
Gardening can also be a great form of exercise, since it requires lots of movement for maintenance.
What are people saying?
One TikToker asked: "Won't it become a problem in an area with a lot of mosquitoes??" — to which Epic Gardening answered, "It usually soaks up in a day!"
Another said: "Bottom feeding was a game changer for my indoor greenhouse."
Any method that saves water and increases efficiency when gardening is a plus, but gardening in and of itself can be a big difference-maker when it comes to saving money, maintaining health, and improving environmental sustainability.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
