Many gardening hacks include using the most bizarre things or the last materials you could think of. This includes using Diapers in potted plants or hanging baskets. So, if you're looking for ways to utilize leftover unused diapers for your garden, we're here to help!
If you find your hanging plants drying out, it could be that the moisture is not retained well. Diapers do this job well since the material is made to be absorbent for an extended period.
Here's how you can use this on your basket:
- Locate the clips on your baskets and take them out.
- Take the plant out of the basket.
- Take a bit of soil from the bottom to make the diaper fit.
- Spread the diaper with the adhesives on the side.
- Set the plant in the middle.
- Pull up the adhesive tabs along the plant's formed soil.
- Wrap it around the plant just--like you would a baby.
- Add the plant to the hanging pot or basket, and redo the clips.
When you water the soil, the diaper will retain moisture, so your plant doesn't dry out.
There are many ingenious ways to keep your garden thriving. The key is knowing their material and implementing the best gardening practices. Keep reading below to learn more about using diapers in pots and baskets!
How To Use Diapers In Hanging Baskets
Diapers can have a useful purpose in the garden. Hanging plants are notorious for not holding moisture well or oversaturating the soil.
Whatever the problem, the porous nature of diapers can help with any moisture issues.
Before knowing how to use diapers in hanging baskets, identify the problem first. For example, if you have ferns as hanging plants, you need to place them in the shade aside from ensuring enough moisture.
Placing a diaper on their soil would not be enough if they are constantly under harsh sunlight, as they thrive better in shaded areas.
Watch the video below to learn about how to place diapers in a hanging basket:
How Can I Use Diapers For Gardening?
Aside from wrapping the diaper around the soil and letting the entire plant hang, the diaper's material has many uses for gardening.
Utilizing these materials will be excellent for time efficiency without exerting too much energy. During the warm season, you won't always want to venture out to check or water every plant.
So, having the diaper's materials, especially hydrogel, in the soil will help keep the soil in ideal conditions without you having to check on them constantly.
Here is how you can utilize the materials and incorporate them into your garden:
Use The Diaper's Hydrogel
Your potted plants will need to be planted in well-watered soil, and it needs to retain their moisture so they won't dry out and kill the plant. The most productive way to do this is to incorporate the diaper's hydrogel into the potting mix.
All you have to do are the following:
- Prepare an unused diaper, two large bowls, and 5 cups water. Have your potting mix ready.
- Soak the diaper in the water and pull out the gel, separating it into a different bowl. This is the diaper's hydrogel. Adjust the water content in the hydrogel as needed.
- Put equal parts of potting soil and hydrogel into your other bowl, and adjust the amount as necessary. Make sure the consistency is soft and light.
The diaper's hydrogel is embedded with moisture-absorbing crystals that are perfect for plants that quickly wilt if they become oversaturated with water.
If you've accidentally overwatered your plant, here's what you can do to mitigate it:
- Spread some leftover diaper crystals on the topsoil
- Check the moisture level of the soil
- Decide if you need to remove the crystals or not
Overwatering can happen if you don't reduce your watering frequency even after mixing the diaper's hydrogel into the soil.
Place It Under The Pot
This is the most common practice among many gardeners, especially on hanging plants. This is ideal if you live in an area with constant strong winds or sunlight that dry out the soil quickly.
Here's what you should do:
- Prepare your pot, potting soil, and diaper.
- Create holes in the unused diaper for drainage.
- Layer the diaper at the bottom of the pot, the inside facing upward for water absorption.
- Add the potting mix over the diaper.
- Place the plant into the soil. Add plant food as necessary.
Can You Do Anything With Used Diapers In Your Yard?
Throwing out disposable diapers isn't always guilt-free, especially since they have components made out of plastic.
Fortunately, you can use those used diapers as long as they aren't too dirty and ideally only have absorbed urine.
Don't worry: you will not consume urine if you put them under fruiting plants.
A bit of urine in the diaper is helpful as it is packed with nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, all necessary for plants to develop.
However, make sure that the urine does not contain any infections.
This is because, although it's impossible for humans to consume urine from their fruiting plants, the DNA from the urine can be taken up by the bacteria in the soil and cause antibiotic-resistant infections in humans.
Why Diapers Are Useful In The Garden [Not Just On Hanging Plants!]
If you're looking for ways to save time and energy without compromising your lush garden, disposable diapers can help with that.
You don't have to worry about incorporating them into your entire garden--not just hanging plants.
Here are the reasons you should put diapers around the soil in your garden.
They Have Water-Absorbing Crystals
The water-absorbing crystals are the ones that make a diaper "super-absorbent," which means it's responsible for holding moisture. It can typically hold up to 9 cups of water.
The chemical Sodium polyacrylate is integrated into the disposable paper and dispersed onto a thick gel.
The Diaper's Materials Decompose Naturally
Although the plastic components around the diaper don't decompose until after 500 years, other materials, such as cotton or wood pulp, decompose quickly.
When decomposing, they can improve soil health and contribute to the plant's development.
Biodegradable diapers contain fewer plastics than other commercial diapers, although they are still single-use and will take a long time to decompose.
It Will Not Damage the Soil
Although single-use diapers have plastics, the material won't damage the soil. The plastic won't decompose for a long time, so your soil won't have traces of microplastics.
If you're growing fruiting plants, the fruit would still be healthy and benefit from the diaper's moisture-retaining properties.
They Are Easy To Use
Using a diaper is one of the easiest and fastest solutions when you notice that your plants are drying out or are oversaturated.
Whether you use only the hydrogel or the entire diaper, the process shouldn't take more than 30 minutes.
Will Diapers Ruin The Look Of Your Garden?
Of course, you would still consider the aesthetics if you incorporated diapers in the garden, especially with hanging plants.
As instructed, the diapers should be virtually unseen from the hanging pot and neatly wrapped around the soil.
The same principle goes for layering the diaper under your pots. So, you won't have to worry about them unless you wrap the diaper incorrectly in a way that makes them visible.
When Is The Best Time To Use Diapers on Plants?
The best time to use diapers on plants is during the summer when the soil will most likely dry out from intense heat. Of course, you can incorporate it whenever you notice your plants suffering from dryness.
It is also ideal if you notice the weather has become too humid. The crystals in the soil would absorb excess moisture so your plants won't have rotting roots.
Our Final Thoughts
Diapers are an ingenious solution for most of our planting problems, so you should always keep an open mind before ruling it out. Keep your plants under the conditions they are made for so they continue to thrive.
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