The Benefits of Using Baby Powder in Your Garden
Who doesn’t like a good multitasking tool,
especially one we probably have on hand anyway? This particular one we
can guarantee is hanging out in your bathroom as we speak: baby powder.
Whether you use it on your grandchildren or on yourself, you probably
have some – and you probably have more than you need (after all, a
little goes a long way)! With Spring coming in soon, it's time to think
about our gardens...
1. Keep Ants at Bay
Ants aren’t the worst pest that you can
find in your garden, but every home gardener knows that the more
tempting your landscaping, the more likely it is that these little
insects will find their way through it and into your home. Thankfully,
baby powder can help here! Just sprinkle some around your foundation,
doorways, and other points of entry. Ants hate this stuff, and they’ll
divert their path another way – and away from your house!
2. Deter Aphids
Also known as plant lice, greenflies, blackflies, and whiteflies, these
sap-sucking, plant-killing pests have a mutual relationship with ants.
That’s right, some species of ants protect and feed on the milk the
aphids produces, and they even carry eggs from plant to plant. So, by
keeping the ants away, you will keep the aphids away too. Simply
sprinkle some baby powder around the flowers where you have noticed
them.
3. Banish Beetles
The pest-deterring powers of baby powder isn’t just limited to ants and
aphids – another common problematic garden insect hates the stuff just
as much – the Japanese beetle. Baby powder will prevent these
leaf-destroying bugs from munching their way happily through your
plants. Simply sprinkle some baby powder onto the leaves, and reapply
after it rains until beetle season has finished.
4. Discourage Rabbits
Us gardeners don’t only have to worry about insects attacking our plants
- pests can come in a furry and adorable form too. Rabbits are some of
the most persistent, hopping into flower beds to munch on whatever they
can get their paws on. Baby powder will discourage them from eating the
younger plants and seedlings. Simply shake some powder over them, and
they will be off the rabbits’ dinner menu.
5. Make Gloves Gentle
Your fruit, veggies, and flowers are not the only things that will
benefit from the addition of baby powder to your gardening routine; your
hands will thank you too! Have you ever noticed how at the end of a day
of gardening, your gloves are hard to take off and/or leave your hands
red and raw? Well, baby powder will help. All you have to do is sprinkle
some inside the gloves before you put them on and go to work. They will
slip off a lot easier at the end of the day, and will leave your skin
feeling baby soft, too.
6. Make Tools Less Rough
Another way to protect your hands at work is to prevent your spades,
shears, and shovels from giving you blisters. Not only will coating them
in baby powder protect your hands from the roughness, it will add some
gentle friction to prevent them from slipping from your grasp.
7. Freshen up Your Footwear
During a long and hard day of gardening, it
is obvious that you will end up sweating quite a bit. To freshen up
your boots, just add some baby powder to the soles to soak up moisture
and prevent both stink and mold.
8. Baby Your Bulbs
Tiny seedlings, just like tiny humans, can be babied with baby powder.
Give any bulbs you are planning on growing a head start and extra
protection from pests by giving them a baby powder bath before you plant
them in the ground. All you need to do is place the bulbs in a plastic
zip-top bag (5-6 at a time), add in 3 tablespoons of baby powder, and
shake to coat.