Honey has a wide variety of culinary uses, but what you might not know is that honey can also be very useful in your garden or orchard.
When using honey, whether at home or in your garden, it is best to choose quality local honey.
Better yet, become a beekeeper and you can have your own supply, ensuring a good way to always have pollinators to help you with your crops.
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Uses of honey in the garden.
Whether the honey you have comes from your own beehives or not, here are nine great ways to use honey in your garden.
- root cuttings with Honey. Honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties and provides an energy source that can help roots grow and stay strong. When used on cuttings it helps them form roots, and once these have developed it can help create a safe environment in which they can continue to grow.
Simply add 2 tablespoons of honey to 2 cups of boiled water and allow to cool. Then, dip the ends of the cuttings in this solution before planting them. For even better results, also mix in a mycorrhizal inoculant.
- An annual fertilizer for fruit trees. Honey is not only antibacterial and antifungal. It is also an excellent source of nutrients, not only for us, but also for plants. Honey is a source of many essential elements for plants: two of the “big three”, phosphorus and potassium, as well as other nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc.
It can be used to make a good liquid organic fertilizer for plants. Due to its nutrient composition, it can be especially beneficial for flowering and fruiting plants.
To make liquid honey compost, mix one to two tablespoons of honey with 7 cups of boiled water. Stir well and let cool. Then use it to water flowers or fruit plants.
- foliar spray. Besides using honey to promote root growth and improve fruit flavor, you can also use it to save weak plants.
If plants are showing signs of nutrient deficiency, especially if you suspect a deficiency in one of the essential plant nutrients, honey can supply them. Plants that need a boost can benefit from using a honey-based foliar spray.
Add 2 tablespoons of honey to a liter of water and spray this solution on the leaves of weak plants every one to two weeks. If a nutrient deficiency is to blame, you will soon see positive results.
Again, consider what the honey foliar spray might attract before deciding to use it.
- honey trap for pests. I would recommend taking steps to avoid an imbalance in your garden by attracting natural predators of pest species. And make sure there is as much life in your garden as possible. But in an organic garden, imbalances can sometimes occur.
If there is a boom in slug or fruit fly populations, for example, you can use the honey in a trap to catch them.
To catch slugs, stick a jar filled with water mixed with honey and yeast into the ground and wait for the slugs to fall into it. Then, collect the slugs and dispose of them regularly.
To catch fruit flies, add rotten fruit, honey, and apple cider vinegar to a jar. Cover it with a lid with small holes in it so they go in but don’t come out.
- Take care of your skin, lips and hair. As gardeners, it is important to remember that we ourselves are crucial parts of the garden ecosystem. So, in addition to taking care of our plants and wildlife, we also need to take care of ourselves!
As gardeners, we often spend a lot of time outdoors. Skin, lips and hair may become dry.
Honey has excellent moisturizing properties. This, coupled with its antimicrobial and antifungal properties, means it can be used in a wide range of products, from balms to soaps to natural hair care products, to help keep skin, lips and hair healthy and powerful.
- Take care of minor cuts and scrapes. Honey is also a useful ingredient to have on hand when picking berries from thorny plants, or caring for a thorny rose bush, you can use it in a balm.
- Alternative to canned sugar: so that fruits grown at home last longer. Another way honey can benefit gardeners is to help keep fruit fresh without using processed sugar. You can use honey instead of sugar to make jams and other preserves. It can also be used in syrups for preserves.
- Treating Small External Chicken Wounds. Honey cannot only be used on human cuts and scrapes. It can also be used for its antibacterial and antifungal properties on your backyard hens. Rubbing a little honey on a minor wound can help keep it from getting infected.
- One-time supplement to boost hens. Although it is not recommended to feed the chickens with honey very often, you can give them a little from time to time to give them a boost.
Of course, veterinary advice is always recommended for a sick hen.
These are just a few of the uses of honey in your garden; just a few of the many reasons why you should always have a pot in your home.