Discover 11 practical Toothbrush Uses in the Garden that can help you maintain plants in your backyard in unimaginable ways!
Sometimes, the most effective tool you require for gardening may be sitting comfortably in your bathroom or discarded like trash! Surprised? Here are some really good Toothbrush Uses in the Garden.
1. Pollinate Tomatoes and Peppers
Use an old electric toothbrush attachment to help pollinate peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, and eggplants.
Place it behind a cluster of flowers and turn it on for 3 seconds. The vibrator motor will help shake off the pollen, causing it to fall on the pistil, which ultimately fertilizes the flower.
You can put this same method to good use on other plants as well.
2. Cleaning Glass Bottles and Vases
A toothbrush along with a soap solution will make it easy to reach narrow necks and end of glass bottles and vases to clean them perfectly. They get dirty over time, especially with water spots, if you are using them to grow plants in water.
3. Use it for Cleaning Plant Leaves and Undersides
A soft-bristled toothbrush could be a perfect solution to clean the undersides of the leaves, buds, petioles, and stems of your houseplants affected by the infestation of sticky pests like mealybugs and aphids.
4. Making Holes for Seeds
If you want to create perfect pea-size holes for sowing seeds, then an old toothbrush will come to your rescue. It will keep your fingers clean, too! Just poke the end side of a toothbrush in the soil to make holes. Easy-peasy!
5. Brush Corns
Clean off bits and pieces that get clung to the fresh corn, especially after husking, using a clean old toothbrush.
6. Use it as a Plant Marker in Your Garden
Stick an old toothbrush in the garden or pots with a sticky note attached to it. You can also write text on the handle using a permanent marker. Bamboo toothbrushes are best for this purpose!
7. Applying Neem Oil
When your plants catch fungal diseases, you can use an old toothbrush to accurately apply mild insecticidal soap solution or neem oil.
Add 1/4 teaspoon (0.5-1 ml) of mild liquid soap, 1/2 a teaspoon of (1-2 ml) of neem oil, and add a liter of water in a closed bottle. Shake well, pour out some in a bowl, dip the bristles in the solution, and apply it to the most affected spots.
8. Clean Dirt off Veggies and Fruits
After a successful day of picking homegrown fruits and vegetables, you may need to scrub the dirt off them too. Use a toothbrush to make them clean, and then wash with water. This is very handy for root vegetables!
9. Arts & Crafts
Use an old toothbrush to splatter paint on small rocks, pebbles, canvas, furniture, or another art form; you can even do pot painting with it! The soft bristles can help you paint better and faster than a paintbrush. Check out the DIY here.
10. Clean Your Nails
After a day’s work in the garden, your nails could become dirty and have soil filled into tiny gaps. Use your old toothbrush to scrub your nails and make them clean!
11. Clean Containers and Gardening Tools
Clean gardening tools using a toothbrush and a soap solution to remove all the dirt and grease. Sometimes, smaller pots may need gentle cleaning to bring back the shine, and an old toothbrush can come in handy.