Beer makes for a great addition in compost and can also be used in a variety of ways on your lawn. Here are some of the best Uses For Beer In the Garden!
Beer is the third most consumed beverage in the world. It comes just after water and tea. The beer has many health benefits when you consume it moderately. But the list of its benefits does not end here. There are Uses of Beer In Garden! Some of you might find the idea bizarre, but it’s true.
Uses For Beer In the Garden
1. A Great Compost Starter
Beer acts as an excellent additive for compost. It has many nutrients that increase the fertility of compost and return those nutrients to the soil. Using it as an additive also increases the rate of decomposition, which in turn speeds up the breaking down of individual components of the compost pile.
2. Eradicates Slugs and Snails
Slugs and snails are some of the most hideous pests found in the garden. They are attracted to beer just like moths to light. Install a jar filled with stale beer and bury it up to its rim in the garden where you have noticed them. Slugs and snails will slip and fall in the jar. Change the stale beer when it gets filled with them.
Check out our article on the prevention of slugs here.
3. Traps Flying Insects
You can use beer to trap wasps and fruit flies in your garden. Pour the stale beer one third in the cup and add 1 tablespoon of dish soap in it. Cover it with plastic and make some holes in it. The smell will attract the insects and they’ll fall into the cup. Change the solution when the cup gets filled with insects.
4. Acts as a Fertilizer
You can use stale beer for watering plants to enrich the soil. Dilute one part of beer, one part of soda with one part of water and use this solution to water the plants occasionally. Using beer can be expensive, so use stale beer.
Note: Soda contains excess amounts of sugar that tend to attract unwanted pests and upsets the NPK ratio of the soil.
5. Promotes Lush Grass
If you find some brown patches on your lawn grass, beer can be used to rectify this. Pour beer in a spray bottle and spray it on the patches in your yard. The fermented sugar in beer will feed your grass, and its acidic nature will kill any fungi or pests causing brown spots.
Check out our article on homemade lawn fertilizers here.
6. Polishes Garden Tools
Use beer to clean up rust from the old garden tools. Pour beer in a spray bottle and spray it on the rusted tools. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes and then wipe them off with a cloth. You can also spray it on rusted nuts and bolts, as the carbonation makes them come off easily.
7. Attracts Butterflies and Bees
Use beer to attract valuable pollinators like bees and butterflies to your garden. All you have to do is to pour beer in a pan and place it in your garden. The smell of it will lure bees and butterflies from miles away!
8. Eliminates Unwanted Bugs
Tired of bugs in your garden? Don’t worry! The beer will come to your rescue. Take 4-5 overripe bananas and mash them with 1 cup of brown sugar. Add 1 cup of beer to the mixture and make a thick paste. Transfer it in a deep pot and place it at the spot where bugs frequent the most and you’ll trap them in no time.
9. Keeps Mosquitoes Away
Beer can be very helpful in keeping mosquitoes at bay in your garden. Mix stale beer and mouthwash in equal measures. Add 2 spoons of Epsom salt and pour the solution in a spray bottle and spray it in your garden. The solution will remain potent for up to 2 months.
10. Polishes Metal Pots and Accessories
If you have metal, copper pots, and accessories in your garden, then the beer can be a great bet to bring the shine back on. Pour beer in a spray bottle and spray it in on the pots. Let it sit for 15-20 mins and rub with a clean piece of cloth. Because of the acidic reaction, it makes the surface shine.
