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An article seen today - a bit of light relief for a Monday - Do you have any that you want to share?

Soak seeds in a cuppa

To encourage seeds to germinate, soak them in cold tea. Its tannins will soften the casing. Chamomile tea is particularly effective as it contains anti-fungal properties, which reduce cases of ‘damping-off’ — a horticultural disease that weakens or kills seeds before they germinate.

Some species, such a sweet peas, will struggle to get started unless soaked overnight.

See off slugs

To keep slugs off your plants without using pesticides, cover your soil with crushed sea-shells or pistachio nut-shells.
To keep slugs off plants without using pesticides, cover soil with crushed sea-shells or pistachio nut-shells
To keep slugs off plants without using pesticides, cover soil with crushed sea-shells or pistachio nut-shells
The gastropods will stay away as their slimy bodies struggle to manoeuvre over rough surfaces.
Alternatively, set traps by pouring a small amount of stale beer into an empty bottle and lay it on its side.
Slugs love the smell and will climb in and drown. You can also lay a corn-meal or polenta trap. Again, they love the smell but eating it will cause them to dehydrate and die.

For more hints and tips and to read the article in full here