Useful Ways To Use Greens

Just Don't Throw It Out: 5 Wise Uses of Potato and Tomato Greens

Most often, gardeners throw out the tops of potatoes and tomatoes, without thinking about the fact that they can be used in their summer cottage. High-quality fertilizer, mulch and other useful products are obtained from these plant waste.

Use as mulch

Tomato greens have a specific smell that drives away harmful insects and rodents, and potato greens prevent soil and roots from freezing in winter. Such mulch is beneficial even after decay, since its residues fill the soil with the necessary amount of useful trace elements.

Mulch from greens of tomatoes and potatoes is used both in summer (improves air and water permeability of the soil, and also keeps its moisture longer) and during pre-winter preparation (protects plants from frost).

Add to compost

But before adding greens to the compost heap, you need to carefully examine it. If you find plants infected with diseases or parasites, they must be taken outside the garden area and burned. If you put such tops in compost, it will spoil the future fertilizer and make it unsuitable for use in the garden.

Get ash

In addition to nutrients, potato and tomato ash contains a substance called solanine, which repels insects, so it can be used for pest control.

Prepare fertilizer

To prepare a nutritious infusion, fill a barrel or tank with chopped plants (2/3), fill it to the brim with warm water and stir the mixture gently. After that, close the barrel with a thick film and leave the fertilizer to infuse for 8-10 days.

An unpleasant smell will come from the barrel, so find a place for it in the far corner of the garden in advance. When the mixture is ready, remove all the greens from it, and use the infusion in the following way: mix fertilizer and water 1:10 and pour the prepared mixture over the vegetables at the root.

Fight pests

To do this, fill the tank with 2-3 kg of chopped plants, fill it with 10 liters of hot water and let it brew for 6-7 hours. Strain the finished infusion and dilute with water 1: 4. To keep the product on plants longer, add 200-300 g of laundry soap to it. The ready-made infusion can be used to process all plantings in the garden, but not more often than 1 time in 8-10 days.

Both experienced and novice summer residents will be able to find a way to use tomato and potato tops in their garden. The main thing is to know how to properly use this type of waste.