Gardening has been around for generations, but social media has given it a whole new audience. Instagram is full of pretty garden photos and clever tricks that make growing plants look almost effortless.
Some of those ideas are genuinely useful, while others are much better suited to a photo than an actual garden. Before you spend your weekend trying the latest viral trick, here are a few that may leave you with more work than you started with.
How to Create DIY Concrete Planters
Concrete planters have a clean, modern look, but making them at home can be much harder than the finished photos suggest. Concrete can crack, break, or fail to set properly, so buying a ready-made planter or choosing ceramic may save you a frustrating afternoon.
Related: 10 Garden “Pests” You Should Think Twice About Removing
Painting Rocks to Deter Pests
Painting rocks to look like strawberries or other fruit may add a playful touch to the garden, but it is unlikely to fool pests for long. Birds and other animals can quickly figure out that the colorful stones are not real food, so netting or proven pest deterrents are a better choice.
Self-Watering Bottle Planters DIY
An upside-down bottle placed in a plant pot seems like an easy way to keep the soil watered while you’re away. The trouble is that the water flow can be unpredictable, leaving the soil either soaked or too dry depending on how the setup works.
Vertical Gardens With Shoe Organizers
A hanging shoe organizer filled with plants can turn an empty wall into a green display. The problem is that many shoe organizers have poor drainage, and the fabric can sag or tear after sitting outside in water and sunlight.
Related: 15 Vegetables That Bring Helpful Pollinators to Your Garden
Succulents in Seashells
Small succulents planted in seashells make attractive little displays, especially for photos. Shells usually have no drainage, though, and excess moisture can cause succulent roots to rot.
Eggshell Seed Starters
Eggshells make cute little containers for starting seeds, but their small size can become a problem once seedlings begin growing. Moving young plants out of the shells can also disturb their roots, while biodegradable seedling pots give seedlings more room and make transplanting easier.
Crushing Eggshells to Repel Slugs
Crushed eggshells are often promoted online as a simple way to keep slugs away from plants. The shells usually do little to stop determined slugs, so options such as copper barriers or other proven slug controls are more useful.
Related: 12 Perennial Vegetables for an Easy, Low-Maintenance Garden
Putting Ice Cubes on Orchids
Dropping ice cubes onto an orchid may seem like an easy way to provide a slow supply of water. Tropical orchids don’t like cold water on their roots, so room-temperature water is a much safer choice.
Mason Jar Herb Gardens
Mason jars filled with herbs can look beautiful on a kitchen counter or windowsill. Without drainage holes, though, excess water has nowhere to go, and the limited space can make it difficult for herbs to develop healthy roots.
Coffee Grounds Everywhere
Coffee grounds can be useful in the garden, but scattering them across every planting bed is not a shortcut to healthier plants. A thick layer can retain too much moisture, promote mold growth, and cause other problems, so composting the grounds first is a better way to reuse them.
Related: 22 Shade Garden Ideas That Make the Most of Your Shady Yard
Vibrant Blooms Using Food Coloring in Water
Adding food coloring to water can create colorful flowers in some cut-flower experiments, but it does not work the same way with living garden plants. Instead of trying to dye your plants, choose naturally colorful varieties to achieve the look you want.
