1. Make a Sun Box to Incubate Seedlings

One of the most interesting aluminum foil uses in gardening is making a convenient sun box that helps reflect sunlight and encourage the effective growth of seedlings by providing warmth and more sun reflection. Find a cardboard box or a shoebox and line all of its sides from inside with aluminum foil. It should extend two inches beyond the top and sides. Use tape or glue, if needed to ensure the foil stays in place. Now, poke small holes for drainage along the bottom side of the box and put your seed pots in it.

2. Scare Birds

Birds are naturally terrified of shiny, noisy things, so if you are afraid of getting your fruits of labor ransacked by the seasonal parakeets, just tie a few strips of aluminum foil from the branches of the tree, and if possible, do stick a pair of scary eyes on the strips for guaranteed success (for fun too).

3. Confuse Squash Vine Borers

Vine borers have a tendency to lay eggs on certain parts of the plant that are maximally vulnerable, such as leaf undersides, stems, and base of the flowers. It is possible to prevent colonization of female vine borers by wrapping wide collar of aluminum foil at the plant’s base or lower stems early in the season. This will confuse the vine borers and they will lay eggs on aluminum foil. If you want to learn more ideas to get rid of vine borers, visit University of Maryland’s website!

4. Keep Slugs & Pests Away

To keep small insects like slugs and bugs at bay, use foil for mulching. Simply lay sheets of new or used aluminum foil around the base of your plants. To keep it from blowing in the wind, hold the corners down with some dirt or small stones. Alternatively, you can mix mulch with foil strips in a wheelbarrow and then scatter the mulch evenly around your plants.

According to Florida State Horticultural Society, this conserves moisture in the soil, reduces soil temperature and prevents weed growth too. And of course, the reflective mulch also repels pests and insects.

5. Protect Trees from Rodents in Winter

Voles, mice, and rabbits cause extreme destruction to trees and shrubs. These pests cause subsurface damage that poses a threat to the health of the plant and also reduces their potential for future growth. In order to safeguard your trees in winter, use aluminum foil. Actually, the feel of aluminum foil scares the rodents away and prevent them from sliding through it. You can also use it at home, see here!

Measure the base of the tree trunk, and tear adequate sizes of foil sheets. Take two layers of foil and wrap them around the trunk for protection. Press the foil against the trunk so that it adheres well. It is advisable to go layer by layer- first work your way upward with one sheet of tinfoil, and then go on to add the next layer, starting from the base of the tree.

6. Resist Deer

Protecting your garden with a fence is not enough sometimes; their long svelte legs give them enough momentum to leap over fences. A thin strip of aluminum foil might just be your solution if you face this problem! Just wrap the bases of the shrubs and saplings with aluminum foil. It’s important to note that the foil must be at least 2-2.5 feet high (or your waist length) since deer are very much adept at grazing on plants shorter than their height.

7. Disposable Dispenser for Solutions

The fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides are a pricey investment on the part of every gardener. Whatever be their exact use, they certainly don’t come cheap, and hence cannot be wasted. A homemade funnel can be effectively used to pour the garden solution back to its original bottle and reduce the mess in the process. This funnel can be made by using a sheet of aluminum foil, rolled up into a cone and filled with the solution. No mess, no waste, and no-hassle! Visit Lifehacker to see this DIY!

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  • Linda Kilbride

  • April 14, 2018 At 2:25 am

  • Question. I have planted seeds for morning glorys and nastursiums. )I may not have spelled that correctly-sorry) April 10th. I live in Toronto. I know it is early, but wondering if I placed a partial tent of aluminum over them, if it would help?

  • Reply

  • carol e marler

  • March 24, 2021 At 1:45 am

  • Milk jugs work really well

  • Reply

  • Robert

  • May 27, 2020 At 3:38 pm

  • As a fan of gardening, this article was just great to read and try! Good work

  • Reply

  • Karen cales

  • April 26, 2021 At 6:18 am

  • I purchased five which took months and months to get after sending messages several times. One for best friend one each for two granddaughters and two for my home. To date none of have seen a single pennies deduction in our bills. This has been a total ripoff. The device is light as a feather maybe they forgot to fill it or something but we are very dissatisfied with your product.

  • Reply

  • carol e marler

  • March 24, 2021 At 1:45 am

  • Milk jugs work really well

  • Reply

Question. I have planted seeds for morning glorys and nastursiums. )I may not have spelled that correctly-sorry) April 10th. I live in Toronto. I know it is early, but wondering if I placed a partial tent of aluminum over them, if it would help?

Milk jugs work really well

As a fan of gardening, this article was just great to read and try! Good work

I purchased five which took months and months to get after sending messages several times. One for best friend one each for two granddaughters and two for my home. To date none of have seen a single pennies deduction in our bills. This has been a total ripoff. The device is light as a feather maybe they forgot to fill it or something but we are very dissatisfied with your product.

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