6 TikTok plant hacks you need to know: From socially distancing your plants to growing chia pets

01.10.2021

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TikTok serves up the best videos that are currently trending in the social media sphere, and to no surprise, plants have gained traction and a huge following—anything and everything plant related, from tips and tricks to the best plants for beginners can be found on different websites and of course, Tiktok. With its huge following comes a community of plant lovers and they have a special place on this app known as #PlantTok. Here, you can find loops of videos related to plant hacks, plant tours or just sharing a mutual love for plants.

We’ve gathered some of the best plant hacks TikTok has to offer, alongside some fun activities you can pick up if you’re just dipping your toes into this hobby. Starting off with an interesting one, shaking your Fiddle Leaf-Fig tree:

1. Shaking your Fiddle Leaf-Fig tree:

Gaining massive popularity from its aesthetic, Fiddle Leaf-Fig trees are one of the prettiest plants you will come across. These sun-loving babies can be tricky to take care of and require lots of TLC. Some common issues individuals face when looking after these plants are balding, and weak tree trunks—these trees are notorious for being temperamental but TikTok content creators and plant lovers have shared that shaking your Fiddle Leaf-Fig can help make its tree trunk stronger. This action helps mimic wind and in theory makes the trunk stronger, so it can withstand more growth and leaves!

How to: Shake your Fiddle Leaf-Fig front to back (gently) holding the middle of the trunk; do this one to two times a day. A slight wiggle will do, just enough to imitate the motion of wind, any harder and you risk breaking or snapping the trunk. Be extra cautious if your tree already lacks structure and strength in its trunk. TLDR: If your tree trunk is weak, give it a wiggle!

2. Plant beading:

A fun way to inject a little character into your plants is by beading them. Think about the process of threading bracelets and apply the same concept to your plants. It’s essentially cutting off a section right below the leaf (preferably a damaged leaf) and thread a bead to the stem. When the plant grows the bead will maintain and it becomes a cute embellishment. The best plants for this are Pothos’ or commonly known as Money Plants. You can get creative and use any type of beads or as many beads are you like!

How to: Snip off a damaged leaf or a stem you would like the bead to be on, then thread a bead—or as many as you’d like—onto its stem and wait for that leaf to grow! You’d be left with a fancy plant decked out with bling or a whole lotta colour.

3. Social distancing your plants:

In an era where the phrase social distancing is not stranger to us, our plants can also benefit from this practice. Social distancing your plants can help with it’s growth and overall plant health. Your plants are constantly competing for sunlight, water, nutrients and air—when plants are too close together, there is a scarcity of the essentials needed for them (if your plants are in the same pot, they might have a crowded root zone). In translation, your plants will not grow to the best of their capability and may develop fungal or bacterial diseases.

How to: As the name suggests, make sure your plants have ample room. Spacing them out will encourage better air flow and less competition for nutrients. Your plants will be happier and healthier overtime!

4. Grow an Avocado tree in water:

Avocado seeds can be a pain to remove but you can harvest your own avocado tree from it. Besides Avocado on toast being an emblematic dish for brunch and a great source of fatty acids, the seed of this fruit is also useful. Growing Avocados can take some time, but if shown love and care and given the proper enviroment , a sprout should appear in no time.

How to: Remove the seed/pit from fruit and clean it under running water. Make sure you determine the top and the bottom of the seed. Since the avocado is slightly oblong, the top is a pointier end and the bottom more bulbous. After determining it, prick some toothpicks so that your seed props up when placed in a cup. The bottom should be submerged in water and the top should not. Once it sprouts, transfer it to a pot (about 15cm tall) with soil and water it regularly.

5. Chia pets/ Chia sprouts

Chia pets/ Chia sprouts is a fun way to grow a plant from scratch. Both of them use Chia seeds but aesthetically they come out different. We’ve listed two different ways you can grow these seeds:

Chia pets are a fun way to grow these sprouts—the best part is that they’re completely edible. By creating a goopy texture of seeds when soaking them it water, the seeds adhere to pretty much any surface. When they dry down, the seeds will stay in place and all you need to do from here is spritz them once a day.

How to: Mix Chia seeds with water (the ratio is 1:1 but add more water if it’s too dry, there needs to be enough water for the seeds to get sticky) until it forms a slimy and goopy texture. After that, take an ornament or object you’d like to grow them on and slather the seeds on. Wait for the seeds to dry and voila! Don’t forget to mist it once a day and place near a bright window.

This way of growing the seeds is definitely easier and less time consuming. All you need is a flat pot or a plate and some water. The seeds should grow in a weeks time then they can be served or used as a garnish on anything you’d like! The steps are similar and the only thing that changes is the potting:

How to: Sprinkle some Chia seeds to the bottom of a flat pot or plate and spray with water once a day—don’t forget to place it near a bright window. That’s it!

6. Protect your plants from pests with garlic water:

The last hack is a quick fix for getting rid of pests is to spray garlic-infused water onto your leaves. Garlic has antibacterial properties and can help reduce the growth of fungus and steer away pests for healthier greens.

How to: Finely chop one small head of garlic, add it to a bowl and add two cups of water. Let it sit overnight before using, then strain the mixture and pour the liquid into a spray bottle.