I'm a gardening expert – cheap TikTok hacks for a lush lawn that actually work and the 'worst advice I've ever seen' | The Sun

April 16, 2023

HOW can you tell which social media lawn hacks are Reel-y great and which are TikTok flops?

One expert has warned that the grass isn't always greener on the 'gram — and while some trending tricks actually work, others can ruin your yard.

"I've seen lots of social media tricks and hacks that people use for their lawns," Simon Barker, co-founder and editor at GrowYourYard.com, told The U.S. Sun.

"Some of these tricks can actually be surprisingly effective, while others are downright bad and can actually harm your lawn.

"One of the social media tricks that I have seen work well is using baking soda to control weeds.

"Baking soda is a natural herbicide that can be applied directly to weeds to kill them.

"Simply mix baking soda with water and dish soap, apply to the weeds, and wait for them to die.

"This method is cheap, effective, and safe for the environment.

"Another social media trick that I have seen work well is using coffee grounds as a fertilizer.

"Coffee grounds are high in nitrogen, which is essential for healthy grass growth.

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"Simply sprinkle the coffee grounds on your lawn and water them in. Your grass will love the extra nutrients!"

He noted that Epsom salt can also be used to boost the growth of your grass.

"Epsom salt is rich in magnesium and sulfur, which are essential nutrients for plant growth," he explained.

"You can simply sprinkle a few handfuls of Epsom salt onto your lawn and water it in."

But not everything you see on TikTok or Instagram is worth a try, and there's one ingredient touted as a "weed killer" he warns people to stay away from.

"While vinegar can be effective at killing weeds, it can also damage the surrounding grass and plants," he said.

"Additionally, vinegar is highly acidic and can lower the pH of your soil, making it difficult for your grass to grow in the spot the weed used to be."

But that's not the worst "hack" he's heard of.

"Believe it or not, I've actually seen people using gasoline to kill weeds," he admitted.

"Obviously, this is unreasonably dangerous, and the gasoline will harm your lawn and the surrounding environment. This might be the worst advice I've ever seen."

Ultimately, Barker said that while some online advice can be "surprisingly effective," it's always a good idea to fact-check them.

"Some will just do more harm than good," he said.