As summer inches closer, you might be dreaming of the bounty of colorful, flavorful fruits that arrive with the changing of the seasons.
One that immediately comes to mind is the strawberry — a classic, versatile treat. Thanks to a niche gardening hack shared on TikTok, you'll be able to celebrate the incoming sunshine with an endless supply of them.
The scoop
Kevin Espiritu (@epicgardening) has a strawberry bed filled with tons of strawberries. However, over time, these plants will start to get spent and die.
@epicgardening Favorite way to propagate 🍓#garden ♬ original sound - Epic Gardening
"But strawberries know that," he says, "and they do something very special."
Strawberries produce "runners," which, according to Better Homes and Gardens, are horizontal stems that grow along the ground. As Kevin demonstrates, they will make their own roots.
After cutting the runners off the strawberry plant, Kevin instructs to put them in water or plant them in soil. Once they root, you can replace your old, spent strawberry plants with these young and fresh ones.
"If you want your strawberry plants to give you more strawberry plants forever, use the infinite strawberry hack," he says.
How it's helping
Gardening is a great way to save money on produce, especially with hacks like these that provide endless bounty. Additionally, it can do wonders for mental and physical health. According to Mayo Clinic, gardening has been shown to lighten one's mood and to lower levels of stress and anxiety.
Gardening has positive environmental impacts, too, as growing your own food reduces demand for mass-produced, store-bought, and globally shipped produce. According to the United Nations, about a third of all human-caused planet-warming gas pollution is connected to food, and the largest chunk of this comes from agriculture and land use.
What everyone's saying
TikTokers took to the comment section of the strawberry video to ask questions, offer advice, and express praise and gratitude for the hack.
"Can't wait to try this method!!" said one person. "Growing strawberries for the first time this year."
"Tips for strawberries," commented another. "Plant shallow. Mulch. Cut flower blooms in the first year. Do what this guy does. Cut leaves if it shows signs of disease."
"If there is a [Walking Dead] scenario," one person joked, "I want you to be my best friend."
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