Do garden expenses have you feeling blue? Then this garden hack might sweeten your mood.
In a viral video shared on TikTok by gardener Jennifer Burrows (@5mingardener), users were treated to a hack for free, infinite blueberry plants by using cuttings from mature, existing plants.
@5mingardener Click + for more garden propagation! #blueberry #garden #more #gardentok ♬ Happy Summer - Vin Music
"If one person has blueberries, everybody has blueberries," Jennifer says in the video before diving into her how-to.
The scoop
To propagate new blueberry plants, the first thing you'll need is a small cutting from a grown blueberry bush.
Jennifer explains that the best cuttings with the strongest roots come from fresh, green stems on the plant rather than older, brown, and woody stems. Once you've found the perfect stalk, a small, angled cutting of about six inches should do the trick without causing any harm to the parent plant.
Next, it's time to prepare the cutting for propagation. Jennifer says to remove almost all the leaves on the cutting, and save a few at the top.
"You're doing this because you're not going to need those leaves," Jennifer explains. "[The stems] are going to be underneath the soil level, and also everywhere you've removed a leaf, they're going to send out little roots."
The next step, while optional, is recommended by Jennifer to encourage root growth in the cutting. Rather than using hormonal root growth products, she slathers the stem where the roots will emerge in raw, organic honey.
Finally, the cutting is ready to be planted. Jennifer plants the stem in a container, careful not to remove any honey, and gently covers it with soil. All it needs next is a good watering and to be covered with a small, clear plastic container to retain moisture.
"After two or three weeks, you should start to see new growth," Jennifer concludes.
How it's helping
Jennifer's hack and others like it simplify gardening and its best practices, making it more accessible for beginners and experts alike.
There are numerous physical, mental, social, money-saving, and environmental benefits to growing one's own produce, so the more people who do, the happier and healthier we and our planet will be.
It doesn't have to cost much to garden. A $70 investment can yield up to 300 pounds of fresh produce — approximately $600 worth — in a single year.
Plus, homegrown produce reduces carbon pollution significantly. Compared to store-bought produce, which generates 0.18 pounds of carbon per pound during transportation, growing 300 pounds of your own food can save around 50 pounds of carbon from entering the atmosphere.
Homegrown food is tastier and richer in nutrients, too. Studies have found homegrown produce has more fiber, which aids in digestion, weight management, and cholesterol reduction. Research from the University of Colorado shows that gardeners consume about 1.4 more grams of fiber per day and engage in approximately 42 more minutes of physical activity per week compared to non-gardeners.
The rewards of growing your own food go beyond the tangible. In addition to having a constant supply of fresh produce, gardening can improve mood and mental well-being by reducing stress and anxiety. These benefits are amplified in community gardens, which provide social connections and foster a sense of community, leading to greater subjective well-being, optimism, and resilience.
What everyone's saying
Commenters on Jennifer's viral TikTok were stunned by the hack and couldn't wait to try it for themselves.
"Can't believe I didn't know you can propagate blueberry plants!" one user wrote. "This is happening this week."
Another wrote, "Running outside to try this NOW."
"Guess I'm making more blueberry bushes this weekend," someone else said.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
