Gardeners growing tomato plants can make them much sweeter with 65p Asda buy everyone has in their cupboards
A GARDENING hack has been revealed to make tomatoes sweeter with just one cheap household staple.
The
Advertisement
1
Add one item to reduce acidity in tomato crops to make them tastier
Credit: Getty
And gardeners have one simple trick that can be done to make tomatoes you grow even tastier and jucier.
It is using one simple item that is probably already in your
Not only are tomatoes used in a variety of different
So as the summer arrives, you may be looking to add some juicy tomatoes to your salads, pastas, or stews.
Advertisement
This can be done without having to splurge specialised fertilisers or work hard around creating optimal conditions for the plants.
All you need is a sprinkle of baking soda, which can be added to the soil.
Baking soda is understood to r
educe soil acidity, which thereby makes it easier for tomatoes to absorb nutrients.
On top of that, adding baking soda can also have the potential to control fungal diseases and weeds that grow around the plants.
Advertisement
Most read in Fabulous
It can prevent common fungal infections like powdered mildew.
Experts advise to sprinkle just a pinch of baking soda around each tomato plant once it beings to appear from the soil.
This should be repeated once more when they are half grown.
Grow your groceries - how to grow tomatoes from tomatoes!
Adding too much, though, could inadvertently poison the tomato plant, so it is important to control the amount.
Advertisement
And this hack will not cost you more than £1 from a grocery store.
Asda is selling their 200g pack of
Any leftovers can be used to do some
Top gardening trends of 2025
Gardening experts at
Matrix planting
It seems that a top planting trend for this year is going to be Matrix Planting.
In essence, planting in groups or blocks to give an effect of being wild whilst actually being carefully managed.
Selection of the plants is essential, to give year-round interest either with flowers, seed heads or frosted/snowy spent flower heads. Some recommend using plants that seed around, but this could make managing your matrix planting harder to keep under control.
Chrysanthemum comeback
I hope that the humble Chrysanthemum makes as much of a comeback this year as Dahlias have over recent years, because the simple single flowered types, such as 'Innocence' and 'Cottage Apricot' would be spectacular within a matrix scheme.
The hardy varieties are so easy to grow in a sunny spot and give such a valuable burst of late summer and autumn colour that would lift any dull- looking border.
Blended borders
For some time now we have been promoting the growing of veg within ornamental borders and I think this could really take off this year.
The choice of ornamental-looking varieties available in seed catalogues is phenomenal and, if managed correctly, visitors to your garden will not even realise that you have veg growing!
Must-have tool
My secret is out. I discovered the Hori Hori a couple of years ago and now it seems so is everyone else.
It is such a well-made, adaptable tool that can be used as a trowel or weeding tool in the garden that and everyone I speak to who have used it absolutely would not now be without it. Enough said!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Extra.ie
6 hours ago
- Extra.ie
House where Last Supper occurred 'still standing' millennia later
Archaeologists have claimed that the house where the Last Supper is said to have occurred is still standing over 2,000 years later. The room where Jesus Christ had his supper with his 12 disciples before his crucifixion was mentioned in the book of Luke 22:11-13, which saw Jesus ask for a large, furnished upper room of a house so they could have their passover meal. The room, also known as the Cenacle on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, is a tourist attraction and prayer room — and despite it being said as the room where the famed supper occurred, there was a lack of archaeological excavation that could confirm if the room was around during Jesus' time. Archaeologists have claimed that the house where the Last Supper is said to have occurred is still standing over 2,000 years later. Pic: sedmak/Getty There have been several ancient depictions of the house, which had limestone walls and a red sloping roof, including in 1585 when a fourth century carving saw Jesus before Mary Magdalene post resurrection with a distinctive slanted roof in the background. Other illustrations depicting what appears to be proof of the house include in 1846, when a sixth century illustration found in Italy depicted Jesus entering the old city of Jerusalem on a donkey with the Cenacle visible in the background. Greek Orthodox Christians also found what was thought to be the earliest map of Jerusalem that dated back to 560 AD, with the map showcasing the Cardo Maximus and two structures at the southern end of the map that were identifiable by red roofs. The Cenacle in Mount Zion, where the Last Supper is said to have occurred. Pic: Richard T. Nowitz/Getty Images In more recent times, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) underwent peeling back the modifications of the Cenacle using laser technology and photographic imaging to try and uncover what state it would have been in during the time of the Last Supper. After intense scanning of the room to create 'accurate models of the space,' features that were previously unknown were discovered, including obscure artwork such as Agnus Dei (the Lamb of God) and the Lion of Judah on the ceiling. 'The lion was the symbol of King David,' Amit Re'em of the IAA told Fox News at the time. 'According to ancient scriptures, Jesus was a descendent of King David.' Pic: minoandriani/Getty Images Despite the historical significance of the room, it still cannot be confirmed 100% if that is indeed where the Last Supper took place; with Mr Re'em saying at the time that further research is needed. 'From time to time, when we have an opportunity, we're continuing to document other parts of the holy complex,' he said. 'I hope that maybe, in the future, we will have the opportunity to conduct a small-scale classical archaeological investigation.'
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Credible' new Bigfoot sighting wows experts after 6ft tall beast covered in hair targets father and son in woods
A BIGFOOT group has hailed a 'credible' new sighting after a dad and son saw a mystery creature's 'hairy back and big butt cheeks.' The pair were out fishing in the woods - when all of a sudden they 'heard rustling in a tree and a huge thud hitting the ground.' 2 A composite pic of what Bigfoot/Sasquatch may look like Credit: Getty 2 Yet another person has reported seeing the mystical creature Credit: Getty Edward Henry and his son, 12, shared their spooky ordeal with Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), a group in Akron, Ohio, which investigates and publishes reported sightings. Henry told the Bigfoot chasers that he and his boy had been out fishing in Monroe County, Michigan, on May 18, when all of a sudden they got the fright of their lives. They had gone out to a fishing spot behind a jail, located near a quarry in an area north of Plum Creek. My son said 'holy s**t what was that? It was as big as a bear but it looked like a gorilla' Witness, Edward Henry His report to "We walked down the creek [Plum Creek] past four bridges [railroad bridges] and headed into the marsh. "100 yards into the marsh the dog scared up something that was bedded there. Trees were shaking. We thought it was a group of deer." Assuming nothing was amiss, they continued a further 200 yards to the creek basin in the marsh. His report dramatically added, "All of a sudden I heard rustling in a tree to the left and a huge thud hitting the ground from the tree. Most read in The US Sun "A big heavy animal hit the ground and crouched and start moving towards me through brush. I'm a Bigfoot hunter - the most shocking sightings I've encountered and what I believe is the beast's true origin story "My dog fired off from the right of me toward the creature." QUICK ESCAPE He added, "The dog almost got to it but the creature shot off extremely fast through trees and brush. "The dog chased the creature up the slope and over the train tracks. I then called for my dog to come back. "My son said 'holy s**t what was that? It was as big as a bear but it looked like a gorilla!' "We walked back, but we heard something crunching on the ground behind us. We left!" It was a large dark furred primate that ran up a slope on two legs looking like a gorilla from behind. Yes, that would be a Bigfoot. BFRO Investigator Matthew Moneymaker BFRO Investigator Matthew Moneymaker said in his follow-up investigation report that he had spoken with "Edward and his son by phone, separately. "Both are credible and freshly descriptive about what happened to them this morning." Moneymaker said the dad, aged 47, "was born and raised in the area. He earns a good living working in the demolition trade." Henry was grilled on how the animal reacted. The BFRO member added, "I asked enough to discern that it was not a bear. "It was a large dark furred primate that ran up a slope on two legs looking like a gorilla from behind. Yes, that would be a Bigfoot." BIG BUM Moneymaker said the animal was reported as being "roughly 10 feet up the tree when it jumped down. "At no time was it facing the two humans. "The point at which they got the clearest look at it was when it was ascending the embankment. "They could see the hairy back and big butt cheeks pretty clearly for a few seconds." HUNCHED OVER His report said the animal had not been witnessed moving on all fours. Instead, "it raced up the slope on two legs but hunched forward. "In its hunched posture it was nearly six feet tall. The son said it would have been much taller if not hunched over." Unfortunately, the incident happened so quickly that the shocked pair didn't have time to photograph the mystery creature. The whole encounter lasted less than ten seconds from beginning to end, according to the report. Moneymaker added, "It happened totally by surprise. No one would have gotten a photo of it in that first shock interval." HUNGRY BEAST He also explained there was plenty of prey for a Bigfoot to hunt - especially deer. His report noted, "This area around the marsh for Tamarack Creek is full of deer. No hunting is allowed there. Only fishing is allowed there. "Consequently there are herds of deer in the marsh and woods year round. "There are lots of cattails around this marsh as well. Therefore, two things Bigfoots consume, especially in winter: cattails and deer. There are likely other food sources around this marsh as well. "Bigfoot look for deer so they will sometimes end up in pockets of woods near towns like Monroe when there is enough plants and animals to sustain them." More on the Bigfoot/sasquatch mystery For more than four centuries, people have reported seeing large, hair-covered, man-like animals in the wilderness areas of North America, according to the It adds, "Real or not, these reports are often made by people of unimpeachable character. "For over seventy years, people have been finding, photographing, and casting sets of very large human-shaped tracks. "Most are discovered by chance in remote areas. These tracks continue to be found to this day. "It is a fact that the cultural histories of many Native American and First Nation peoples include stories and beliefs about non-human 'peoples' of the wild. "Many of these descriptions bear a striking resemblance to the hairy man-like creatures reported today." An article about the alleged sighting in One said on social media, "Y'all, if Bigfoot did exist, no way in hell is he choosing to live in Monroe." Another joked, "I heard Elvis was there too." But one believer wrote, "There have been stories of Bigfoot sightings for many years, as well as other strange things in the downriver area." And a fellow Bigfoot fan agreed, "I have long suspected this area of having Sasquatch activity. Read more on the Irish Sun "It's entertaining to see the comments from people who have never spoken to those who've had a life-altering encounter, never been out and found the tracks etc. Instead, they ridicule." The alleged sighting comes several months after an eerie encounter spooked a hunter in Pennsylvania. What is Bigfoot? Here's what you need to know... Bigfoot, or the Sasquatch, is believed by some to be a hairy bipedal 'ape-like' creature They are said to live in the wilderness of North America, appearing in the distance or leaving footprints Bigfoot 'hotspots' are generally found in the Pacific Northwest, particularly the states of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia Some believe that Bigfoot is a missing link between humans and other great apes Mainstream scientists tend to believe that Bigfoot is little more than folklore Most theories around Bigfoot suggest that they are sightings of other large animals, rather than a new ape species Descriptions of Bigfoot suggest the animal is between 6 foot and 9 foot tall Bigfoot is generally described as being covered in dark hair, and as leaving behind huge footprints up to 24 inches in length
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I took DWP to court and won over tax on extra bedroom in our detached council house – now I have more benefits than EVER
'SEE you in court!' I say, voice raised, as I slam the phone down on the call handler. It was my third call to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) about the absurd bedroom tax we were facing and nothing had changed, so this time I was taking legal action. 5 Erica Crompton was sick of forking out an additional £94 a month in bedroom tax Credit: Supplied 5 She says that the two 'spare rooms' were being used for wheel chair equipment for her partner while the other was inaccessable by him Credit: Supplied The property I live in is a three bedroom detached council house in As it is just myself and my partner Paul in our home the DWP has always deducted our joint Universal Credit claim for this by almost £100 in bedroom tax. Introduced in 2013 the policy is part of the British Welfare Reform Act 2012 and outlines that council or social housing tenants with rooms deemed to be "spare" face a reduction in housing benefit. Having one bedroom more than the calculated allowance means a reduction in housing benefit of 14 per cent, and two "spare" bedrooms means that a tenant will lose 25 per cent of their housing benefit. Read More on Real Lives The ruling states that one bedroom is allowed per adult couple and while I have three bedrooms I don't agree that we should be penalised for them. The £911 a month Universal Credit we received barely covered our rent and bills so to lose out on £94 to spare bedroom tax was out of the question. Conservative minister While many will be quick to agree, I do in fact need all of the bedrooms in my home. Most read in Fabulous The first spare 'bedroom' is upstairs and is completely inaccessible to my partner as he is a permanent wheelchair user. The two downstairs rooms are both under 3 x 3 metres so we need the extra room simply to store Paul's wheelchair and equipment such as wheelchair chargers and the two extra seats we removed from his car to fit his hoist and wheelchair in. Tragic 'suicide' of bedroom tax victim As the rooms are so small, Paul also needs his wardrobe in our spare room as the other room only fits a queen-sized bed and wheelchair. The spare bedroom tax penalises those with disabilities and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Two-thirds of the people affected are registered as disabled and when the policy was introduced many found themselves suddenly liable for the bedroom tax after deaths or after children had moved out of the home. In 2012 the High Court rejected the premise that the policy was a breach of Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights due to the effect on disabled people. The following year disabled grandmother Stephanie Bottrill took her own life after struggling to cope with the newly introduced tax on the three bedroom home she had lived in for 18 years. The law has since been amended so that those whose bedrooms stand empty as a result of death are exempt. Prickling with the injustice of our own situation, I asked the DWP to reconsider what we are entitled to, known as a mandatory reconsideration. When this was rejected with an official letter, I made the decision to take the DWP to court, a tribunal all DWP claimants are entitled to if they disagree with a decision. 5 Erica took the DWP to court over the dispute and won Credit: SUPPLIED 5 Only the downstairs area of their home (seen here) is accessible to her partner Paul Credit: Erica Cartier It wasn't the first time I'd done this. In 2013 my PIP for schizophrenia was stopped. According to the DWP I couldn't possibly work part-time as a journalist if I really had schizophrenia. It didn't seem to matter that I was working from home, mostly from my bed on my laptop, always in my PJs and never working more than 16 hours a week. Back then I also disagreed with the decision to stop my PIP and asked for a mandatory reconsideration. After they rejected this, I took the DWP to court and the judge ruled I was indeed entitled to middle rate PIP - which was a higher rate than I'd expected. WHAT IS THE BEDROOM TAX? Called the under-occupancy policy, it was dubbed the Bedroom Tax as critics who condemned the changes faced by people on benefits amounted to a tax, due to the lack of social housing for affected people to downsize to. Having one bedroom more than the calculated allowance means a reduction in housing benefit of 14 per cent, and two "spare" bedrooms means that a tenant will lose 25 per cent of their housing benefit. The penalties, which can see people affected losing a significant amount of their income or risk being evicted, have also been criticised as having a disproportionate impact on disabled people. In 2016 it was announced that the penalty would be extended to elderly people, despite promises from the government to protect the elderly from benefit cuts. Our court hearing this March only lasted 20 minutes. Armed with my packet of Lambert cigarettes and wearing my tracksuit, I calmly stated our case to the DWP representative. I was intimidated, so I only said the bare bones of our case, that I disagreed with the DWP's decision to add bedroom tax for two spare rooms to our Universal Credit payment each month. We got lucky with our representative who said that the decision to add bedroom tax to our benefits was 'utterly ridiculous' especially when the upstairs room was inaccessible by wheelchair. So a month after the ruling, I got a lump sum of £600 and an extra £94 a month in Universal Credit. I've invested the £600 in a desk, a sewing machine and new laptop which I hope, when further benefits cuts take place next year, might help make an income from writing and clothing alterations. If, like me, you disagree with a decision made about your benefits don't stay silent. Ask for your mandatory reconsideration and if you still disagree, take it to a tribunal. Be sure to read all documents in full and they will outline the steps that you need to take, to further your claim. I've won the two appeals and now my benefits income has been boosted to £1,004 a month, more than ever before. That doesn't make me greedy or a scrounger, it's just what I am entitled to. 5 Erica secured an additional lump sum in repayments and saw her benefits boosted to £1004
