Latest news with #Ish
Wales Online
03-06-2025
- General
- Wales Online
Achieve the 'perfect lawn' with minimal effort in just three steps
Achieve the 'perfect lawn' with minimal effort in just three steps A gardening blogger has shared his three easy steps 'anyone can use' to achieve the 'perfect' lawn The gardener's guide is easy to follow (stock photo) (Image: Getty ) With spring in full swing, many families will be venturing into their gardens for the first time this year and planning for the summer months. Whether you're eagerly anticipating BBQs in the warmer weather or other exciting events, you might wish your lawn was a tad greener. Luckily, a gardening blogger has shared his top tips on achieving a "perfect lawn," and it only involves three steps. The advice comes from @ who shares daily gardening tips with his 70,000 followers on TikTok. In a recent video, the gardening fan shared "The Lazy Gardener's Guide to a Perfect Lawn." Ish said: "Today in the garden, I'm going to give you my ultimate lazy gardener guide on how to make your lawn absolutely perfect in only three steps. First things first, you need something known as iron sulphate. "Now, this is super duper easy. You put the recommended dosage in your watering can and sprinkle it all over the lawn, and as a result, the iron in it boosts up the greenness of your grass, but also burns things like moss and weeds, keeping all the bad bits out but the good bits in." For the second step, you'll need some equipment, but it doesn't have to be costly, reports the Express. The blogger explained: "You're going to want to scarify the lawn. Now, you can do that with a garden fork, or you can use one of these, a specific scarifier." Content cannot be displayed without consent Article continues below Demonstrating his scarifier, he continued: "This has rotating blades that go into the soil, creating air pockets and more drainage. It also pulls away some of the thatch layer, which is a buildup of grass cuttings, which prevent light and air from getting through to those roots and creating perfect grass." Once you complete this step, your garden might not look as nice as you'd hoped, but it's part of the process. Ish explained: "Warning in advance, your grass is going to look ugly as hell after this, but I promise you, it's worth it." "Now that your lawn looks semi-destroyed, you can address the next problem, which is the bald patches," he added. "You'll get quite a few of them in the lawn, and now that you've made the air pockets it's super easy just to add some grass seed on top, and chuck a load all over the place as well and overseed your lawn." The blogger shared tips for fellow gardeners (stock photo) (Image: Getty ) Finally, all that remains is to maintain your garden. Ish said: "Give it a good water every day or so and in the next four to five weeks this lawn will look absolutely perfect." He concluded: "You don't need to mow it for the next few weeks, either. Just keep it well-watered and that's it. Easy lawn in three steps." In the comment section, a viewer asked: "My lawn has pits and lumps. what should I level it with? just top soil?" The blogger replied: "Top soil will work a treat! I like to make a mound slightly taller than the hole and rake over flat." Article continues below Someone else wrote: "I have loads of birds in the garden, how can I protect the seeds until the grass established?" Ish advised: "Couple things you can do - you can lightly add some top soil over the grass (just a thin sprinkle!) or get some of those kiddie windmills - the shinier the better!"
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
New-build owners told to follow these two steps to get rid of leatherjackets
Leatherjackets, greyish-brown pests that destroy lawns, have been wreaking havoc across homes in Britain - but one expert has revealed his tips to successfully rid them from your garden Leatherjackets, pesky larvae that cause damage to lawns and gardens, have become a serious problem for households around the UK, particularly for new-build owners. There are about 350 species in Britain, but only a few feed on plants and damage grass. The critters have long, tube-shaped bodies and can grow up to 30mm long. They have no legs, no clear head, and are a greyish brown colour, the Royal Horticultural Society explains. You can tell if you have a leatherjacket problem if your grass has yellow-brown or dead patches - if you lift up the turf, you should spot the larvae in the soil's surface layers. But how can you deal with leatherjackets? Gardener Ish, known to his more than 63,000 TikTok followers as @ explained that one effective method was to use nematodes. These are parasites that are harmless to humans and pets, but can be 'absolutely fatal to things like leatherjackets'. He explained: 'The long and short of it is they go inside the leatherjacket, they nest, and they eat from within.' You can place the nematodes, which are bought in sachets, in a watering can or spray bottle of warm water - which you will then directly apply to the soil, around late afternoon. The nematodes will then start to bury down and go straight for the leatherjackets. 'Once they take care of them, they'll be gone in about a week or so,' Ish said. 'You do get usually about two or three sachets, so do it about every week or so for about three, four weeks, just to make sure you've got them fully under control.' The RHS also suggests that nematodes can be applied in September to early October as a preventative measure. 'It may be necessary to water the lawn before and after application to ensure the soil is sufficiently moist for nematode activity and survival,' it explains. The second option is to use a sheet of black plastic, which you will lay on your lawn in the evening. This tricks the leatherjackets into thinking it's night all the time - and when morning comes, you can lift the plastic back up and they should all be at the surface. The gardener explained: 'If the birds don't get them, you can surely pick them out yourself as well and dispose of them. Again, do this a few times, it will still take a couple of weeks but it'll get them under control.' Another sign that your garden is suffering from leatherjackets is small round holes in your turf. These can be caused by crows, magpies, rooks and starlings searching for the leatherjackets in your lawn.
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Aphids stop wreaking havoc on plants with 'game changing' kitchen staple spray
Gardening expert Ish has shared some of his top tips to keep your garden looking its best, and one of his hacks uses a common household item Gardeners are being urged to sprinkle a rather unexpected ingredient onto their plants – washing up liquid. The suggestion, though somewhat baffling, is backed by experts. Gardening aficionado Ish, who dishes out top tips on TikTok using the handle suggests that this ubiquitous kitchen staple can conquer a major horticultural headache - pests. In one of his recent videos, Ish shared his "top remedy" for keeping pesky aphids, also known as greenfly, away. These sticky little monsters wreak havoc by latching onto plant leaves. Confronting this issue, Ish provides some direction, which includes the reliance on liquid dish soap. His video states: "My first solution is the dish soap method, reports Devon Live. "Now, this one is super simple. Take a few tablespoons worth of dish soap, and pop it in a spray bottle. Top the rest off with some water." Ish assures viewers that his mix is great at breaking down the aphids' exoskeletons while sparing the plants, making the approach both straightforward and effective. Moreover, he endorses aromatic planting as another line of defence. He mentions this step can help ward off the insects for one main reason. There are a handful of extras you can incorporate into your garden to assist. For example, placing marigolds, onions or garlic close to impacted plants might keep aphids at arm's length owing to their dislike for intense smells. While marigolds may still attract aphids, Ish signals that some green thumbs use them as a "trap plant" effectively safeguarding other greenery. If you place them near your larger plants, they should target the marigolds and leave your other flowers untouched. He suggested these two techniques should assist in managing aphids in the garden but, if they prove stubborn, there's another step you can take. He recommended using a jet washer to blast them off as an effective method of elimination. Additionally, introducing ladybirds into the garden could be beneficial. As natural predators of aphids, their presence will be extremely helpful. This should contribute to maintaining the health and happiness of your plants. What are aphids? Aphids are tiny insects that feed on sap, often referred to as greenflies or blackflies. They're notorious for being plant pests. They come in a variety of colours including green, black, yellow and white, and their sizes can vary. Aphids feed by inserting their beaks into plant stems and leaves to extract the nutrient-rich sap. If your garden is plagued by them, there are several measures you can take to try and eliminate them. Some natural methods include spraying water on your plants, using soap or neem oil or encouraging natural predators like ladybirds. Consider removing weeds, planting companion plants and maintaining a healthy soil ecosystem to help tackle the problem. Regularly checking your plants will help you identify if you have them, especially if you're uncertain. It's vital to grasp that weeds can attract aphids and other pests, hence the significance of their elimination. Regular garden maintenance is paramount.
Daily Record
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Gardener shares one tip for growing tastier strawberries this summer
An expert gardener has shared his top tip for ensuring that strawberry plants yield tastier berries and also thrive during the summer months A gardening guru has revealed an unexpected tip for those growing strawberries - snip off the first blooms to encourage fuller berries and a stronger plant. It may seem counterintuitive, but there's sound reasoning behind this advice. As May and the spring season draw to a close, it's essential to plant your strawberry seedlings in preparation for the forthcoming berry season. To help gardeners produce the finest strawberries and foster a healthy plant, gardening fan Ish, known as Gardening with Ish on social media, imparted his top tip for achieving the best berries and robust plant health – and it's likely not what you'd expect. Ish took to TikTok to showcase the technique using two pots of strawberry plants, instructing his audience to pluck the first strawberry flowers of the year. "Today in the garden, if you're looking for amazing strawberries this year then get rid of... strawberries," he declared at the beginning of his TikTok video. He went on to detail the rationale behind the tip: "Now it may sound a little bit mad to cut away the one thing you're trying to grow, but there is a little bit of science behind it. If you're starting to get your first flower on your strawberries, that's great, but it's not focusing the energy on the leaves and root development." He further explained that removing the early strawberry flowers can actually be advantageous. But how should one go about trimming these blossoms? "When it comes to pinching out the flower, that's not rocket science either," Ish clarified. "Simply take your two fingers and just push firmly on the stem and off it comes. You can also use secateurs as well. I like to do it at the base of the stem, not to waste any energy. "And by doing that at the start of the growth, you focus more energy on root development on your plant, and the leaves too, which is particularly great for things like Everbearers because they produce fruit all the way from June 'til September. So the more it can get, the happier the fruit will be." But strawberries aren't the only plants you can use this technique on. "Pineberries, the white strawberries, will also do really well by getting that first flower gone,"Ish shared. "And as a result, from June onwards, expect a much more happier, healthier, bushier plant and also better fruit too." However, some viewers were skeptical that removing flowers could result in a bigger berry yield and posed their questions in the comments section. One viewer asked: "Sorry if this is dim but do you pinch the literal first flower and allow the others to develop or all of them when you see them coming out? how long do you need to get rid of them for?". Responding to this, Ish assured: "Not dim at all! Just the first set of flowers (sometimes they're a bunch) and you'll see buds when they're there!". Another said: "First blossom appeared today - reluctant to pinch it off though! that particular plant has had very enthusiastic growth in just 5 weeks". But a different person complained: "I did this last year ended up with no strawberries," to which Ish responded suggesting that the action might have been taken too late in the season.
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Gardener urges people to put bowl of water out in garden this week
If your plants are struggling during the warmer weather, this TikToker has a simple solution. The trick is to place a bowl of water in your outdoor areas during the heatwave Adding a bowl of water to your garden might seem like a trivial task, but it could have a big impact on your outdoor space. Gardening expert Ish, also known as @ swears by this simple trick. In a recent TikTok video, he revealed how a bowl of water can be used to "rescue" struggling plants. Although it may seem straightforward, Ish claims it can make a huge difference to the health of your flowers. Even experienced gardeners can be guilty of being "neglectful" to their plants from time to time, especially when they have a large number to care for. When plants are forgotten, the soil can become "rock hard" and difficult to water, as it doesn't absorb well. However, Ish has a clever solution to this problem. He explains that compost is similar to a sponge, and when it's soaked in water for about an hour, it can work magic. Demonstrating the technique by placing a small plant in a bowl of water, Ish says: "Eventually it will slowly start soaking all that water back in, and it'll start to then become soft and pliable and incredibly absorbant, and that's exactly what you do with dried up compost. "You leave it to soak for about an hour, and what that'll do is rehydrate the soil, and create a kind of nice, easy, spongy texture, which means when you water this, it will completely soak in all of the water. "Once an hour has passed, you can easily take this out, and you'll feel the weight already of the hydrated soil in there. Just place it on a shelf to slowly drain away, and your soil will be fully rehydrated. "As a result, you'll be able to water this again and again as normal, and the water won't run out of the sides, but actually soak in and your plant will be nice and happy.", he added. Since the video was shared, it's racked up hundreds of views, with watchers eagerly chipping in their opinions and hacks. There's been a whole variety of responses and suggestions. One viewer commented: "I get them under water until there are no bubbles coming from the soil." Meanwhile, another shared their success story: "Yes, I did it to my indoor plant that was slowly showing signs of dying. Now it's like a new plant and I'm so happy." A third added: "I do this with my spider plant and peace lily house plants." And someone else mentioned: "Very useful tip to keep in mind for the summer." It's important to heed Ish's advice this week – as a heatwave is on its way to the UK. New weather maps for the country on Thursday show temperatures peaking at 26C in London and the south east of England, as warm weather spreads across much of England and Wales. Brits from Southampton up as far north as Newcastle will enjoy warm sunshine on Thursday as temperatures are forecast to range from the low to mid-20s and predictions of 29C from the Met Office. But one region is set to miss out on the best of the weather before things start to cool down again. Those in the south west of the country, mainly Cornwall but also parts of Devon, will see highs of just 16C on Thursday at 3pm, while areas in the Pennines and Scottish borders are set for just 14C. Meanwhile those in and around London will see temperatures reaching 24C, according to new weather maps from WXCharts.
