Gardeners told to put used washing up sponges in garden by the end of July

Gardeners are being urged not to throw away their old washing-up sponges, and instead use them to help their plants stay healthy this summer. A clever tip shared on the popular YouTube channel , which has more than 600,000 subscribers, went viral, with the video being viewed nearly four million times.

The idea involves cleaning and reusing used sponges to help improve water retention in plant pots, which is especially helpful in hot weather when soil dries out quickly. The gardening expert in the video said: "Every time we throw them away, we don't know that what we are doing is wasting a powerful ally for our plants, our garden and our pots."

The first step is to soak the sponge in soapy water for one hour. This helps clean off any grease or bacteria. Once that's done, the sponge must be thoroughly rinsed to remove all the soap.

Next, the clean sponge is cut into small pieces using scissors. These pieces are then placed at the base of the plant pot, directly on the bottom, and mixed with a bit of earth.

Regular soil is added on top to fill the pot.

According to the expert, when the plant is watered, the sponge pieces absorb the water or fertiliser and gradually release it over time.

This keeps the soil moist for longer and helps the plant stay hydrated and fed, even if you go away on holiday.

The expert added: "We won't have to worry because the earth will always have the right amount of moisture and adequate water, and that's thanks to the sponge."

Over time, the sponge helps with drainage and continues to hold water, but synthetic sponges may not fully break down.

What's more, this tip is best used for flowers and decorative plants, not herbs, fruit, or vegetables, due to concerns about microplastics.

One viewer commented: "I love tips like this, have always been a recycle nut." Another wrote: "Genius idea! Why on earth didn't I know this before?"

Others praised the sponge's ability to stop soil leaking out of the bottom of pots.

One person said: "It works well for drainage, as well as stopping the soil coming out the holes in the bottom of the pot."

But some were more cautious, especially when it came to growing food.

One person warned: "I would be very careful not to use this in anything you plan to eat, like herbs and things, because of the plastic from the sponges getting into the food."

Nonetheless, gardeners are being encouraged to try this before the end of July, so plants can benefit from longer-lasting moisture during August and the rest of summer.