When you’re a dedicated gardener, you obviously want the flowers you plant to grow and thrive. They’re going to make your perfectly planned garden look amazing, after all! But, sadly, there are more than a few elements out there that will effectively ruin all the hard work you’ve put in.

The two biggest offenders that will ruin your beautiful, hard work? Rot and hungry little underground critters.

Rot is especially prevalent when it comes to bulbs like tulips and daffodils. The problem stems from different fungi and bacteria that can grow underground and penetrate the bulbs you’ve planted. It only takes days, in some cases, for this fungus to completely infect your bulbs and from there, your plants will quickly wither and die.

When it comes to hungry critters, the list is LONG. Mice, squirrels, voles, chipmunks, and other burrowing creatures will completely eat your bulbs before they even have a chance to shoot up. What’s more, insects such as caterpillars, slugs, mites, and aphids are also searching for bulbs to snack on.

There are ways to tell if your bulbs are being attacked underground (for instance, you’ll notice a sticky substance on your plant leaves if there’s an aphid infestation) but, let’s be honest, you’d rather know that your bulbs are safe from the moment you plant them.

Well, there’s no 100% guarantee that your bulbs will thrive once they’ve been planted, but we definitely have a tip that will give you gardeners a little peace of mind! It all comes down to one very unexpected bathroom toiletry: baby powder.

You would probably have never expected to use this fine, white powder in your gardening, but it has an incredible double use for bulb flowers! Using this powder on your bulbs keeps away underground critters (they’re repulsed by the smell of the powder for some reason) and it gives them an extra protective layer to keep the rot-causing fungi out.

Odds are, you’re wondering how to most appropriately cover your bulbs in baby powder, and we have a solution for that, too. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Flower Bulbs
• Baby Powder
• Plastic Bag
• Tablespoon

It’s that easy and cheap to give your bulbs some extra protection for the entire season! Make sure to watch the video below to see exactly how this simple DIY is done, but you’ll see that it only takes one simple step (literally, all of 30 seconds) to take this precaution when planting bulbs.

What do you think of this gardening tip? Do you have a hack you use to keep rot and critters away from your bulbs? Make sure to share your thoughts with us!