One of the pleasurable spin-offs in organic gardening is
finding alternative ways of coming up with the same, if not
better, end result.....
Household throwaways can be valuable to the alternate
enthusiast. Here are ten recyclable ideas to make gardening a
little less hard on the pocket!
1.Hedge clippings: Instead of burning or direct composting,
beg, borrow or even buy, if the quantity justifies the price,
an electric garden muncher.
Branches up to an inch in diameter are posted into a slot and
the machine munches them up into small chips. Spread these
chips thickly around shrubs or fruit trees to help keep
moisture in, and control the temperature of the soil.
2.Food Waste: All food waste must be composted. Composting is
becoming quite an art form, and special composting bins can be
bought, or very simply made.
There are many different theories and each gardener will find
his or her preferred way. Keeping the compost fairly warm is
the overall key to a good result. Or, if you're in no hurry,
simply keep adding to a heap, and dig out the bottom when
required. Sieve before using and the compost will be ready
for planting small plants and even seeds.
3.Old carpets, large damaged cardboard boxes; and similar
materials can be laid over the vegetable plot in autumn to help
prevent those early spring weeds appearing. Spread over a whole
patch and weigh down with stones or logs. Lift off on a sunny
day in early spring a few days before digging.
4.Paint trays: Keep old roller painting trays and similar
containers for seed trays. Punch a few holes in the bottom for
drainage. Add a little fine gravel before filling with seed
compost. Seed trays shouldn't be deeper than 15cm.
5.Yoghurt pots: All plastic yoghurt or dessert pots can be
washed and saved for re-potting seedlings. Make a hole in the
bottom of each and add a little fine gravel before filling with
compost or soil..
6.Glass jars: Glass jars with sealable lids are excellent for
storing seeds, beans and peas for planting next year. (Safe
from mice as well) After washing the jars, dry in the oven to
remove all traces of moisture before storing your seeds.
Collect dark glass jars, or wrap paper round clear jars to
prevent seeds being damaged by light.
7.Ice Lolly sticks: Make perfect row markers in your seed trays
or greenhouse beds. The wooden ones won't last for ever but you
can at least write on them with pen, pencil or crayons!
8.Wire coat hangers: Make mini-cloches with discarded or broken
wire coat hangers. Pull into a square shape. Place the hook in
the soil and push down gently until the natural bend in the
wire rests on top of the soil. Place another a short distance
away in your seed bed to create two ends of a cloche. Now throw
over a sheet of plastic and hold down with logs or stones.
Note: this will work only when creating very small cloches.
9.Clear plastic: Keep any clear plastic containers that could
be placed upside down over a plant. Cut a mineral water bottle
in half to make two handy individual cloches. Large sheets of
clear plastic from packaged household items are fine for
throwing over mini coat hanger cloches.
10.Aluminium bottle tops: Keep aluminium tops from milk or
juice bottles, and also coloured foil around beer or wine
bottles. Thread together to maka bird scarer. Simply thread
with thick cotton and hang on your fruit bushes before the
birds find the new fruits.
Look out for other tools for the garden from kitchen throwaways
such as:
old kitchen spoons and forks for transplanting tiny plants in
the greenhouse.
Leaky buckets for harvesting small quantities of potatoes,
carrots etc;
light wooden boxes for harvesting salads through the summer,
and transporting pots etc;
Keep an eye on that rubbish bag and turn today's throwaways
into tomorrow's tools!
About the Author
Linda Gray is a freelance writer and, with her partner, has
spent ten years renovating an acre of neglected woodland. With
a growing family to feed 'off the land', frugal gardening has
become second nature! Drop in at
http://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com for pots of gardening
inspiration!
