Money Saving Techniques

[cyanara]

hi all... sorry not been around recently.. we've all been rather poorly here!! I do hope you are all doing well!!

Anyhow... as Christmas broke the bank ( and the street the bank was on, not to mention the town that the street was in that the bank was one !!)
I was wondering if anyone had any great money saving tips for gardening.

A couple i've kinda come up with are....

1. Use large plastic jucie bottles cut in half as mini cloches

2. Use toilet roll/paper towel inner tubes to pack with compost for planting seeds... (figuring that i can just plant the lot once i take them out of the growhouse and not disturb roots etc and they's biodegrade in the planters - trying to save on those little peatpot thingys!)

3. Use plastic buckets with holes in them for planting seed tatties rather than posh tattie growing bags that i used (successfully!) last year.

ummmm... that was me... any more...???

[bubblewrap]

Had an idea the other day. Take some seeds from tined tomatoes and see if they grow?

[Winged one]

And you could probably use the tins they came in as pots (with a few holes in the base).

[Sue]

Wouldn't the tinned tomatoes been heated to pasturise them or whatever they do with them?

My latest money saver (and I'm very proud of this one) was to take the shelves out of my defunct oven and save them - you never know.
Now I've had a brainwave and will be mounting them on my shed with cup hooks and bingo - instant trellis.

I've also made some very snazzy plant label holders by cutting plastic milk bottles in half and cutting higher at the back to allow me to use it as a tab - make a hole in it and you have a handy container that can be hung up in the shed.

Mooch around outside restaurants and look for those big polystyrene containers that are used to deliver frozen meat, fish etc, great for growing early carrots and shall be breaking up the biggest one to make a warm floor for my new cold frame.

One of those clothes dryers that you can use over the bath makes a good protection against cats digging up the raised beds when freshly planted.

Try a fishmongers to see if they have the buckets that are used to transport shell fish, these come with handle and lid and I've been given loads, really useful and put holes in the bottom if you want to use them as pots. Tho with the lid they'd be really useful for making smelly comfrey compost tea.

best wishes
Sue

[NOG]

My money saving idea is get two plastic shopping bags...thick ones. Fill them with foam chips, then force the wifes hands in to them and tape up the Cuffs.

This will prevent her getting her purse out and buying the contents of the High Street....It has worked for me.

But you need to remember to take them off at 5pm or you don't get any tea.

[rustylady]

Check out local skips for anything you may be able to use - you would be surprised what people throw away. Yes, we use toilet roll "inner tubes" for sowing bean seed and you can plant the whole lot. I haven't bought peat pots for years. I do raise a lot of seed in plastic cell trays, but with care these can last for years. As for compost, I get a bale (150 litres) from B & Q and use this for everything. Sieved for seed compost. Check the local pound shop for seeds, plants etc. Swap seeds/plants with friends and local allotment holders.

[snake the squadie]

same as sue i cut up plastic milk bottles to use as veg lables and like cyanara i used toilet rolls as potts but need to be a bit carefull with this one as i had a few mushrooms(not the edible type) grow as well. i allways save my yougert pots as small plant pots aswell

[Matt.]

Wouldn't the tinned tomatoes been heated to pasturise them

Tomato seeds are super resilient seeds - like cockroaches of the seed world! I know somebody who obtained several tonnes of 'compost' from a sewage treatment works for landscaping his garden. Anyway despite the heat treatment that waste goes through come the summer there were so many tomato plants you couldn't believe it.

[piskieinboots]

Yakult pots make great cane covers - to save ya eyes

[snake the squadie]

nice one i never thought of that and i have nearly come a cropper a couple of times to garden canes

[piskieinboots]

all they need is a little wire twisted around them and cane to keep them in harmony

[Madasafish]

I use old yoghurt pots for can end covers as above.

Old rocket sticks (Nov5) as helpful support sticks.

Vinegar to clean greenhouse windows (ex pickled onion jars).

Old plastic sacks as slug/snail traps or to hold compost in whilst rotting and compost bins overflowing.
Shred all small branches , pile into heaps and use as a mulch for strawberries/rasps.

[Flummery]

Yakult pots make great cane covers - to save ya eyes

I use tonic bottles. Big ones. This has the advantage that they stop you poking out your eye and they also rattle in the wind so the pigeons do a runner (well, a flapper!)

[zazen999]

I use the coffee stirrers - the wooden ones - as labels. Plus lolly sticks. I also use them if they are thicker for pricking out seedlings.

[snake the squadie]

my top mony saving idea is stop going to mcdonalds(pizza hut and kfc are fine)