Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle

[Shortie]

The recent discovery of how to make newspaper pots, and learning about using loo rolls to support tall seedlings like sunflowers etc, AND the suggestion to use egg boxes to sow seeds in has got me wondering what other things around my house I can reuse and recycle (and therefore reduce waste)

Anyone got any gems that they'd like to share on seemingly ordinary, boring household items that can be made useful in the garden?

[JennieAtkinson]

Plastic water bottles as mini cloches .... I find they work quite well in getting things started off.

[pigletwillie]

Cut plastic milk bottles into strips and use as plant labels, otherwise cut the end off opposite to the handle at an angle to make a spiffing scoop thats good for mixing composts or even scooping up chicken feed etc. Different size bottles make different sized scoops. Bingo.

[Jaxom]

Tetra 1ltr milk and fruit juice boxes cut in half gives you two good size pots for growing on.
Jax

[smallblueplanet]

I use the plastic containers you get mushrooms/veg in as 'gravel trays'.

Hmmm thats not much is it?!

err....bury a plastic 2 litre bottle, upside down with the bottom cut-off, for direct watering of courgettes and such like.

[eskymo]

I always keep plastic bottle and cut them in half and use as cloches when starting of veg in the plot, also cut just the top off some of the bottles to get taller cloches to protect sunflowers when they are still quite fragile and prone to wind damage.

I also do what sbp does above for deep watering - it works really well with courgettes and runner beans.

I use toilet rolls to plant sweat peas in and use any plastic container from mushrooms or tomatoes as tray underneath pots or for sowing flower seeds.

I've reused my old compost bags this year to plant my spuds into after getting advice on this from folk on the Vine.

I've also managed to use any peice of scrap wood I come across - whether it be on the beach, in a skip or thrown out by the neighbours to create the different levels in my garden. Also managed to recycle lots of paving slabs and rocks that someone threw into a skip [it was a bugger getting them out though!]

Used pallets to create coldframes after reading the article in GYO months ago.

I also created a wormery from some plastic storage containers - got the idea from this site.

I wish I had the time and energy to do this:

Bin Seats

[JennieAtkinson]

Cut plastic milk bottles into strips and use as plant labels, otherwise cut the end off opposite to the handle at an angle to make a spiffing scoop thats good for mixing composts or even scooping up chicken feed etc. Different size bottles make different sized scoops. Bingo.

I've never had a "spiffing" scoop Pigletwilie !

[rauni]

tennis balls

Somewhere else on here, someone suggested tennis balls as a cheap or recycled alternative to build-a-balls for making fruit cages and whatnot. I'm collecting now.

[eskymo]

That's a brilliant idea!!! I'm definitely going to put that into practice.

I've just erected a arch made from bamboo canes and piping and was looking for something to put on the end of the horizontal canes so I don't accidentally poke my eyes out on them as I walk through - tennis balls might be a little large, but I'm now going to invest in some ping pong balls - but will try wine bottle corks first but think these might be a little small.

[andrewo]

I use empty plastic bottles as bird scarers. Great on top of a bamboo cane. I also use them as a drip system in a greenhouse or outdoors when it is warm, very easy - just take a pop bottle and pierce the cap with a small hole - this is the sealed variety. I also cut them in half and submerge them next to water hungry plant, such as tomatoes, courgettes etc (make sure that the two halves have holes in the bottom - the top already has one, so no worries there!) and use it as a water reservoir and it also is a great way to feed your plants to make sure the feed gets to them. I have also used old bottles as heater for melons I've tried outdoors, I surround the plant with bottles full of water, half submerged, the sun heats them up and then the heat is released at night, so the plant never drops to far in temperature.

[pigletwillie]

Probiotic yoghurt pots on the end of canes to stop you from "doing a King Harold"

[dragonz]

if you use a biodegradeable wah=shing up liquide ie ecover, you can let the water from washing dishes cool and then water plants, helps get rid of green fly and saves water

[Nicos]

Have recently heard of beer tins hung by their ring-pulls with a few stones inside are supposed to make a bit of a clatter in the wind to scare off the bunnies/birds etc... ( I prefer peace and quiet when I am on 'the plot' so can't be doing with these noisy deterrents)
Can't stand the old tape music stuff wizzing in the breeze either!!

[nick the grief]

sounds like a good Idea Nicos, I'll get a few cans in & do some research

[Sal]

Tyred...

Not exactly 'household' but if you stack rubber tyre casings (without the wheels) on top of one another and fill them with compost they make great potato towers. Car tyres don't break down and I wouldn't want to imagine what kind of harmful gases are belched out when burning them. Garages - if they are following environmental health legislation - actually have to dispose of them in an environmentally responsible way. It actually costs a garage money to have tyre casings removed and re-cycled into matting for play parks, etc. They will probably jump at the chance of getting rid of them to you for free!

Start with two tyre casings on top of each other filled with compost. Plant your spuds. When the foliage reaches 6 inches above the the top of the tyre stack add another empty tyre casing on top and a bit more compost. Keep topping up with compost/tyre casing/compost/tyre casing and so on. Each time you add more compost the plant will root at the stem and eventually produce more spuds. Knock the tower over at the end to harvest your spuds - less back breaking than digging them up! The black rubber may get quite warm in summer so you may have to water more often but your spuds will be mahusive!

Oh, and if you need more convincing last week I saw a brand new plastic potato tower 'kit' for sale in a garden centre - £29.99!