reusing and recycling unusual things!

bishboshbluebell

Hi everybody - first timer here! You seem such a friendly bunch that I thought I'd share some of the ideas I've had for reusing things. When potting up containers for the garden, I cut up old kitchen sponges (I've been saving them for a while) into quite small pieces and mix in with compost. They hold water and help retain moisture in the pots. Saves buying water retaining crystals.
We seem to get through lots of cartons of fruit juice/ soya milk/ milk cartons. I cut the tops off, holes in the bottom, put a layer of newspaper on the bottom and voila la (not sure how to spell that!) deep containers that I use for planting in sweet peas, beans, etc. Anyone else got any ideas?

valentina

I use toilet roll inner tubes for growing sweetpeas (I'm not claiming to be original with that one!). Also the trays that you get mushrooms in from the supermarket to stand the toilet roll inners in. The plastic bags that you put veg, bread in at the supermarket I use to cover pots of seedlings. If I break a plate I use the broken bits for crocks in pots.

chrisaj

I use the plastic food trays for sowing seeds.
2 ltr plstic drink bottles for keeping growbags moist. Cut the bottom off the bottle, take the cap off and push into the growbag, then fill with water

rhiwfield

Try 2 litre plastic drink bottles for bird scarers.

Various plastic containers cut up for plant labels.

Toilet roll inners as mentioned.

Supermarket cardboard trays and inserts for storage or chitting. Use a plastic liner for them when using tray as a holder for multiple plant pots when growing on to allow watering.

Black builders buckets (drilled) for growing potatoes, tomatoes and other plants

DKLS

Old jumpers to line hanging baskets.

midnightraven3

gosh i plant in anything that stays still long enough:D

tin cans
ones with ring pull lids? (again not my idea)
take off ring pull lid as usual, empty & use contents:D
wash tin, take off the bottom with tin opener, and allow to fall into the can (to what was the top originally?)
voila, a planter with drainage, the bottom is loose enough to allow water to pass but stays in place

i do use normal cans as well, nail & hammer easily punches holes,
my shiney cans look rather chic:D

sparkleworld

Four pallets screwed together to make a compost bin.

Old broken washing line upside down with an old childs bicycle wheel on the top with string tied from the spokes to the washing line to grow sweet peas up !

Old blue piping to use as a frame with netting over starwberries.

Flower buckets from morrisons for well .... just about everything lol.
( mixing my own compost mixture to cutting the bottom off the bucket and putting into a grow bag for tomatoes-

Lrg Muller yoghurt pots with a hot nail poked in the bottom several times for plant pots.

2 & 4 pint milk containers with holes in the lid ( Same process as above)- just a finer nail.
Then use as watering cans down the allotment on my seed bed, A bit gentler than the watering can.

Twigs cut down from last years trees - courtesy of the council, Great for growing peas up.

Polycarb sheets being replaced from local asda from their trolley parks great for cold frames, along with yet another pallet.

The bright orange mesh thay use when cordoning off an area where work is taking place -along with the metal spike thingies??? again for growing peas. (We eat lots of peas!).

None of the above items were obtained illegally but it is amazing what people will give you if you ask politely.

After building our local asda the builders came round with six wheelbarrows for all the allotments to use/share as they no longer needed them. Yes we had to put up with a lot of disruption , noise dust etc but they didn't have to donate all their old , spent stuff.

The blue netting used on scaffolding - its the same as the green gardening stuff just blue!- great for shading in the green house.

The punnets fresh fruit and veg come in for growing seeds and also for harvesting fruit in the summer.

think thats all for now

Regards
*Sparkle*

RAS

Old tennis balls - particularly chewed ones (I live near a park) can be used at the top of a pyramid of canes/poles. Just poke them through and it holds them together.

Old medicine bottles as cane toppers.

Strips of tight material as plant ties.

beckstrous

I am also making pots out of newspaper with a paper potter. Good for potting on seedlings before they are ready to go outside.

midnightraven3

i use a paper potter too
my son brings home the metro each day for me
and i sit at night making them

cactuspotty

We grew all our carrots last year in two old baths.