reusing and recycling unusual things!

Furny

jd87 wrote: »

We've got hundreds of Muller Light pots saved up. We were saving them to take them to our local recycling place, but it isn't taking plastic any more. If I advertise them on freecycle do you think someone would take them, or are they the wrong shape for growing things in?

One persons rubbish is anothers person gain!. I would put them on freecycle you never know what someone may want them for, i've currently got my chillis happily potted in them!.

alanobrien

I reuse the large plastic milk containers to make self watering pots for lettuce etc.
I think they are 4L containers but the same can be done with the smaller ones.

You just cut them in half along the middle, then put a hole in the plastic screw top.
You then put string or something equally absorbant through the hole in the screw top to act as a wick.

Turn this upside down and put it into the bottom half which acts as the water reserviour.
Then fill the top half with compost and seeds of your choice. Put water in the reserviour and watch the seeds grow. Here's a picture of one with lettuce seed growing;

Kimonokawaii

I use 2L fizzy drinks bottles as bird scarers by cutting them in half and putting them on canes, I also use them as a mini cloch over seedlings i've planted out. I use loads of different food containers as seed trays in the greenhouse. Tights are fab for shed storage. I put up a wooden pole (sweeping brush handle) like a wardrobe pole across my shed and hang tights over the pole one leg each side. I keep saved yoghurt pots and plant pots in them, store onions/garlic/potatoes. Egg boxes are good seed trays and fab for chitting spuds. I keep my seed packets in a shoe storage thingy, y'know the one with the plastic compartments...I use a different compartment for different months

oldsam

Plastic Milk cartons made into pots and trays for the garden, Funnels for putting in oil and water for the car but mark which is which ! Keeping bits and pieces together if you do jobs around the house .

thifty

I fished some old Unihoc sticks out of our school skip and have now got them as row markers on the allotment, much better than canes as the ends are obviously not at all sharp!
wine corks with a hole worked into the top work for cane toppers too (also gives you an excuse for drinking the wine, hic!)

Amarillo

I haven't got round to doing it yet but I sm going to usd my old clothes aired with some strong plastic I have as a cloche.

kimmee

I'm running out of pots to plant out my veggies in but yesterday in my garage i saw the old plastic storage unit that my DS2 threw out. It's one of those plastic storage units that have drawers in and i reckon that if I can manage to drill some holes in the drawers they will make very good planters

Very useful thread OP - thanks

SailorSam

I use cut down milk containers or orange juice cartons as moulds to go in the freezer, after making soup; curry whatever put a cheap thin sandwich bag in the 'milk mould' then once its frozen you can remove it and stack the bags in the freezer, so taking up less space.

stilernin

kimmee wrote: »

....yesterday in my garage i saw the old plastic storage unit that my DS2 threw out. It's one of those plastic storage units that have drawers in and i reckon that if I can manage to drill some holes in the drawers they will make very good planters

Just read this and had a light bulb moment (might be a bit dim though).

I wonder if it would be possible to make a wormery out of one of these plastic drawer units? I've only given it 30secs thought so far and would have to work out how to get the compost in the lower drawer to touch the next level up to allow the worms to migrate upwards.

Any thoughts anyone?

I love these threads, we can always learn from others.

chelms38

I found an old pair of wellington boots in the cupboard and wondered if anyone has ever grown carrots or parsnips in them and did they grow well?