Recycle household items into gardening tools
There’s no need to buy tools when there’s so many ways to recycle and re-purpose everyday household items.
Plastic milk bottle with handle – The humble milk bottle can be used for many different purposes in the garden.
- Cut the bottoms of the bottle to create a greenhouse for seedlings. Push about an inch into the soil so the container can protect from crawlers. You can control the temperature by leaving or removing the cap. Once plants have outgrown containers, they will be hardy enough to survive without protection
- Cut a milk bottle diagonally about the half way point and you’ve got a simple scoop with a good handle.
- Use the milk just for slow watering by punching holes in the lower half of the bottle and sinking them into the soil between your plants. You can now easily fill the container with water at the top.
Old towels, pantyhose, fabric – Cut into strips, these make safe and secure ties when you need to support plants.
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Egg cartons – Start seedlings in your leftover egg cartons. Fill with soil and punch a single hole at the bottom of each cell for drainage.
Toilet paper rolls – Make biodegradable planters by cutting slits at the end of the roll and fold the strips down so they overlap. Once germinated, plant whole thing into the garden!
Takeaway containers, plastic cups, soft drink bottles – If you don’t mind transplanting your seedlings, repurpose all those difficult to recycle plastic items.
Plastic bottles – Always forgetting to water the pot plants? Create a self-watering irrigation system with plastic bottles. Cut the bottle in half and remove bottle cap. Dig the bottle into the soil with the bottleneck end down. Fill water as needed.
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