Recycling and being self-sufficient are two important elements to becoming more green and reducing our impact on the planet. Being able to repurpose household items in the garden is a great way to use the things that we would otherwise discard and give them new life. Being creative with what we already have around the house helps you to think about how to better use the items you already have and helps you to save money. Most things around the house can be repurposed to fill another role, and here are some of the best ways to recycle old items around the house and put them to use in the garden.
Cutting the containers in strips, directly down from the top to the base, and then cutting them free from the base, gives you a sturdy plastic marker that can be used to help you identify your crops. Permanent marker works best for this type of plastic and gives a new life to your old plastic container.
Cut the roll into 3-inch sections, and carefully fold over the end on one side of these individual sections. Fill each section with potting soil, and you now have biodegradable seedling pellets that you can use to start germinating seeds indoors or in a green house. The best part is that the whole pellet, casing too, can be planted out in the garden.
If you have deep pots, or large containers that you want to plant in and do not want them to be so heavy, place large chunks of Styrofoam at the bottom to dummy up the soil. Styrofoam that comes with electronics and is in large sheets, or in peanut form, works best because you want large chunks so that it can easily raise up the soil, while still allowing for proper drainage.
Just like the toilet paper or paper towel rolls, eggshells can be filled with a potting mix and used to start seeds. You need clean eggshells that are fairly intact to do this, and it is best to have the original carton to help hold them upright once they are filled with soil. The best part about this is that the eggshells can be lightly cracked once the plant is mature enough to be planted, and the whole thing can be place in the garden. The eggshell will break down and provide nutrients to the seedling too.
The clamshell packages that strawberries, sprouts, and most other berries arrive to the supermarket in make for great mini greenhouses. They typically have plenty of ventilation holes, and when placed in a sunny area indoors, can create the ideal environment for young plants to flourish in. You can use the paper towel and toilet paper roll seedling pods easily in this greenhouse, and best of all, the mini green house can be saved and used again the following year.
