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There are many different theories
and each gardener will find his or her preferred way. Keeping
the compost fairly warm is the overall key to a good result.
Or, if you're in no hurry, simply keep adding to a heap, and
dig out the bottom when required. Sieve before using and the
compost will be ready for planting small plants and even seeds.
3. Old carpets, large damaged
cardboard boxes; and similar materials can be laid over the vegetable
plot in autumn to help prevent those early spring weeds appearing.
Spread over a whole patch and weigh down with stones or logs.
Lift off on a sunny day in early spring a few days before digging.
4. Paint trays: Keep old roller
painting trays and similar containers for seed trays. Punch a
few holes in the bottom for drainage. Add a little fine gravel
before filling with seed compost. Seed trays shouldn't be deeper
than 15cm.
5. Yoghurt pots: All plastic
yoghurt or dessert pots can be washed and saved for re-potting
seedlings. Make a hole in the bottom of each and add a little
fine gravel before filling with compost or soil..
6. Glass jars: Glass jars with
sealable lids are excellent for storing seeds, beans and peas
for planting next year. (Safe from mice as well) After washing
the jars, dry in the oven to remove all traces of moisture before
storing your seeds. Collect dark glass jars, or wrap paper round
clear jars to prevent seeds being damaged by light.
7. Ice Lolly sticks: Make perfect
row markers in your seed trays or greenhouse beds. The wooden
ones won't last for ever but you can at least write on them with
pen, pencil or crayons!
8. Wire coat hangers: Make mini-cloches
with discarded or broken wire coat hangers. Pull into a square
shape. Place the hook in the soil and push down gently until
the natural bend in the wire rests on top of the soil. Place
another a short distance away in your seed bed to create two
ends of a cloche. Now throw over a sheet of plastic and hold
down with logs or stones.
Note: this will work only when
creating very small cloches.
9. Clear plastic: Keep any clear
plastic containers that could be placed upside down over a plant.
Cut a mineral water bottle in half to make two handy individual
cloches. Large sheets of clear plastic from packaged household
items are fine for throwing over mini coat hanger cloches.
10. Aluminium bottle tops: Keep
aluminium tops from milk or juice bottles, and also coloured
foil around beer or wine bottles. Thread together to make bird
scarer. Simply thread with thick cotton and hang on your fruit
bushes before the birds find the new fruits.
Look out for other tools for
the garden from kitchen throwaways such as: old kitchen spoons
and forks for transplanting tiny plants in the greenhouse. Leaky
buckets for harvesting small quantities of potatoes, carrots
etc; light wooden boxes for harvesting salads through the summer,
and transporting pots etc;
Keep an eye on that rubbish
bag and turn today's throwaways into tomorrow's tools! |
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