HAIR / EGGSHELLS / NAILCLIPPINGS
Yes they can go into the compost bin but they can also be sprinkled/wrapped around tender plants to keep the slugs away! Those little slimy pests don’t like the feel of these items and will not try and crawl over them not even for a taste of your plants!
SHOE LACES
Broken shoelaces? Slightly worn? Use them for tying up plants or thread it through the hanging holes in your small garden tools to keep them together.
CITRUS FRUIT
You’ve juiced a few oranges for a morning drink and are left with several halves, all hollowed out. Place them downturned on your garden beds, the slugs will sneak into them during the night and in the morning you can throw them away (slug and all!)
BANANA PEEL
Before planting new plants (especially tomatoes!) cut up some banana peel into small pieces and add them to the hole before the plant. Banana peel is a good source of potash and phosphorus that is a great for soil enrichment.
WASHING UP BRUSH
Your washing up brush is starting to look a little worst for wear. Don’t throw it, add some coloured tape to the bottom (to identify it for the type of job it will be doing) and keep it with your garden tools. When you’ve finished gardening, use the brush to scrub clean mud/grass from any awkward spaces on your tools
OLD CUTLERY
Old and tarnished and not fit for the dinner table any more? Keep the forks and tablespoons as “fine” tools that can offer more control when doing smaller chores such as weeding around delicate plants or even when working on indoor plants.
PLASTIC BOTTLES
This would mainly be for the larger bottles such as 1.5ltr or bigger. These make great cloches for small plants, remember to keep an eye on them in summer though as they can make the plants very hot. Cut off the base and push the remaining part of the bottle around the plant. You should remove the lid to allow air to circulate and also to help you water.
If you have a wormery it’s always a good idea to keep a stash of plastic bottles to hand. I have to drain my wormery quite regularly and when I have a number of bottles full of "wormjuice" I offer it to friends and family!
NET CURTAINS
Old net curtains can be great for covering fruit plants such as strawberries to keep the birds from eating them. The less opaque the better though.
YOGHURT POTS
Okay not just yoghurt pots, plastic cups, egg boxes… all of these can be great for starting seedlings or even as mini plant pots after you’ve separated a cluster of seedlings. They can save on you having to buy lots of little plant pots and just with a few holes stabbed in the botton you’re all set!
MILK BOTTLE TOPS / CDs
If you get your milk delivered and it has the shiny aluminium lid, save them! Then thread a load together on some string and hang them over your veg patch to stop birds having a nibble. Stringing up old CDs has the same effect!
POLYSTYRENE CHIPS
Do you have some small plants in small pots outside, starting to feel the chill of our up-and-down weather? Place the smaller pots into slightly bigger pots and then in between the gap, slot in polystyrene chips.
This will insulate the plants roots but still allow the leaves/stems to become "hardened".
Remember always think "Reuse" before "Recycle"
Categories: reuse competition, water saver
I have a plastic old neat container in my kitchen. Every day it gets filled with all my used tea bags, potatoe & vegetable peelings. Orange, kiwi fruit & banana skins. Apple & pear cores. Dead flowers. All of this goes into my garden compost bin at the end of the day and makes the most wonderful compost for free
I have to hand it to you, Maddy. You are the Queen of reuse! Some more great tips in this article – I love the way you think outside the box. The net curtains one is excellent. Thank you for sharing all your wonderful ideas.
Nice idea! I like the reuse idea to keep soggy tea bags ready for their compost bin!
Hi Rachel, why thank you!
I love the idea of “reuse” and I can’t look at anything without thinking of reuse items now! lol
The citrus one is SO true, the slugs hate it and I just love beating the bad buggies with a cunning plan….lol…. John Seymour, the guru of all things self-sufficient once said, ‘Any food can use chemicals to keep them at bay’….how true that is. Tracey Smith
Tin cans are great for small house plants – I take off the paper, punch 3 holes in the bottom and use them for cuttings & herbs. They look v.stylish on the kitchen windowsill, and make quirky presents (with a plant, of course!)
I love tipping my kitchen sized container into the big dalek every few days too. Do you stir your compost, Zoe? I’m still learning how best to speed it along naturally.
Smart! I bet that’s really stylish. I had thought they would rust… Have you ever had a rust problem?
One great accelerator for compost heaps is urine! Not nice but it really does help! My partner indulges this quirkism for our compost bins (and also creates another good use for plastic bottles!) lol Stirring the compost can be done if you find its not breaking down quickly. Tumblers are great for this because you can just give them a spin. Most composts became Hot Composts (place your hand into the bin above the waste) you will often feel the heat rising from it. This is usually a good sign that it’s working nicely!
Thanks for this, Maddy. I have a dalek already, do won’t be buying a spinner. My partner and I do wee in it every now and again – it’s such a liberating feeling!! I wonder if you can answer another question for me. I’m about to move house – is there any reason why it would be a bad idea to try and take the dalek and its contents with me?
what great ideas can I add some into my tips reference page on TGF and link back to you here?