10 Free Gardening Products

One of the pleasurable spin-offs in organic gardening is finding alternative ways of coming up with the same, if not better, end result.....

Household throwaways can be valuable to the alternate enthusiast. Here are ten recyclable ideas to make gardening a little less hard on the pocket!

1. Hedge clippings: Instead of burning or direct composting, beg, borrow or even buy, if the quantity justifies the price, an electric garden muncher.

Branches up to an inch in diameter are posted into a slot and the machine munches them up into small chips. Spread these chips thickly around shrubs or fruit trees to help keep moisture in, and control the temperature of the soil.

2. Food Waste: All food waste must be composted. Composting is becoming quite an art form, and special composting bins can be bought, or very simply made.

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 maka 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!

About The Author

Linda Gray is a freelance writer and, with her partner, has spent ten years renovating an acre of neglected woodland. With a growing family to feed 'off the land', frugal gardening has become second nature! Drop in at http://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com for pots of gardening inspiration!

---

How to Build a Shed

The easiest way to build a shed in the backyard... Read More

What You Should Know About Miniature Roses

Miniature roses are exactly what they sound like. They have... Read More

10 Tips for Successful Rose Planting

Planting roses isn't actually complicated, as long as you have... Read More

Ship Ahoy! The Nautical Touch in Your Outdoor Living Space

Would you rather be sailing or are you strictly a... Read More

Water Ponds and Wildlife - How To Attract More Animals to Your Backyard

Wildlife require water just as humans do. Water is essential... Read More

How and When to Plant Roses

When spring comes and the ground is thawed, it is... Read More

Vegetable Growing for Beginners

If you have never grown vegetables before the first thing... Read More

Trust Your Plants - They Know How To Grow!

I've done a lot of container gardening over the years,... Read More

Laying Out Your Landscape Part Two

Part Two in a SeriesOnce you have your landscape design... Read More

Colorado Blue Spruce And Lush Red Roses

Set in a broad expanse of lush green lawn a... Read More

Layer Your Plantings

Part three in a seriesIn our last article, we helped... Read More

About Hummingbirds and How to Attract Them to Your Garden

Visualize watching a bright green hummingbird in your garden moving... Read More

How to Grow Chocolate Cosmos

Chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguinea) is both nose and eye candy... Read More

Backyard Ponds

Backyard ponds are a great source of fun and enjoyment.... Read More

Light Up Your Garden And Brighten Your Life

Extending Your Living SpaceThe garden is fast being considered to... Read More

Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners (part 4) Environment

THE BASICS OF HYDROPONICS.The Success or Failure of Your Plants... Read More

Flower Meanings

Certain types or colors of flowers mean different things, and... Read More

Butterfly Gardening

Butterfly gardening is not only a joy, it is one... Read More

Gardening on a Budget

When we moved into our south Anchorage log home I... Read More

Gardening in Containers

Every Garden can benefit from the addition of container gardens.... Read More

Feeding the Hummingbirds

Early in May here in west central Wisconsin, I can... Read More

Plan Before Buying Rose Bushes

So, you have decided to plant rose bushes in your... Read More

The Ivy League

Parthenocissus tricuspidata is commonly known as Boston Ivy, Cottage Ivy,... Read More

Lady Bugs Are Your #1 Natural Pest Control

First, this bug has many names. Some of it's names... Read More

Herbs: Growing Your Own

The first thing you need to do when deciding to... Read More

Skip The Pesticide And Use Natural Alternatives

For best health, it is important to keep your environment... Read More

Tips for Backyard Fish Ponds Care

Installing a backyard fish pond is an aesthetic addition to... Read More

10 Free Gardening Products

One of the pleasurable spin-offs in organic gardening is finding... Read More

A Rose is a Rose?

There are many varied definitions of what each color of... Read More

Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners (Part 3) Lighting

THE BASICS OF HYDROPONICS.An Introduction To Indoor Plant Grow Lights.There... Read More

Cozy Nooks: Creating a Secret Outdoor Place

Everyone seems to love a secret -- and when the... Read More

Hills and Holes: Not Part of Your Landscaping Design?

Do pests 'gopher' your lawn? Chances are, if you have... Read More

Multi Purpose Tree ? Sugar Palm

Palm family is unique in the aspect that most of... Read More