Recycling is all the rage these days, as people look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, tackle global warming and improve the environment.
Gardening, you might think, is one of the most environmentally friendly activities out there. All those plants absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and producing oxygen – what could be better?
While this certainly isn't in doubt, there are plenty of steps you could take to make your garden even more environmentally friendly. Here are a few of the little things that you can do that could add up to make a big effect.
Re-use bottles and cartons
Fizzy drink bottles can be recycled, but they can also be used in your garden, Thompson and Morgan points out. They make ideal miniature covers, or cloches, for individual plants, which protect them until they become well established. Cut the bottom off the bottles and place them over the plants, unscrewing the tops if you want to provide ventilation.
Plastic punnets and mini-containers are also excellent mini propagator lids when they are turned upside-down. Making a few holes in the bottom of takeaway containers can transform them into seed trays, while old plastic trays can be used as saucers for pot plants.
Egg cartons can also come in handy when you've finished with them. They are ideal for chitting potatoes before you plant them, enabling them to produce sturdy shoots.
Recycle food and water
Re-using water is another way in which you can help to conserve resources. Old water from fish tanks can be particularly useful for growing plants, as it contains plenty of nutrients. Boiled water left over from cooking can be used as a weedkiller.
Food can also be re-used as fertiliser, as Organic Authority points out. Acid-loving plants will benefit from recycled tea bags and coffee grounds, while recycled eggshells can be used to feed botanicals that like calcium-rich, alkaline conditions. Potassium-rich banana skins can be buried around the roots of rose bushes to give them a helping hand.
Recycled coffee grounds also make a good pest deterrent, preventing your plants from being attacked by unwanted guests. Old compact discs can be used for a similar purpose – the reflective material is good at scaring away birds that can damage tomato plants.
Don't throw away old materials
If you're redecorating the house, you might find yourself lumbered with a load of old carpet that you no longer need. Don't worry, though, as this can be used around the garden. If you're creating a pond, old carpet could be used to line the hole before you put in the lining.
Alternatively, you could use this material as insulation for compost heaps to keep the heat in over winter.
Old compost bags have a variety of uses, so don't throw them away! They can be split open and used to temporarily suppress weeds and also come in handy for lining raised beds.
These are just a few suggestions to get you started. Some you might have thought of already, of course – but with a bit of ingenuity, there are plenty of other ways of turning your unwanted goods into useful items.
