Recycled Gardening

I would venture to say most of us have items on hand that we could use as recycled gardening.  It not only saves you cash, but fits the wise old saying, “Use it up.  Wear it out.  Make it do or do without.”

Recycled Gardening Items

Eggshells – Crack the egg on the narrow pointed end, taking off just the end.  Rinse.  Make a drain hole with a very sharp pencil.  I placed the pencil inside the egg, pressing firmly on the bottom.  This technique worked very well…no breaking the shell.  I have seen recommended using a tack to make the hole. 

Once you have your drain holes, place the eggs in an egg carton, preferably a clear carton which can be used as a greenhouse when the lid is closed.  Leave me a comment if you’ve recycled eggs as seed starter cells.

When it’s time to plant, gently crush the bottom section of the shell, exposing the roots. Dig your hole and place your plant, still in the eggshell, in the garden hole.  The shell will add calcium to the plant, which makes it perfect for starting crops like tomatoes!

Clear Jug – like a milk jug or vinegar jug. 

Using a sharp knife, cut around the jug just below the handle. Removing the bottom section for planting and the top portion can be used in the garden as a mini greenhouse over transplants.

Salad Greens Container Box – Make slits in the bottom for drainage.  Fill a few inches of seed starter mix and sow seeds.  After seedlings emerge, close the lid to create a greenhouse effect.

Egg Carton – Using a sharp object, make a drainage hole in each cell.  Fill the egg holder cells with seed starter and plant.  Gently water.

Produce Bag with air holes – This type of container usually has apples with a handle made in the bag.  It also has air holes in the bottom.  Perfect for drainage holes!  Fill with a couple inches of starter mix, plant seeds, water, and label.  I place my bag on an old plate to catch the drainage.

Shallow Plastic Bin – If you’re planting a bulk amount of seeds, a plastic bin is a great option.  This one is the size that slides under a bed. 

Food Grade 5 Gallon Buckets – You can find these free at restaurants!  Check your fast food places.  We are able to get free buckets that had dill pickles in them.  Shaun drilled drain holes in the bottom.  Fill with potting soil and plant.  We have planted smaller fruit trees in buckets.  Once they were mature enough, they were transplanted to the orchard.

The possibilities are endless, when it comes to RECYCLED GARDENING!  Have you used recycled containers to garden?  Let me know in the comments below.

For more gardening details check out the Food Security Series!  A compilation of  food growing content.  

Talk to you soon,

Alisha