From the article: Frugal Gardening
A garden with a sense of age always has more charm than a garden that looks just planted. Using recycled objects in the garden is a great way to add instant age and appeal. It's also a great way to save money and resources. Let us in on how you recycle objects in your garden. Share Your Tips
Hay Bale Vegetable Gardening
- Lay two or more hay bales end to end in a row. Set the bales so the baling twine goes around the sides of the bales. Otherwise the twine will rot quickly where it sits against the ground. Water the bales daily for three days prior to planting. Keep them as moist as a wrung-out sponge and avoid letting them dry out.Fertilize the bales with 12 cups of ammonium nitrate fertilizer per bale starting on the fourth, fifth and sixth days. Water thoroughly after fertilizing to maintain the moisture level.Fertilize with ¼-cup of ammonium nitrate on the seventh, eighth and ninth days. Water after each application.Fertilize with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer on the tenth day. Add 1 cup of fertilizer per bale and water thoroughly.Stick a spade or spatula into the bale to form a crack. Set the vegetable seedling in the crack. Plant the vegetable to the same depth as it was in its nursery pot, or set it deep enough that the first leaf on the stem.
- —Guest tdiraimo
Bulbs Squirrel Deterrent
- When planting bulbs, drop a garlic clove in hole next to bulb. Plant as usual. Squirrels won't "steal" bulbs...They hate garlic!
- —tdiraimo
Another Trellis Idea
- I used my daughter's old crib spring for a trellis, small enough to use in any garden space and very lightweight. I also cut off the bottom of yogurt containers and use them to sow seeds right into the flower or vegetable bed.
- —Guest Jade
Empty Coffee Cans
- I spray paint coffee cans and use as small containers in some of my flowers beds, to add extra color when flowers are not blooming. Also use them to give to friends and co-workers as gifts from the garden. Wonderful.
- —Guest M Sharbono
Wheel Chair Cart
- I needed to move 3 yards of soil and found a wheel barrel not so handy, but had a wheel chair so I filled empty kitty litter buckets with soil and wheel them to the right location.. Wheel chair worked great.
- —Guest Janice Cramp
Broken Clay Pots
- I use broken clay pots, using a permanent marker, to write the name of the plant on it. Then place it in front of the plant, so anyone looking can tell the name of the plant.
- —Guest FishRidge1
Mulch Garden Areas
- To have a natural enriched garden start putting much on it just after you work the ground ! Then for the next 3-4 years let the mulch set & keep adding it to the garden each year it not only enriches the soil, but help keeps moisture in the soil & very little watering needs to be done! We live in a forest area & have a lot of brush to mulch & asked our local tree service to dump their extra mulch , so we have plenty to go around. Works great for us & hope it will for you too. We received this from a friend & wanted to pass it on! cf
- —Guest Dena Fowler
Used Tea Bags
- Wet, used tea bags are great for cleaning household plant leaves. And since they absorb through the leaves, they get a real treat as well.
- —Guest lee
Raised Bed Garden in Bathtubs
- I am 57 yrs young with a bad back! I found that bathtubs keep me from bending so much. I have 7 tubs and looking for more. I still plant in my garden, but the tubs are GREAT.
- —Guest burlap
Toxins in your compost?
- As I read through the 265 ways of recycling in your garden I noted the large number of folks composting with newsprint, office waste and other printed products. You may want to google and read up on the various printer inks used by industry (and even by you in your own inkjet printers.) While some inks are presumably harmless, many are not and do contain toxins. I for one do not recycle office paper products into my food gardens. Why take the risk?
- —Guest Shannon Doyle
Deter Deer
- Instead of putting up a very tall fence(which is a must because deer jump very high) just put up a fence post at each corner of your garden perimeter and string either thick fishing line or in my case I had a bunch of twine on the top rung of the post and walah the deer will get spooked when the run into in and will stay out, they won't attempt to jump something they can't see.
- —Guest Tracy
Mulch for Acid Lovers
- Pinecones make good mulch for under acid loving plants.
- —Guest connie mchugh
Waste not...and Plant a lot
- Pine needles are great for soil additives, if you need a little more acidic soil. Pine needles also make for great new growth winter protection, just rake em up and throw over entire perennial garden. Pine needles also make for great kindling for fires.
- —Guest suzette trimmer
Recyled Car Wash Drums for Free Compost
- Just found out that most car washing businesses are more then willing to give away 60 gallon drums for compost roll ease. Most local mechanics can easily take top off, for free also. Two easy D.Y.Projects to store, then simply once a week kick like a can, to rotate your unique compost.
- —Guest suzette trimmer
Pecan Shells to Control Chewing Insects
- Now it is late fall and had some worms or something eating on the leaves of my fall garden. Have pecan trees, used the shells around the plants. Don't have problems anymore.
- —Guest Pat
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