Gardening Ideas Using Recycled Materials

We throw out so much STUFF—from used yogurt containers to toilet rolls. Why not use the household items around your house for gardening? From seed-starting to plant protection, here are great garden ideas using recycled materials (and cutting back on waste).

Seed Sowing and Labeling

• Old yogurt pots are the perfect size for seed sowing – just puncture holes into the base for drainage.
• Toilet roll tubes are ideal for starting off deeper-rooted veggies such as peas, beans and corn.
• You can also sow rows of peas into surplus lengths of gutters.
• Polystyrene cups make fun-sized containers for kids to grow small salad crops such as radishes. Pinch holes out at the base of the cup to make drainage holes
• Newspaper can be easily made into pots. Fold one page in half lengthways and roll it around a toilet roll tube so that the tube sticks out above the folded edge of the paper. Gather up and push in the loose ends of the paper, remove the tube then fill with potting soil. At planting time, leave the paper pot in place; it will just rot away in the ground.

Make your own plant labels by cutting out strips of yogurt pot, or re-use lollipop sticks. Write on the labels with a permanent marker. 

Protecting Plants

Many plants need protection from the wind, especially when first planted out.

• Cut clear plastic drinks bottles in half to make two miniature greenhouses to pop over individual plants. Keep lids screwed on during cold nights or remove during the day to prevent the seedlings from overheating.
• Bubble wrap from postal deliveries makes fantastic temporary insulation on frosty nights.
• Polystyrene fish or cooler boxes provide a cozy microclimate around seed trays, especially when combined with a heat mat underneath.
• Old windows can be used to make a cold frame. Attach them to a wooden frame using new or second-hand hinges, then screw in handles at the front. Slant the window to face the sun. A lick of paint will spruce up the frame and gives a really professional finish.

Once in the ground, crops can be protected from pests such as pigeons by draping netting over canes topped with upturned pots.

• Alternatively, dangle old CDs on colored string, or cover young squashes or other plants with hanging basket frames.
• Make a low tunnel for protecting rows of crops by pushing down lengths of old plastic water pipe onto sturdy upright pegs to create the hoops. Fix netting, fleece or mesh over your hoops.

Creative Containers

Literally anything that holds potting soil makes a good container.

• Quirky pots include old pans, colanders, laundry baskets, chests of drawers - anything and everything, including the kitchen sink!
• Metal objects such as repurposed milk churns, coal buckets or water tanks can create a lovely rustic look.
• Recycle food tins as they are, lightly accessorized, or painted to give an injection of color. As with any pot, you will need to make sure your intended container has enough drainage holes, or add your own.
• Use old potting soil sacks for root veggies such as carrots or potatoes, and enjoy a final crop from summer growing bags by sowing a flush of winter salads into them once your tomatoes or peppers have finished.
• Other ideas for recycled bag containers include sturdy grocery store bags, rubble or builders’ bags, and hessian sacks, which give a handsome natural look.

Recycled Wood

• Old planks of wood are widely available. They come steeped in character, are less likely to warp than new wood and by reusing them you’ll avoid the need to cut down more trees. Untreated wood is best, as some older wood treatments may contain toxic chemicals that can leach into the soil.
• Make a compost bin by nailing planks to corner posts, create a plant stand by securing timber onto A-frames, or screw battens together to form a crop protection frame. Make seed trays, fences, window boxes, or even the garden shed—the possibilities are endless!
• Timber makes excellent raised beds, insulating the roots and providing a handsome backdrop for your vegetables. Simply fix thick planks to each other or screw thinner lengths of timber to corner posts hammered into the ground to anchor the bed.

Other Ideas…

Any number of scraps and garden cast-offs could be used to create a handsome hotel for beneficial bugs.

• Tires lined with garbage sacks make instant raised beds and can be stacked up for vegetables such as potatoes that need lots of root space.
• Salvage old pavers to create stepping stones or paths between beds.
• Box in compost heaps with corrugated metal sheets.

There are so many ways to make the most of what you might otherwise throw away! Here are even more ideas to upcycle projects that will turn your trash into garden treasures.

What do you recycle in the garden? Tell us by leaving a comment below. 

PLUS: Check out our Almanac Garden Planner for more gardening tips and techniques!