My #sixonsaturday this week is to suggest six effective ways to upcycle plastic in your garden rather than disposing in the recycling bin, or trash. Come on fellow gardeners, get creative with plastic!
1. Recycling Water
Water is a precious resource. When practical I recycle grey water from the house (washing machine, bath, showers etc) which I use on shrubs. And rainwater which is good for plants in containers.
The most obvious receptacles for this are the plastic water bottles. Before anyone asks, we only drink bottled water. I have been extremely ill on two occasions through drinking tap water, so now I prefer not to take the risk.
2. Using Plastic Bottles and Yogurt Containers as Plant Pots
Upcycled plastic bottles make great plant pots. The top part of the bottle I use as mini cloches to protect young plants (see below)
And yogurt pots are great to plant on seedlings and small succulent cuttings.
3. Upcycle Plastic Bottles as Plant Collars
Plastic collars cut from plastic bottles help to protect young plants from slugs and snails.
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4. Unusual Ideas for Plastic Cloches
One day I went to our local lixo (community trash bins) and found an old upright freezer. You can imagine my delight when I noticed there were two plastic drawers in good clean condition.
A further use for the top half of plastic bottle is to create mini cloches for individual pot plants. I find these particularly useful when taking plant cuttings or growing plants from seeds.
Another popular item dumped at our local lixo bins are an assortment of plastic crates. With a little mental dexterity you can upcycle plastic crates to cloches
5. Use Plastic Crates to Protect Your strawberries from the Birds (or Cats)
I now have a collection of this type of plastic crates which over time I have found invaluable in the garden, especially if you are plagued by greedy birds intent on eating your strawberries, or the neighbours cat who insists on using your newly dug veg patch as its toilet.
Or to screen young plants from strong sun
6. Upcycling Plastic Containers to Grow Fruit and Vegetables
These plastic crates are sturdier and deeper than those pictured above. I line the crate with plastic from the compost bags and fill will good quality composts.
they are perfect for salad crops such as lettuce, rocket, spring onions, radish etc.
I also grow all my strawberries in an assortment of plastic crates.
Who knew melons would grow so well in an old plastic paint pot?
How do you upcycle in your garden?
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or please support further Six on Saturday.
Related Posts:
Six on Saturday: A Tour of My Garden – November (part 1)
Six on Saturday: A Tour of My Garden – November (part II)
Piglet in Portugal 
I’ve used a few of these ideas before – bottles & yogurt tubs as pots & clochs. I use a crate left at our place for carrying around trays of seedlings – as I only have one, I’d hate to give it up for planting. Could you line a crate w/something not plastic, like cardboard? Altho using the compost bags is a great idea. Good post.
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Some great ideas here piglet. I love the mini closh idea and the slugs and snails will have problems there. Fun 6
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Yep, and the ones that do get through I feed to the birds 🙂
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It’s the ever increasing mountains of plastic plant pots that worry me, otherwise I don’t accumulate much. I am always on the look out for those little plastic crates though, like you I like to grow salads in them.
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I have a whole storage bin full of plastic pots in various sizes. Laughing, I collected them from the rubbish bins. I never plant my pot grown plants directly into decorative pots so the more variety of sides I have the better. I wonder if they could make plant pots recyclable. Next time I go to a big gardencenter I will ask.
The crates are great for so many uses. I also use them for storing my craft materials. Some of them stack so they are perfect.
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Great ideas. I’ve never considered using yoghurt pots for seedlings. May try that.
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I punch holes in the bottom of the pots and they are the perfect size when the seedlings are pricked out. 🙂
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There is too much plastic in our lives, Tony. So whatever i buy I always look for the recyclable symbol and recycle unless i can reuse. All the plastic bottles can be recycled but before I put them in that bin, I reuse for water or whatever first. If i can reuse something two or three times +
I also find a lot of plastic items dumped at our local bins. 🙂
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These are great ideas, but I prefer to just use less plastic. I can not recycle them if I don’t have any to recycle.
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Some excellent ideas here.
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I hope they have inspired you Granny 🙂
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Wow! Great ideas!
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Thanks, Nate. Do you recycle/reuse plastic in the home
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Very clever indeed!
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thank you, Ark. You are very ingenious so I am sure you must reuse some plastic in your home.
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We try to limit the use of plastic as much as possible, though it sometimes seems an almost impossible task.
We generally recycle – all our plastic goes to a dropping point at our local vet.
However, I usually use cream cheese tubs for germinating seeds.
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Great ideas. We have a water filter urn for drinking water and cooking which we kept from the boat.
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Do you also keep yogurt pots for seedlings?
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Yes we do.
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Great ideas, Piglet. I esp like your basket lettuce. Very nice
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Thanks, PandB. The crates are great for growing crops such as lettuce. Plus you can move them into the sun. Do you reuse any of the plastic in your garden for pots etc
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Good point. I don’t reuse. I have plenty of space with dirt. Recycle instead 🙂
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