Recycling and the organic garden

As a keen organic gardener, I try to emphasise the importance of basic recycling. The obvious example where everyone can succeed is the recycling of organic materials into compost heaps. But what about the endless amounts of paper, wood, metal, glass, and plastic which pass through our lives every day of the year? Well some of these can be recycled as an industrial proposition. Most neighbourhoods have good schemes for collecting our unwanted glass, paper, and plastics. Next time you visit one of your gardening friends; ask them if they can recycle any of these materials by using them directly in their garden. Here are a few ideas which have been gathered around the traps.

Cardboard egg cartons make excellent trays for establishing seedlings. They enable delicate seedlings to be raised indoors during the cooler months of the year and transplanted directly to the garden after several months’ growth. One dozen plants can then be transplanted at once in a neatly spaced arrangement. A good watering will enable the recycled cardboard to break down, providing the roots with additional depth.

Instead of discarding nylon pantyhose, keep a supply available for a number of applications in the organic garden. Fashion them into handy collection sacks to cover the valuable flower heads of seeding plants. When protectively attached and tied to the stems, these nylon sacks will enable the seeds to ripen with a natural exchange of air and moisture. As the seeds drop, they will be gathered within. Strips of nylon are suitable for staking ties and as support ties for juvenile trees.

Nowadays, one can purchase some very elaborate and expensive watering systems. When a friend or colleague describes one, I’m often very attentive because I enjoy learning about new technologies and have always felt an obligation to control some of the demand placed on local water supplies. Having said that, I’ll now confess that my own watering system consists of nothing more than a collection of recycled plastic containers. Take one of those two litre milk cartons and drill a small hole in the base. Now fill it to the top and place it base down somewhere near the roots of your plants. They will now be watered on a slow feed until the carton empties itself. I’ve used this basic system around my shrubs and vegetable gardens for years.

That’s just three of my garden recycling ideas. There must be thousands out there so why not ask at your next club meeting or practical demonstration. If you get some good ones drop us a line at Organic Guide and we’ll do our best to share them around.