Change of Use

[NOG]

Have you got one of those squashers for the cans.

[Mikey]

Have you got one of those squashers for the cans.

Compacters, phew they are expensive about £500 new

Cool idea Quark1, I don't know that the missus would be happy with me taking over the garage to do it though.

[slooky]

I use margarine tubs to make plant labels, and of course the computer discs and freebie DVDs for bird scarers. I also have the bottle openers that come in xmas crackers as bird scarers a fellow allotment holder did ask me where the beer was !.

[Mrs Dobby]

We use any drink cans (alcofrolic or soft drinks) as cane toppers where ever we use a bamboo cane, not only does it stop you putting an eye out, but also they move in the wind and help scare the pidgeons away from any seedlings!

Loo roll tubes are kept and used for planting sweeticrn, broad beans and anything else we can into them.

The plastic trays that meat and mushrooms come in are washed and reused, the meat trays as a place to stand plants in for watering, and the mushroom trays for harvesting.

Egg shells are crushed and used as a slug barrier on beans.

Pop bottles are used to provide an easy way to water to the roots of many plants, they can also make a great compost scoop!

Cardboard Bike boxes from work are brought home, and used to put atop some of the beds to act as a cardboard mulch, the plants are planted thru the cardboard which helps retain moisture and prevent weeds from growing between the plants.

Freebie computer disks become bird scarers, as does old video tape (tie it onto the supports for peas / beans / rasps etc, it flutters in the wind and makes a gentle noise and reflects light to scare birds away from your fruit!)

Compost bags are split in half and used to line the bottom of our paths, which are then barked over.

Broken pallets from either of our works are brought to the plot and split to provide wood for edging the beds and paths.

Any disused display shelving units from work are recycled on the plots and in the greenhouse as staging.

Ice lolly sticks make great plant labels!

There's as many uses of anything as you can find for it, the more creative you are, the more you will find a use for it!

Personally, I think I watched too much Blue Peter as a child!

[rosheen]

I use 500ml drinks bottles as cane toppers, they also rattle in the breeze so maybe they double up as bird scarers

[Starchild]

I use 2lite bottles as waterers. I cut off the bottom and push them onto the soil near the plant so when watering it goes directly near the roots, less water wastage.

[yoanbob]

I do all the usual pop bottle toilet roll stuff that I think most of us do.

Our old washer drum we have on the lottie and use as a braizier, it works really well and we burn all the wood card etc we cant use to keep us warm or roast spuds.

[ironed out]

We broke up an old piece of trellis and used the poles as row markers, and use CDs as bird scarers, along with some other stuff already mentioned like loo rolls for parsnip and sweetcorn plants.

[Two_Sheds]

I'm using 1 litre orange juice boxes (square Tetra packs) as pots ~ cut the top half off, punch a few drainage holes in the bottom, and Bob's your auntie.

[Birdie Wife]

I've got this really fun image in my head now of passers-by looking in all your lotties and thinking they are some kind of landfill site instead with all the c**p that's around, stuff growing out of weird things! You're great you lot!

I've got a mahoosive stove-top type kettle that I found in a dump which I use for giving the plants a drink now, nettle tea only though! Recycled old windows into a coldframe and found some old corrugated clear plastic roofing sheets which are brillient temp cloches for direct sowings.

[lynda66]

i used an old wooden slatted double bed base to make a fence, plastic tubs from everything for freezing stuff, growing stuff, or hoarding stuff,

some square bits of wire panels that they use for stones to stop land slippage, .... as a compost heap,inside is surrounded by an old paddling pool and black bags, then covered with a carp mat from my dad (insulated and waterproof) with polystyrene underneath to keep the heat in.

i had a big BBQ party last year. and there were loads of plastic cutlery left, so i'm using them as plant labels, and the plastic glasses protect seedlings.

recycle everything its possible to recycle, compost everything compostable, stick everything not wanted (even broken washing machines) on freecycle, or ebay.

and theres lots of great ideas on here so looks like i'll be using more stuff

Lynda xx