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Welcome to the first in my series about gardening. It's all about food and food miles. You're set on a magical journey (and it really is quite something if you've never done it before) learning how to feed yourself cheaply and efficiently using all kinds of odds and ends.
In this episode, we'll be looking at pots and seeds. There's not much to growing seeds - you put them in the ground and within a few days or weeks suddenly that small spec of dirt has germinated into a small green plant.
We are going to make use of recycled materials where possible. You will need:
1) Seeds (runner beans or tomatoes)
2) Compost
3) Toilet roll innards
4) plastic tray - you could use the plastic (washed) tray your old beans/chicken legs etc came in, or like in this example a seed tray.
You could just fill a seed tray with earth - but if you're using a very shallow plastic meat tray for instance, this just isn't practical. Toilet roll innards provide more depth for the roots and are biodegradable. I only used a seed tray because we don't generally buy stuff in plastic trays - most our veg comes in paper bags from the grocers or our allotment. Enjoy...
In this episode, we'll be looking at pots and seeds. There's not much to growing seeds - you put them in the ground and within a few days or weeks suddenly that small spec of dirt has germinated into a small green plant.
We are going to make use of recycled materials where possible. You will need:
1) Seeds (runner beans or tomatoes)
2) Compost
3) Toilet roll innards
4) plastic tray - you could use the plastic (washed) tray your old beans/chicken legs etc came in, or like in this example a seed tray.
You could just fill a seed tray with earth - but if you're using a very shallow plastic meat tray for instance, this just isn't practical. Toilet roll innards provide more depth for the roots and are biodegradable. I only used a seed tray because we don't generally buy stuff in plastic trays - most our veg comes in paper bags from the grocers or our allotment. Enjoy...
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Signing UpStep 1Preparing the 'tray'
First take about 28 toilet rolls. Use them, ideally in the way nature intended and discard the tissue, we really don't want to see that again. Take the innards that you get in the middle of a loo roll and put them in a seed tray (as many as you need to fill the tray, or until you run out). They will have difficulty standing up until they are filled. Ideally you'll need a flat surface too...
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If you haven't enough tubes just unwind fresh loo roll onto one hand and you have liberated another tube , I find that having a pile of wound loo paper not an issue as we do not use loo roll holders .
Hi Norcalgrrl - Stack the toilet rolls closely together like I did in the tray - they tend to self support that way without the need for tape which just falls off wet surfaces. You're not planting long term with these, just to get the seeds germinated and on their way.
Leosmama - egg cartons are great but if you can they're better reused to carry eggs in as they don't really degrade and can be used again and again. If you buy them at supermarkets etc and don't have access to a 'pick you own' egg place, then yes, this is a really good idea. Egg boxes don't work well for beans however which have deeper roots.
I haven't got access to a 'pick your own' egg place, but I like the idea. Because yes, the supermarket egg cartons are stacking up.
Good to know about beans deeper roots - will do these in the few rolls I have collected so far :) Thanks for the tip!