Saving money on pots
using things from around the house
It’s springtime here in the UK and it’s the time of the year when we use a ton of pots, of all shapes and sizes.
Therefore, it’s one of the best times to save money.
There are many items from around the house which can be reused as pots, I’m going to show you a few of the things I use.
What can I use?
Pretty much anything that will decompose and/or is already a container shape.
It’s even more important to reuse plastics as many times as possible before they are recycled.
1. Toilet roll tubes
We all have them anyway so we may as well make another use for them.
Cut them in half with a pair of scissors, fill with some potting soil (or all purpose compost) and you have the perfect little pod to sow some seeds into.
If you keep aside any plastic food trays or boxes, six or eight of these roll pots would fit in there nicely, would be easy to water and keep things tidy.
When ready to be transplanted, the whole thing can go in the ground and won’t disturb the seedlings roots.
2. Egg boxes
By cutting the top off, you then give yourself two options:
- The top when filled with compost or potting soil becomes a seed tray
- The bottom when filled, becomes a cell tray
A benefit to creating an egg box cell tray is that, when used and slightly damp, each cell will break apart from the others so they can be planted separately. It’ll break down in the soil naturally which makes transplanting a little less disruptive on the seedling.
3. Yoghurt pots
You can substitute for any small plastic pot but the method is the same:
- Make sure it has a small hole in the bottom to allow water to escape
- Fill with potting soil or an all purpose compost
- Sow your seeds
It’s really important for the environment to reuse plastic containers as much as possible before they get recycled.
4. Make your own newspaper pots
My favourite method for saving money is to make my own newspaper pots.
Newspaper is easy to get hold of and most of us know someone who reads a newspaper and is able to put them aside for us. Or you can usually get free newspapers from train stations. Newspaper is safe to use in composters, and as a mulch, so will break down in the ground and not cause any damage to plants or wildlife.
You can can follow along using our video:
I hope you found this guide useful.
What items do you reuse from around the house in the garden? Please share below so we can all learn and grow together.
Article written on May 19, 2020
Updated May 19, 2020