Garden Expert Reveals 4 Trash Items You Should Keep for Your Garden
Having an at-home garden is easier and cheaper than you think – as long as you’re willing to get a little creative. By reusing and recycling materials, you can create a thriving garden while minimizing your environmental impact.
Brian McDaid, of Eagle Dumpster Rental, reveals four everyday items, which you might normally consider trash, that can be repurposed for your garden to not only save you money but also promote a more sustainable lifestyle.
Yogurt Cups
Yogurt cups are the perfect vessel for growing new seedlings or propagating plants.
How it works: Clean out yogurt cups or any other plastic food containers of a similar size. Poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Fill them with soil and use them to grow seedlings or start sprouting clippings of propagated plants. Label the cups with the plant names to keep track of your garden’s progress.
The benefits: This method offers a zero-cost way to continue growing plants. Reusing yogurt cups helps reduce plastic waste, making it an environmentally friendly choice. Additionally, the small size of yogurt cups makes them perfect for windowsills or small spaces.
“This is such an easy way to expand your garden! There’s no need to invest in small pots or other containers to start plants when you’re going to transfer them to your garden eventually,” says Brian.
Cardboard
Cardboard works as a base layer for your garden by suppressing weeds but allowing moisture to move through it.
How it works: Use leftover cardboard boxes, flatten them, and lay them down. Dampen the cardboard with water before adding soil on top to start your garden bed. The cardboard acts as a biodegradable weed barrier.
The benefits: Cardboard suppresses weeds by blocking sunlight and helps retain moisture in the soil, reducing the need for frequent watering. It breaks down naturally over time, enriching the soil with organic matter and improving its structure. This method also recycles cardboard that might otherwise end up in a landfill.
Kitchen Scraps
Leftover food waste is rich in nutrients and can be used as compost to help your plants grow strong and thrive in a natural way.
How it works: Save food waste such as banana peels, apple cores, tea leaves, eggshells, stale bread, and even napkins and paper towels. To prevent unpleasant smells, store these scraps in a designated spot in the freezer. Once you have a good amount, use a plastic bin to layer kitchen and garden scraps with materials like dry leaves, sawdust, and cardboard. Mix every week to ensure proper aeration. Over time, the scraps will break down into nutrient-rich compost for gardening.
The benefits: Composting creates nutrient-rich soil that boosts plant growth and health. It significantly reduces food waste and lowers your carbon footprint. Composting also helps reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, making your gardening efforts more sustainable.
Newspaper
Newspaper can be used as garden mulch. By placing it on your garden bed, you can create a weed barrier.
How it works: Use about five layers of paper, flatten them, and dampen lightly. Then, pour topsoil on top to begin your garden. Ensure the newspaper is non-glossy and free from heavy inks.
The benefits: The newspaper helps suppress weeds and retains moisture, reducing the need for frequent watering. As it breaks down, it enriches the soil with organic material, improving soil fertility and structure. Plant roots can easily penetrate the wet paper, promoting healthy growth. This method also recycles old newspapers, reducing waste.
“A home garden is all about sustainability and independence. By being sustainable in how you start and maintain your garden by using things that would otherwise be trash, you’ll have a better gardening experience. One that is cheaper, requires less trips to the store, and is genuinely healthy for your plants,” notes Brian.
About Eagle Dumpster Rental:
Eagle Dumpster Rental provides reliable and efficient dumpster rental services across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, and Washington DC. With over 25 years of experience, they offer timely delivery and pick-up of roll-off containers for various needs, from large-scale construction projects to small residential cleanups.Committed to transparency, they provide clear and detailed quotes without hidden fees. Their customer service team is dedicated to ensuring a hassle-free experience, offering same-day delivery and pick-up to meet customer demands.
