This is a little tongue in cheek but I did do it for a reason!
The other day I run out of plant pots, I have never planted so much before and I've ended up using everything I can find, I've even been to mums and pinched all her spares as well. It did make me think about preppers and I wondered if they've planned for plant pots and other sundry items that you need when you grow lots of food. What would you do if you couldn't buy any more plant pots to start seedlings off in or to pot on when you're tryign to keep the growing season as long as possible?
Looking around for other containers I found a few squashes that I'd chucked out.
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| Rotten squash shells |
They sounded hollow when I tapped them.
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| Cleaned out ready for a bit of soil |
They'd dried up inside, so all I had to do was bash a hole in the top, scoop out all the seeds and dried flesh and then swill them out. I was left with something that could be used as a plant pot, not just a a wasted vegetable.
Eight in fact, just enough to pot on a few tomato plants as a little experiment.
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| Tomatoes growing quite happily in their new pots |
The plan with these is just to bash out the bottom when I plant the tomatoes on next time and the pot should decompose in time back into the soil. I know I'm not the first to use a squash as a container (I know some gourds were originally bred for this reason - to carry water) but I was quite pleased with my novel little pots.
Who else has been using anything they can find as a pot lately?
I think if I run out of pots and didnt have paper to make any I would set up a seed bed in the greenhouse and tunnel or even put together some wooden seed trays like they used to use in the olden days.
ReplyDeleteVery inventive of you :-)
Kev - that is very inventive of you! we have a contraption, not sure what it's called over there, but it makes 3 different sizes of soil blocks that you can plant and transplant seeds and seedlings in. but i also have been re-using the same styrofoam cups for the last 4 years...i have a hole poked in the bottom of each cup and start seeds in them. once i transplant the seedlings the cups get rinsed and put away for the next year.
ReplyDeletegood use of your squash! your friend,
kymber
I have one of those wooden tools that let you make pots out of newspaper. It works alright but ya better be sure and water them alot because they dry out quickly. My bet is in a collapse situation we would be able to find news paper inside buildings for years.
ReplyDeleteI like your pots better though :)
I make newspaper pots, use the inners from toilet rolls for carrot seeds. Empty yoghurt and cream pots with a hole punched in the bottom. Good to read the different things people are using
ReplyDeleteGreat post, interesting idea, I keep my toilet roll centres to use
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, many moons ago I reused the plastic inserts of old Easter egg containers.
ReplyDeleteAnything that will hold compost ! I've seen old wellies with tomato's growing in them, half egg shells, egg boxes, plastic containers that held food i.e. mushrooms, toms, my favourite are plastic water bottles cut in half and milk containers, pity you aren't near to me, I have loads of pots that I can't get rid of, I don't want to throw them away, but no one wants them on Freecycle/Freegle, so they will probably end up in the tip.
ReplyDeleteHi there Wean. How about going along to a local allotment and offer them there? They normally have a notice board.
DeleteYoghurt pots and yoghurt buckets. Or you could go old school Med and use tin cans. they make very pretty pots for flowers.
ReplyDeleteWhy not?
ReplyDeleteI am growing garlic in two tractor wheel rims and carrots in two old ride on lawnmower grass boxes and we grow things in two plastic baths. You could make more planters/raised beds with wood Kev.
ReplyDeleteI am on the look out for a bath to use as a raised bed, but the only ones that I have seen so far are metal and far too heavy. I use every possible container, I am hoarding plastic milk containers for a hanging garden at the moment.
ReplyDeleteOld waxed cardboard milk and juice cartons work well for seedlings. Plastic drinks containers also do the job. Over here in Maine all our soda, beer and wine cans and bottles have a 5 or 10 cent refund value so those are redeemed for real money. But typically juice and milk cartons do not. So those are often found in the big recycling bin behind the supermarket and make handy starter pots.
ReplyDeletewhat a great idea!
ReplyDeleteLOL anything is fair game around here to plant in! I tried several times to grow those huge gourds the bushel size ones. Tried being the key word. I was so excited thinking I could grow these lovely giant pots. But they just didn't do well for me.
ReplyDeleteThe ability to improvise is a valuable skill. One reason I rarely throw anything away just because I don't happen to be using it at the moment.
ReplyDeleteWho would have thought to do that? Very ingenious! I hope it works out well for you.
ReplyDeleteThose tomato plants look quite happy sitting in their new pots :)
xTania
Who would have thought to do that? Very ingenious! I hope it works out well for you.
ReplyDeleteThose tomato plants look quite happy sitting in their new pots :)
xTania
Fantastic idea Kev! May i share this on TheLadyPrepper?
ReplyDeleteOf course you can! A link back would be great!
DeletePosted it here Kev :) Thank you :)
Deletehttp://theladyprepperuk.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/grow-your-own-plant-pots-canning-man.html
I read on a uk blog a little while ago that they had run out of plant pots so they went to their local garden centre. Like here (Canada) the garden centres recycle clean used flower pots that people return, and she was told to help herself. Worth checking out.
ReplyDelete