Forum home Talkback
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Blue Peter Moment! Reusing bottles

Anyone out there save and use pop bottles to made propogators, cloches etc?? I have for the first ever time. I have also used one to put over a fresh dahlia cutting. Do throwing it out there, good, bad, uses. Does it help in rooting cuttings?
«13

Posts

  • A picture if a couple of mine. Lettuce are up, tomatos aren't as yet!



  • kerrikerri Posts: 20

    i do, i have also used old milk 4 pint bottles and kept the handle on and cut the front off and hung my strawberrys in them 

  • PalaisglidePalaisglide Posts: 3,414

    Cut the large bottles in half and you have two cloches all be one has a cork in it.
    If it is cold leave them on if warm lift them or tilt them open with a pebble or stick, yes they work.
    When using a tray put a stick in each corner and maybe a couple in the middle and drape clear plastic over the tray, pebbles on the bottom overlap of the plastic holds it in place a bit of tape round the top of the stick stops it puncturing the plastic, lift one side if warm and remember to turn the box each day if possible. Food bags make very handy cloches over single pots with four sticks round the edges to hold the bag up and one of those elastic bands the postmen throw away round the base. It all helps.

    Frank.

  • I have plopped one over a dahlia cutting, took the lid off and left it to its own devices!! Spray in the hole at the top to keep the leaves moist! Fingers crossed!
  • My two little ones drink Vimto like it's going out of fashion!  Yes, I use the squash bottles as cloches, they're the big two-litre ones, so cut them in half and use both halves - have to be careful with the bottom half as it has no ventilation hole in it!

    I also use the bubble wrap that comes with the various car bits OH uses, to line big pots to insulate them against the cold and (hopefully this year) the heat in summer.  Also use it to help line the raised planter I have near the door for salad crops, but make sure there are lots of holes punched in it for drainage.

    Fizzy pop botttles I save as I have some of those Watering Spikes, so my sister-in-law only has to come around a couple of times a week during summer to do my baskets and pots.  Otherwise she'd have to be around every day, and I don't think I've got enough strawberries/cherry toms/runner beans to tempt her to do that!

    Egg boxes I also use for seedlings, the plastic type are ideal propogators, and the cardboard type can be torn into individual bits and planted straight into the ground.

    In fact, I think the only thing I pay for are seeds and potting compost/growbags!

  • I'm loving it. This year I made some paper pots and I'm waiting for my sweet peas to germinate in them.



    I also save the plastic tubs that meat, fish and mushrooms etc come in! I can either stand things in them or make holes and use as seed trays etc!



    Why spend more than we have to! Just wish my bottles were more so similar size to my pots. I have round cloche on a square pot, but I'm trying!!!! The cutting seems to have perked up since I put in the bottle!!! Tx
  • TootlesTootles Posts: 1,469
    I'm at it too! Doing a little experiment with Cravendale milk cartons; the 4 pint square based plastic ones. Have lined four of them up and made different sized holes in the lids of each. Have cut the bases back to create lids, plonked them in the greenhouse bed and filled each with water. I'm seeing which one drains best - ideally the one who had drains over a couple of days to help with watering in the summer. Has anyone tried those tomato planter thingermines? Round things with a sort of built in trough around the edge. Our local garden centre has selling three for ??12. 99. Wondered if anyone thinks they make a big difference to tomato yields and if this is a good price?
  • aaah Blue Peter - we're not showing our age at all reallyimage

  • I. 'Borrowed' some from mum but they never made it back!!! I would appreciate knowing how to make drip feed water solutions for everyday or while I'm away!



    More ideas please everyone, lets share and inspire each other. Especially if it saves us money!!!
  • Tootles, the things you've seen at your GC are lots cheaper on Amazon.  Others have posted on here that they buy the used flower buckets from Morrisons, cut off the bottoms and use these, lots cheaper, I've never seen them in Morrisons - then again, I do most of my shopping on-line at ASDA!

    Another thing to save money is to plant potatoes in a couple of old tyres.  You can stack the tyres and earth up as they grow, and it saves having to dig (bonus).

    Isn't Blue Peter still on?

Sign In or Register to comment.