I recycle newspaper and cardboard for the lasagna method of starting a new bed. There is always a spot somewhere in my garden where weeds have taken over so I smother them with the paper and cardboard and put some compost on top and next year I have a perfect new bed. organicgardening.about.com/od/startinganor ganicgarden/a/lasagnagarden.htm
"Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now." ~ Denis Waitley
My Boy Scout son just rebuilt my trellis for me. Just took 3 sturdy bamboo poles and some gardening twine. I put cucumbers on one side, pole beans will get planted on the other two sides.
Janey
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GOLDDUSTTWIN
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´¨¨)) -:¦:- ¸.•´ .•´¨¨))May you have Butterfly Mornings and Wildflower Afternoons! ((¸¸.•´ .•´ -:¦:- -:¦:- ((¸¸.•´* Dusty
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LYDIASPURPLE
Posts: 2,504 3/10/12 7:53 P
I got a chance today using the one liter bottle container crates with my statter pots since I planted mustard & collard greens,cantaloupe,red onions & a few flowers. It was nice to get my hand in some soil!
"Don't be afraid to be grown"~Jada Pinkett Smith
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LYDIASPURPLE
Posts: 2,504 3/6/12 10:42 P
Thank you for info & I'll check it out.
I was actually talking about the crates those 20 oz or 1 liter soda bottles come to the stores in.But that'll be fun to check out!
"Don't be afraid to be grown"~Jada Pinkett Smith
"3 things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon & the truth"~ Unknown
"Misery may love company but failure needs validation"~Greg Gross
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ARABIGAL
Posts: 241 3/5/12 3:50 P
Lydia, go on YouTube and type in Urban Survival or bottle gardening. You can definitely take the plastic bottles, put them together, and grow them in a window or outside. They give you step by step instructions. Really cool!
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LYDIASPURPLE
Posts: 2,504 3/5/12 3:41 P
I love the salvaging seeds from produce & have one garlic bulb right now that is starting to spriut. So I know what I'm going to do!
My idea is all those starter pots that we purchase with seedlings? The round 3-4" ones? I save them for new seeds.
However,a few days ago I was wondering how to keep them neat. Lol & behold I was walking from the corner store & saw where they tossed out those plastic soda bottles containers in the trash. These are those holders for either the 20 oz or 1 liter bottles of Coke or other product.
Well I retrieved it & those container pots fit perfectly!
My garden has to be in containers since I have knee issues. I've now ask the store to save them for me as I'm thinking they could be hung/suspended too!
The trays that I have are 10x19 & can hold 8 containers from the makers of Snapple,Dr. Pepper & Coke.
If they are sturdy enough to hold 8 bottles of soda then I know they can hold a 4" pot of soil. Plus one last thing for the landfill!
"Don't be afraid to be grown"~Jada Pinkett Smith
"3 things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon & the truth"~ Unknown
"Misery may love company but failure needs validation"~Greg Gross
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SHARJOPAUL
Posts: 26,276 3/5/12 12:18 P
To prevent any problems with the nitrogen theat wood mulch may pull from the soil, I sprinkle a little blood meal over the area before putting the mulch down.
The newspaper and toilet paper rolls are really excellent for seedlings that don't like their roots disturbed (melons, pumpkins, squash). You can plant the whole thing so the roots are disturbed, & ore environmentaly frienly then peat pots.
ARABIGAL
Posts: 241 3/5/12 8:58 A
Hey y'all....here's another idea and I've tried this and it works. I borrowed it from Mother Earth News Magazine (my fav)..... take a potting soil bag and lay it flat. Cut out a rectangle on the top leaving 2" sides all around the bag. Kinda looks like a picture frame and the 2" you left around the edge holds the soil in the bag. Plant veggies or flowers or herbs that don't have a deep root system. I currently have leaf lettuce growing in mine. It is awesome! Fresh greens and no tilling!
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RBRINK21
Posts: 2,474 3/4/12 8:54 P
Mulch doesn't permanently pull nitrogen out of the soil and it only takes it from the surface of the soil, not where the roots are. It only causes a problem if you dig the mulch in which would negate the whole reason to use mulch.
`Rachel`
When you do what you've always done, you get what you've always got.
Many of the ideas are good. I'm going to try the toilet paper roll pot idea, since I usually save too many to just use them to protect seedlings from slug/caterpiller damage.
However, the suggestion about contacting tree services for their chips, etc can make for big problems. Uncomposted scrap can take nitrogen OUT of the soil to assist in its decomposition process, so it's an ANTI-fertilizer. It may be OK for reducing weed/grass growth on walkways, but that's about it. For those with questions, I suggest googling "You bet your garden," it's an Philly-NPR-affiliated syndicated radio show by a former editor of Organic Gardening magazine who's also written a book about composting. Plus, he's funny, IMHO. FYI, Mike says the mulching marketing of this type started when landfills started refusing to allow tree services to tip their branches, etc. On the other hand, mulching with already-composted materials is a great idea,
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I have started doing the same thing but we have to make sure they are Non-GMO seeds. If they are GMO, those seeds will not grow a new plant. GMO seeds only grow a one generation plant.
I don't know if others already do this or mentioned it. But, I save my seeds from produce that I buy @ the store, farmer's market & even from what I grew last year, to use. It ends up being cheaper, for instance to go to the store & buy a spaghetti squash & take the seeds & plant them, than it is to buy the seed, plus, I get to eat the squash! I do that with onions & garlic, too! Infact, I have a garlic bulb in my refrigerator already, that I didn't use soon enough & it's starting to grow...guess where that's headed!
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TRAVELNISTA
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