Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with these Milk Container Gardening Ideas

Milk Container Gardening

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/308Ojh/starttogrow.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/milk-container-gardening.html/

For almost a year and a half now, my husband has been increasingly making more homemade cheeses. In fact, you could call him literally obsessed with cheese. I'm his Gromit to my Wallace. Which leaves a rather large recycling problem every fortnight... plastic milk containers.


I was searching for a ideas for school gardening lessons that I volunteer to teach at our local school, when it suddenly occurred to me that we could use the empty milk containers, implementing the Reduce-Reuse-Recycle ethos. Two problems solved!

Milk containers as planters. Holes drilled in the bottom for drainage.

Milk containers in the garden are not just for planting in, but also for plant protection from invading slugs, snails and possums.

In fact, I needed a few for my garden this week! I went a bit merry with the slug and snail bait as I was at my wits end with discovering 100% of all bait gone by each morning for a week and a half! I honestly began using it like confetti. Something had to be done. The milk container solution has really saved my curly kale!

Protecting my very munched Kale plant.

So far I have been cutting off the bottoms to cover plants, and cutting off the tops to create planter pots.

But what can be done with the top, handle and cap?

Vertical gardening with milk containers...

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Not everybody will have access to a great wooden frame like many of these pictures. Instead, you can attach milk containers to Weldmesh or a fence with wire. Ensure that the caps have holes for drainage. Regular watering will ensure healthy growth.

Here's a few more great recycled container ideas that I love...

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