A gardener has taken to social media to share a “fantastic” tip to re-use egg boxes in the garden – as well as other rubbish you can repurpose if you fancy
Each week, we inevitably discard takeaway containers, plastic bottles, and empty egg boxes. However, TikTok user @gardening.with. ish, also known as Ish, has shared a brilliant hack to repurpose these everyday items for your garden.
In his video caption, Ish explains that “everyday items you normally throw away can easily be repurposed into useful items in the garden”. He said “with a little bit of imagination” you can turn these things into items that will be helpful “in the garden”.
Firstly, Ish reveals how a simple plastic bottle can become an effective mini propagator. He advised people to cut it in half , leaving a small bit attached. Then you can add soil, and then “plant in your seeds” and “chuck the lid on top”. Ish said it will “create a nice humid environment […] which will get your seedlings started”.
“The next thing is the humble egg carton,” he said, saying that using the bottom bit as “individual pots” is the way you can prevent the box from just going into the bin.
He adds that egg cartons decompose well in soil, so after planting seeds in them, they can be directly planted in the ground without disturbing the roots. The carton will naturally break down over time.
He also said that they “decompose very well in the soil” so you can cut them up after you’ve put seeds in and “plant them directly in the ground without any root disturbance” and the egg box will just “start to break down”.
According to Ish, this method is a “great way to start off your seeds” before transferring them directly to the soil.
In his final tip, he repurposed a supermarket salad tray or takeaway box. While acknowledging it’s “not deep enough to work as a propagator”, he uses them to test the “viability of any old or expired seeds”.
The process begins with Ish laying a “layer of kitchen roll” at the bottom of the tray and dousing it with water. He then scatters the “extra seeds that have expired” over the damp paper towel before covering them with another layer. This setup, he explained, fosters a “moist and humid environment” that should “hopefully get these started”.
Ish shared that he can then “pick out which ones are doing okay and plant them up”, ensuring he’s “not wasting any seeds that normally would’ve expired”. He encouraged others to make use of these tips in their gardens instead of simply discarding potential seedlings.
The comments section was buzzing with responses. One woman humorously remarked that her “kitchen looks like a recycling centre” as she’d been “doing this” and saving items rather than tossing them out.
Another follower was grateful for the tips: “Ish, this is such good helpful information as I have a lot of old seeds, but I was going to throw them out now I’m going to try what you said. Thank you once again”.
