Gardening on the cheap: reusing waste materials

 

Eggshells, general compost, soaking vegetables, May 2022

I like to reuse materials I have or can get for free if I can, particularly in the garden and allotment.  Now we've paid our mortgage and have a bigger stash of disposible income, I'm willing to pay for one or two things we've held off on (like allotment fencing) but in the most part if I can get it for free, I will.

Black and blue trays from my old workplace, originally holding mushrooms, May 2022

I have various trays and tubs from my work (I work in catering) which I use for different purposes, including starting seeds, collecting compost, washing vegetables and more.  I also collect free boxes for my continuous sheet mulching at the allotment:  start at the top and work my way down--by the time I get to the bottom it's time to do the top again...

At the allotment I have a stack of pallets in various states of repair , intended for making a structure--probably a large compost bin to replace the smaller black plastic ones (also free).  Some of them already contributed to our little tool shed and chicken coop there.  And the chicken tractor (not currently in use).  Pretty much everything we have at the allotment I got for free--not completely but almost.

Actually I'm trying to think of garden materials I own that I did actually buy.  Some of the tools I guess, and some chicken wire.  I'm not above taking things people leave on the street, including large boxes left out on recycling day.  Like I said, if I can get it for free I will!

Planting out the allotment

If only I could get the chicken tractor at the allotment!  They tractored it a bit the first year we had it, but it was not a secure situation (we had several escapes) and there weren't enough chickens to really make a dent in the weeds/grass.  They've done wonders on their yard;  I've now fully dug it out (even excavating it a bit lower) and spread it around.  We need to be able to move their yard every year:  a very slow tractor.  The husband says maybe he'll do it this winter.  The chickens are now back there, clearing away the weeds that have started to grow in their yard.

I've been gradually shifting seedlings to the allotment from home where they started:  some trays began on my kitchen window, others outside on my patio table but regardless, they all began life in the relative sheltered environment of my home before being shipped off to the more rugged existence at the allotment.  

The first transplants were the onions and leeks, both of which seem to have survived mainly intact.  Thankfully these are not too attractive to pests, unlike most of my other veg.  Next up were the first batch of beets, then cherry tomatoes and regular tomatoes in planters and in the ground.  The slugs and bugs definitely took an interest in the tomato plants but they seem to be all right.  

The corn, squash and cucumbers however have not been as successful.  Out of a dozen cucumber plants, only one sad one is left, and I don't have much hope for it.  I've also replanted two (of eight) yellow crookneck squashes and have resown the remaining 20 corn seeds at home in a tray, as they've all disappeared--maybe mice?  It might be too late for them, but I'll replant at home despite being pretty much out of room.  I also planted the last three crooknecks here, in the hopes we'll get some if the rest succumb at the allotment:  slugs.

Finally, there are still about half a dozen green kuri squashes to transplant (two went in at home along with all the sparse French and runner beans) and that's it for the summer plants.  A little later on, when they've grown bigger, I'll transplant the winter brassicas.

Planting out the kitchen garden

Tomatoes and rows marked for seeds, May 2022

These beds were last seen in April, having been cleared away by the chickens in their tractor;  I then had at them with a rake and hoe to get them ready for transplanting.

Kohl rabi (and some cabbages) with cherry and apple trees, May 2022

Half of the beds are set aside for kohl rabi and cabbages--mainly kohl rabi.  These were planted somewhat close together but with enough space to (carefully) hoe between rows.  The cabbages I spaced further apart from each other and in rows, and sowed turnip seed in the gaps between plants.

View from the path to the lawn, May 2022

The other half is devoted to stuff that hasn't been too successful for me at the allotment, namely stuff that needs to be directly sown (not transplanted).  I put down a couple rows of carrot seed, some parsnips (though I've never been able to grow them, so not holding my breath), fennel and swede/rutabaga.  I also transplanted six tomatoes, with various annual herbs seeded between them.

View from the chicken yard, May 2022

All the rows I direct seeded are plainly marked with string so I can easily hoe between rows, which I have been doing every few days.  I'm not hoeing between plants, as I want a few chard/mizuna/other self-seeded veg to still be able to come up too;  I'll hand weed and thin them out as necessary.  I promised myself I would mark the rows this year in order to keep on top of the weeds, unlike last year.

DIY soil blocks

I've attempted sowing seeds in soil blocks for the first time this year, mainly  summer crops such as pumpkins, corn and beans;  most of them seem good and strong, but I'll withhold judgment until after transplant.  The idea is that there is less root disturbance when planting out and therefore less transplant shock.  It would be great if it worked out, as many of my summer plants succumb to slugs and bugs during transplant shock.

Waiting for beans to sprout, April 2022

It was kind of labor intensive to make the blocks by hand though--I had to mix up compost and sand and then press each block through a little mold I made (out of a 300 mL plastic cream pot).  If I was growing to make money, I'd buy a special tool to save me the time but I can spare it for just myself. 

Nice day for tomatoes, April 2022

Not everything went into soil blocks--most of the seeds I sowed went into trays, and several of the indoor sowings have left my kitchen to harden off outside on the patio though I'm still waiting for two trays to sprout.  Some have even been transplanted out (a few cherry tomatoes have gone in planters at the allotment), though most of them will wait until next week at the earliest.

Food totals, April 2022

 

Need to eat before it flowers, April 2022

Vegetables

 

78 oz purple sprouting broccoli

10.5 oz kale

17.5 oz leeks

69.5 oz chard

4.5 oz beets

2 oz chives 

Total:  182 oz, or 11 lb 6 oz

 

Note:  I weigh all my veg after preparation:  peeling, trimming, etc. Does not include some fresh herbs which were too small an amount to weigh (less than 0.5 oz).

Fruit

 

9 oz rhubarb

Eggs

74 eggs from 6 adult hens and 3 ducks

Chicken tractoring and new transplants

Ready for planting (only a little weedy), April 2022

My six chickens have been hard at work clearing the garden beds for me over this past month.  Some sections have been thick with weeds, but mostly it's been carpeted with chard--so much chard!  They loved clearing both away for me, and I've gone over one of the beds with a rake, hoe and hand trowel, trying to get out as many roots as possible in order to start transplanting.

Made from pallets, wire and bubble wrap, April 2022

After careful consideration I decided to grow mainly brassicas here at home, and save everything else for the allotment.  Probably the winter brassicas (such as Brussels sprouts and purple sprouting broc) will end up at the allotment, but the summer and autumn crops will stay home where I can keep an eye on them for caterpillars.

To that end, I've transplanted out about 50 kohl rabi seedlings into that first bed, with another 30ish waiting for the next bed;  I've also got a tray of about 30 cabbages ready to go too.  And maybe next month I'll try direct sowing some swede/rutabaga in the hopes they'll come up (not had any success with them before).  Because the chickens have tractored the beds for me (and are currently undertaking a second pass) the slug numbers should be reduced, giving me a better chance for direct sowing--unlike at the allotment, sadly.

Kohl rabi in front, April 2022

Flowers from seed

I haven't grown many annual flowers over the past few years, having concentrated on vegetables for the most part.  I do have many perennial flowers, some which were legacy plants from previous owners and some I chose and planted myself.  I love flowers and enjoy picking my own bouquets from the garden (always an acceptable host gift too, I find).  One of my garden objectives is to grow a beautiful space.  Now, without taking on more than I can reasonably handle, I want to add more flowers this year.

To that end I'm going over my seed stash and trying to sow as many flower seeds as I have left, before they get too old.  Many are already too old!  But I have some coming up and some were sealed in foil packets so I still hold out hope for them.  Some of these seeds I have grown in the past, and some were free seed packets which I never tried.  I don't care what they are, so long as they flower.

I want this year to be more beautiful.  I want lots of flowers.  Lots of vegetables too, but lots of flowers with them.