People are urged to keep old newspapers and cardboard to use in their garden (stock image) (Image: Getty)
Any home-gardeners are urged to save old newspapers and cardboard, as these can help you get your garden blooms sprouting before it’s time to plant them outside.
Whenever you’ve finished reading a newspaper, most people will throw them in the recycling before the next one arrives, as it’s usually something you only read once. Same thing goes with cardboard, which usually also gets recycled after it’s served it’s initial purpose.
But now, one gardener named Simon Akeroyd has urged people to save these, as they can make for a great way to get your plant sprouts growing before it’s time to bring them outside. And you can start doing it now.
While it might seem a bit too early to start thinking about springtime gardening, Simon has shared how you can start preparing things now, even in January.
Taking to his TikTok account, where he has over 810,800 followers, Simon went on to share how you can turn these newspapers or cardboard sheets into plant pots, using items you most likely already have at home.
In his video, Simon was seen soaking tips of cardboard or newspaper in some water before wrapping it around the shaft of a broom. He then used the wet material to mould it around the broom.
When you’ve mangaed to get it around the broom for a few layers, Simon went on to make a watery glue by mixing flour and water into a bowl until a white, watery mixture was formed.
Then simply cover the cardboard or newspaper with this glue. Simon did this using a paintbrush. Once it’s covered in the glue, simply leave the broom out on your poarch to dry.
“When fully dry, carfully twist the cardboard or newspaper off the handle,” Simon explained as he showed himself doing it in the video.
Once it’s off the broom shaft, cut it into smaller sections, around 10 cm tall, using a pair of scissors or a knife. You will now have created your very own flower pots!
Simon went on to place his pots onto a tray, before filling each of them with compost before sowing your seeds.
While it might seem too early to start sowing seeds in January, Simon explained that sweet peas can be sowed now in January. If not, you can simply keep your plant pots ready for when the temperature warms up before you start sowing.
When you sow, make sure to add one seed per pot, unless otherwise stated, before covering it with more compost. Then simply leave it on a sunny windowsill to germinate.
He went on to explain in the caption of his post that if you don’t have time to do this, you can also use empty cardboard toilet rolls to achieve the same results. But if you need a lot of them, you might be running a bit late, unless you’ve been collecting them all year.
“Enjoy your biodegradable, free flower pots,” Simon wrote at the end of his video.