Don't Toss Old Plastic Nursery Pots, Reuse Them For A Clever Gardening Hack

Most avid gardeners have a stack of plastic nursery pots lying around and not very many ideas for what to do with them. Sure, you could recycle your collection, but an even better option is to put them to work. As it turns out, these discarded plastic pots are actually extremely handy when it comes to mulching.

The truth about gardening mulch is that it's essential to keeping your garden thriving. The benefits are wide-ranging, from holding in moisture to reducing weeds and protecting plants against temperature swings. The ideal times to mulch an existing garden are in mid- to late spring, as well as autumn. However, new plantings should be mulched at the moment they're placed in the ground. This can be easier said than done, though, as you don't want to hurt your new sprouts or young perennials while spreading the often chunky mixture around.

An easy way to avoid damaging plants when mulching is to use those old plastic nursery pots as temporary covers. It's a simple hack, but it can save you a lot of time and help avoid possible damage to your garden. Simply flip the plastic pots upside down and place them on top of the plants in question. Once they're safely tucked away, you can get to work.

The most important place to use mulch that most folks miss is around new plants. Indeed, while almost all plants will benefit from mulching, those that need it most are actually transplants and new perennials. However, simply piling on the mulch once your new green friends are securely planted in the earth poses some potential issues. For one, plants can be damaged by the rough mulch if it falls on top of them. Equally annoying is that they can easily become coated in dirt and debris.

By covering the young plants with the plastic pots, you won't have to worry about hurting (or dirtying) them, and the process will go much faster. You can quickly dump the mulch around, then even it out with your hands. The plastic pots will also help ensure there is a good perimeter between the plants and mulch, as there should always be 2 to 3 inches of clearance. Another bonus is that, once you lift up the pots, your plants will have a well around them, allowing for better watering.

Beyond mulching, there are plenty of other creative ways to reuse plastic nursery pots in your garden. By placing one pot into another, then flipping them over your plants, you can offer them cozy insulation against a sudden dip in springtime temps. You can also DIY them into plant collars by cutting out the bottoms with scissors, then placing them around new seedlings or transplants to protect them against bugs, winds, and chills.