The Sweet Yard Use For Broken Terracotta Pots

Gardeners who prioritize wildlife care in their yards are often eager to find creative ways to repurpose trash rather than sending it to the landfill. Broken plant pots are one such item. You'll never want to throw them away again since there are so many clever ways to reuse them — like creating a DIY frog shelter. A frog shelter, also known as a toad abode, is one of the handiest ways to repurpose planters outside your home. Reusing a broken terracotta pot is a sweet way to help frogs and toads while saving money. You won't have to buy a commercially made frog palace.

There are important reasons to give shelter to amphibians. Frogs and toads provide valuable services in your backyard, like pest control. Toads eat snails, crickets, caterpillars, cutworms, and cucumber beetles, among many other pesky critters. Frogs also help us better enjoy the outdoors by keeping mosquito populations low and protecting our garden plants from slugs. It makes good sense to build them a refuge reusing terracotta pots that have cracked after being dropped, knocked, or left outdoors over winter. The shelters help toads and frogs stay cool and protect them from predators.

Choose a location in your yard that is damp and shady and nestle the shelter into a spot where there's already vegetation. It's also important to locate your broken terracotta pot shelter near water, such as a pond, a hollow in the yard where water pools, or a planter saucer filled with water. A pot that has cracked in half can be reused to create two toad abodes, placing the two halves broken sides down. Alternately, a pot that has a piece knocked out of the rim can be used upside-down, with the missing piece serving as an entrance. Just keep in mind that the opening to your frog shelter needs to be at least 4 inches wide. Position the broken pot so that the bottom of the shelter sits on soil, allowing visiting critters to dig into the ground. Put a layer of fallen leaves on the floor of the toad abode to make it more welcoming.

Keep an eye out for guests to your creatively repurposed planter. Don't be surprised if other small animals use your broken terracotta pot shelter, too. To keep the shelter safe and healthy, refrain from using pesticides and herbicides in your yard. Toads and frogs are particularly vulnerable to harm and even death from these common garden treatments. Got leftovers? Once you have created a welcoming toad abode, don't toss broken terracotta pots. Reuse them for this adorable garden hack: crafting matching, equally sweet DIY edging for your flower beds.