Gardeners Are Reusing Their Plastic Containers To Beat The Freeze

Gardeners are the great tenders of earth, so it's really no surprise to find that many of them are reusing plastic containers as a tool to protect their garden from the cold. Reusing plastic is a great way to keep it out of the landfill, which is where it usually ends up and is currently hurting the environment. There are many easy ways to repurpose plastics like growing peppers in an old produce box as a tiny greenhouse or reusing plastic storage totes to DIY a chic non-permanent garden bed. Whether you're new to gardening or to repurposing plastics, a simple place to start is with an herb garden.

Herbs are easy to grow and can be planted in containers, which make them the perfect inhabitants of a mini greenhouse made out of an old, plastic storage bin. It's portable, so the herbs can be moved outside to get adequate light or inside if the temperature gets too low. The herbs can be planted in small pots according to their seed package instructions. Once you have the herbs ready to go, using your DIY mini greenhouse to protect them is one of many helpful tips for growing a thriving herb garden.

Any old plastic storage bin will do the trick as long as it still has a lid. The first step is making sure there is adequate drainage, as herbs can be damaged by overly wet, poorly drained soil. You'll ensure they have the proper environment by drilling holes across the lid of the container. Then, place the lid upside down on the ground. This is where you'll place your potted herbs. Next, if the bin does not have ventilation holes or slots of any kind, you'll drill a few holes across the top and sides. Now you can place the bin upside down over the potted herbs, enclosing them like a greenhouse.

Because herbs typically need full sunlight, you'll want to place the newly constructed mini greenhouse somewhere it will get plenty of daylight. Watering needs vary among different types of herbs, so be sure to water them according to the seed packaging. If you've already planted herbs in the garden, the tote can still be used to shield them from frost simply by using it to cover the plant (without the lid) like a dome. If you love this mini greenhouse, you might want to step it up and learn how to build a backyard greenhouse for all your winter gardening.