As the weather starts to show signs of improving, lots of people are beginning to think about their gardens.
After all, it’s approaching the time of year when we can focus on getting them into good shape. If you’re looking for tips on how to make the most of your outdoor space, you may want to think about keeping one common item.
According to gardening expert Ish, known as gardening.with.ish on TikTok, you should never throw cardboard toilet rolls away as they have an essential use in the garden. It may seem unusual, but they could make a big difference.
In a recent video, Ish explained there are three ways you can make use of loo rolls – and they may surprise you. To begin, he starts by showing how they can be utilised to make little seedling pots.
Due to the fact that they’re made from a thin cardboard, he admitted they’re “fantastic”, as they’ll decompose over the next couple of months. You can put them in a big pot, or in the ground, according to Ish.
Ish added: “Now, if you’re trying to start to make your own compost, these work absolutely fantastic too. Simply just chuck the tubes in, and pile that down with layers of organic material.
“The worms absolutely love this stuff – it will break away and give you some pretty good compost. Cut up one of these tubes, and lay it flat on the ground, and all of a sudden you’ve got yourself a really good weed membrane and that, over the next few months, will slowly break down.
“But, while it’s been doing that, it’s protecting your plants from any weeds growing up. You can also plant this underneath your plant beds, and that will also protect anything from growing through.
“Another benefit of doing it around now is it also works as a really good thermal layer for things like frost. It seems there’s not really any end of possibilites when it comes to things like cardboard tubes, and I’m sure I’ve missed some.”
The video has been viewed several times since it was shared, and people were quick to comment too. They offered all sorts of ideas.
One said: “I fill them with kitchen waste (veg, fruit, egg shells etc) then dig into the garden beds when full.” Another added: “I sow runner beans and peas in them as they don’t like root when planting out.”
A third replied: “Can I lay old cardboard boxes down, or is that a bit too thick?” To which Ish replied: “You can indeed. Just make sure it’s plain cardboard and get the tape off it.”
It’s clear to see people loved Ish’s tips, and were keen to share their own hacks too. The video certainly got a lot of people talking about gardening.