There are several uses for them in your garden, says one expert
Gather up your cardboard loo rolls and put them to use in the garden this month(Image: Getty)
If, like many households, you throw away your toilet roll tubes regularly, you might want to think about utilising them elsewhere. And one expert has explained that you can use them to help your garden grow.
The humble toilet roll insert is perfect for many gardening jobs, according to gardening guru Ish, who posts on TikTok under @gardening.with.ish and has urged people to think before tossing them in the recycling.
This brilliant hack will cut down on waste but and can be used for several jobs outdoors. Firstly, they make great seedling pots.
Ish explained: “The first thing you can do with your cardboard tubes is make little seedling pots, and these work absolutely fantastic, because they are a thin cardboard, they will naturally decompose over the next couple of months.
“So, start your seedlings off in the first three or four weeks and, once they’ve started to grow, it’s worth taking them out and potting them up.
They can be used as seedling pots to nurture plants in the first three to four weeks (Image: Getty)
“You can simply put these in a bigger pot, or in the ground, and these will slowly decompose in the ground, causing very little root disturbance.
“If you’re trying to start to make your own compost, these work absolutely fantastic too, and you can simply just chuck the tubes in.”
Toilet tubes are loved by worms, said Ish.
He added: “Pile that down with layers of organic material, and the worms absolutely love this stuff. It will break away and give you some pretty good compost.”
They can also be utilised as a weed membrane, reports The Mirror.
In addition to this, he suggested cutting up the tubes and laying them flat on the ground. This, he claimed, will provide a top-notch weed membrane which will gradually decompose over the coming months.
This method helps to shield your plants from any weeds sprouting up, according to the gardening enthusiast. He also recommended placing them under your plant beds to prevent anything from growing through.
If you get cracking now, he said it will also form an excellent thermal layer to safeguard plants against elements like frost. When it comes to cardboard tubes, he confessed they have a multitude of practical uses in the garden.
They have more benefits than you might think, and can genuinely help plants to flourish. That’s why it’s best not to bin them, particularly at present.
For those who aren’t aware, loo roll cardboard can be utilised in the garden as a compostable seed starter, a biodegradable pot, weed barrier or a protective collar for seedlings.
The cardboard naturally decomposes in the soil over time, making it a fantastic way to both recycle them and give your garden a lift.
Since Ish posted the video, a handful of people confessed they use the trick. Some were eager to share their own success stories with others.
If you’re plagued by weeds, simply lay the cardboard flat on the ground to suppress them. Over a period of months, it will decompose, allowing you to plant through it.
This is especially handy when setting up new garden beds. You can also chop the tubes up and position them around seedlings to shield them from pests like slugs and snails.
The vertical sides can even assist your seedlings in growing upright. There are countless ways they can be utilised to enhance your garden.
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