Wheelbarrow

Last weekend we decided that it was time to get started on our 2011 garden.  So we went to Fred Meyer to get the necessary supplies: a heavy metal rake and a wheelbarrow.  Our chickens have been busily making nutritious composty soil for us all winter, so we planned to muck out their coop and move it to our raised beds in the front yard (where the sun likes to hang out).  We quickly found a decent cast-iron rake for $10.  But when we found the wheelbarrows the miser in me just about fainted.  Nearly $70 for a bucket with wheels?!!

So we built one.  Well, Boyfriend built one.  We had to buy a wheel - $2 from the Rebuilding Center.

Pretty sweet, right?  We're gonna paint it bright red with silver accents.

The fruits of our labor.  And yes, our raised beds are made from wine bottles.  And no, I didn't drink all that wine by myself.

Starting Seeds for Spring!

This year, I've been seeing a lot of people promoting the use of egg cartons for starting seeds. While I love the idea of re-using what would otherwise be (hopefully) recycled, they just don't work very well. I tried it last spring, and the results were overall, pretty disappointing:

1. The egg carton paper is too thick and acts as a wick, taking water away from the soil.

2. The egg pods are too small, and seedlings do not have enough room to grow healthy and strong before transplanting.

3. The egg carton paper is, again, too thick. You cannot just plant it into the ground and expect it to decompose and allow the seedling to flourish, and it is otherwise very difficult to get the seedling out of the egg pods.

(For a defense of the egg carton seed start project see the comments below. I posted my issues with this project elsewhere, and got a rebuttal - which someone intent on re-using their egg cartons may find very helpful)

This year, instead, I decided to try something completely new and just as recyclely:

Origami seed start pots!

Materials needed:

Scrap paper

Cupcake tray you don't plan on using for a while

Seeds

Soil

To make the cups, find detailed origami instructions (with charts and graphs!)  here.

Next, place cups in cupcake tray, fill the cups with soil, place in the seed according to the packet's directions, add water and a few weeks later...

Since the scrap paper is pretty thin, you could theoretically just place the cups directly into the garden bed you intend them for. Though, it will probably be a good idea to cut a hole in the bottom (if one hasn't already developed) before planting.

Good gardening to you!