Protect Your Seedlings From Pests With The Help Of An Empty Milk Carton

There's nothing more devastating than going out to your garden in the morning to check on the seedlings you planted the day before and being confronted with a totally decimated vegetable bed. All that's left of the precious seedlings you lovingly planted are bare stalks, or worse, nothing at all. It's enough to bring even the most seasoned gardener to tears. Young tender plants are the perfect drawcard for pests such as slugs and snails as well as more tenacious garden visitors like rabbits, deer and even birds. But there's one waste product you'll most likely have in your recycling bin that can help protect your seedlings – empty milk cartons. With just a few cuts, you can create collars to protect your seedlings from many types of pests.

If your household doesn't consume a lot of milk, you probably purchase what you need in cartons rather than those large plastic jugs. Even boxes which have previously contained juice, cream, or ready-made custard can be used for this clever hack. In fact, even environmental groups that plant tree saplings to restore natural areas will use empty milk cartons to safeguard young trees and shrubs from being browsed by wildlife. In fact, this is just one of many different ways you can repurpose milk cartons, like creating a bird feeder or even starting an entire garden.

First, you want to collect as many cartons as you can and find somewhere to store them after giving them a good rinse. When it's time to plant your new seedlings, take a few cartons out to the yard with you. You can use a sharp knife or a pair of scissors to cut the boxes into two or three pieces after opening both ends. Place your newly fabricated collar around each young seedling so the base is firmly in the ground and the little plant is safely contained. You can anchor the milk carton using a ground peg or a bamboo stake. To keep it in place, cut two slits in one corner of the carton and weave the thin stake through these.

There are plenty of benefits to using milk cartons for seedling protection. Because the cartons are usually white inside, light is reflected onto the young plants which ensures that they get all the sunshine they need. But the seedlings are also protected from scorching or overheating which can be a problem when using those plastic milk jugs during the hotter months of the year. Plus, you're recycling an otherwise waste product to give it a second use. Once the plants have grown sufficiently, you can simply remove the cartons, give them a rinse and store them away for another day. And, if you've collected too many, you might also want to explore other ways to repurpose cardboard milk cartons around your home.