I just planted my garden for this year. I had started the plants indoors, and we live in the Panhandle of Texas where we get LOTS of wind. I planted these small delicate plants on a very nice day. Then, of course, this morning the wind started blowing. I'm concerned the small plants will be blown to death, and I'll be out there with nothing left in my garden.
So, I got some 2 liter bottles that I had in my recycling bin. I also had some water bottles saved for recycling too. I cut the bottom and the top off and slid them down over my small delicate plants to protect them from the wind. They will still receive the light and I can still water them. This is working great for these plants.
By Nana from Panhandle of Texas
This page contains the following solutions.
When you want to grow a small amount of seeds, and know exactly where you've planted them, use a toilet paper tube.
Another use for toilet paper rolls. If you start plants that produce fragile seedlings (like sweet peas) that don't like transplanting, plant them vertically encased in a toilet paper roll.
I've always had a problem with critters eating my sunflowers (and other young flowers) after I plant the seedlings out into the garden. This year I'm protecting them with paper towel tubes or even wrapping paper tubes for taller seedlings and TP tubes for smaller ones.
Anxious to get our tomato seedlings into the ground, I thought of a way to protect the cute little plants from birds. Grab an old metal cloths hanger by the hook end with one hand and grab the middle of the longer (bottom) part of the hanger with the other hand.
It's a universal experience among gardeners, especially in the spring-yanking out a weed only to find out later it was really a "wanted". Weeds will do whatever it takes to survive, even disguising themselves as other plants.
Young trees are a favorite snack of hungry deer, especially in the spring and fall while there's still snow on the ground. Most young pines can recover from minor amounts of repeat browsing as long as the terminal bud remains intact.
Protect your seedlings from cold weather or hard rain by cutting a plastic bottle and putting it on top of your plant. You could also buy glass ones but they are very expensive and they can break.
My sweet grandson always comes over to weed eat in my yard. He cannot tell a weed from a new plant I've put out and has hacked a few of my plants down by accident. Now I cut the top and bottom out of a tin can.
If you have some plants that need protecting from frost, use a clay pot over the top of your seedling. Plastic bottles will work as well. Be sure to remove them so your plant can get the sun the next day.
Use the free supermarket plastic carrier bags as small windbreaks for recently planted seedlings.
During hot days, put pinestraw on top of new trees or plants to keep the sun from burning them.
With some creativity you can protect your young tomato seedlings and get a jump on the growing season. This is a page about protecting tomato seedlings.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
Cut off the tops of 2 liter plastic soft drink bottles to use to protect seedlings (and to discourage cutworms). Use the bottoms of the bottles as saucers for potted plants.
My tip for protecting small plants and starters is to cover them with a 2 liter clear plastic soda bottle. I cut off the bottom and discard it.
