January often finds gardeners busy preparing for the growing season ahead, even while the cold weather keeps many indoors. One unexpected gardening tip gaining attention involves saving your used cardboard toilet roll tubes. These simple, biodegradable items provide many practical uses that can simplify your garden tasks and enhance growth.
Gardening enthusiast Ish, known on TikTok as gardening.with.ish, recommends repurposing these tubes during the winter months to gain long-term benefits. His tips are straightforward and highly effective.
Instead of discarding toilet rolls, Ish suggests incorporating them into your compost pile. The cardboard breaks down easily, stimulates worm activity, and enriches the compost. “Just chuck the tubes in and cover with layers of organic material,” he advises. “Worms love it, and it creates excellent compost.”
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Additionally, toilet roll tubes can be transformed into seed starting pots. The thin cardboard decomposes naturally in the soil, allowing seedlings to be planted without disturbing the roots. This means you can start seeds indoors or on a windowsill, then transplant the entire tube directly into your garden or larger pots after a few weeks.
Another creative use is to cut and flatten the tubes to create a natural weed barrier. When laid on garden beds, the cardboard suppresses weeds while slowly breaking down, making it easier to maintain clean growing areas. It also acts as a thermal layer, helping to protect plants from frost during colder months.
The tubes can also be positioned upright as collars around seedlings to guard them against pests like slugs and snails. This simple method also supports seedlings to grow straight by providing gentle physical structure.
Repurposing cardboard toilet rolls not only reduces waste but offers multiple garden benefits—from improving soil health to protecting young plants. Many gardeners who’ve adopted these techniques share positive results, confirming their effectiveness.
So before you bin those empty toilet roll tubes this January, consider giving them a new purpose in your garden. With a little creativity, they can become an eco-friendly and valuable gardening tool.