January may be cold, but it's the perfect time to start preparing your garden for spring—and you can begin with something as simple as a toilet roll tube. Gardening expert Ish, known as gardening.with.ish on TikTok, has shared three ways to repurpose cardboard loo rolls in the garden, from making compost to creating biodegradable seedling pots.
Ish explains that the tubes can be added directly to a compost heap. 'The worms absolutely love this stuff,' he says. 'It will break away and give you some pretty good compost.' The cardboard naturally decomposes, enriching the soil.
Another use is as seedling pots. 'Because they are thin cardboard, they will naturally decompose over the next couple of months,' Ish notes. Start seedlings in the tubes, and after three to four weeks, plant the entire tube in a larger pot or the ground. This minimises root disturbance as the tube breaks down.
For weed control, cut the tubes and lay them flat on the ground to create a weed membrane. 'Over the next few months, it will slowly break down, protecting your plants from weeds,' says Ish. The cardboard also acts as a thermal layer against frost.
The method has gained traction online, with viewers sharing their own tips. The tubes can also be placed upright around seedlings to protect them from slugs and snails, and help them grow straight. By repurposing toilet roll tubes, gardeners can reduce waste and give their plants a head start.
