Gardeners are being urged to keep hold of cardboard toilet rolls this spring, as the humble household item can be put to multiple uses outdoors. With warmer weather approaching, many are turning their attention to sprucing up their gardens, and one TikTok gardening expert has highlighted the benefits of saving these tubes.
Ish, who posts as @gardening.with.ish, demonstrated three ways to use toilet rolls in the garden. First, they can serve as seedling pots. Because the thin cardboard decomposes over time, they can be placed directly into a larger pot or the ground to protect young plants.
Second, the tubes are excellent for composting. “Simply just chuck the tubes in, and pile that down with layers of organic material,” Ish said. “The worms absolutely love this stuff – it will break away and give you some pretty good compost.” Third, cutting the tubes and laying them flat creates an effective weed membrane that slowly breaks down while protecting plants.
Ish also noted that toilet rolls can act as a thermal barrier for plants during chilly spring nights. Fellow gardeners shared additional ideas, such as filling tubes with kitchen waste before digging them into beds, or using them to grow sweet peas, runner beans, and peas, as they allow for long root runs.
“It seems there’s not really any end of possibilities when it comes to things like cardboard tubes,” Ish added, encouraging gardeners to think twice before discarding them.
