Another Upcycled Hanger

So I've had this big cracked colander sitting around from my sophomore year and I can't figure out what to do with it. I've since gotten a new one but this one was so big I just couldn't bring myself to toss it. Finally I've put it to good use... as a hanging planter!

It was simple, I just drilled a hole in each handle, painted it and planted it. To keep the dirt from falling out I lined it with a paper bag and voilà, we have a cute, well-drained and rather large hanging planter. Lining it with preserved moss might have looked a little nicer but I just used what was on hand. Mine will be full of crisp, fresh lettuce come fall. Yum!

My Ol' Canon

So just a little info on where my pictures come from. I use a Canon Powershot SD750, usually on no flash and macro settings. It's nothing fancy and it's reasonably old. I bought it 4 years ago in refurbished condition. It's served me well and the macro function on it is pretty decent. I've been thinking it's about time for a new camera but it seems like such a waste right now considering a.) I'm broke and b.) I'm content with the quality for my purposes. At least for now. Any extra touchups I do in Gimp or Apple Preview (yeah I know, that's so basic).

If you were curious, there you have it, folks.

Marmorated Madness

by Janet Moore-Coll

If you're like many growers and homeowners this summer your home may have become host to a swarm of brown marmorated stink bugs (BSMB). This invasive brown beetle from Asia is overrunning the U.S. and causing quite a stir. The first documenting sighting of the BSMB was in Allentown, PA in 2001, although experts believe they were here several years before that. They are believed to have arrived via packaging materials. Since their arrival they have spread across the U.S. and reproduce unabated due to a lack of predation. Their strong wings and ability to hang onto cars allows them to travel rapidly.

In temperate zones stink bugs go into hibernation over the winter, emerging between March and June. In these areas generally only one generation comes about at a time. In more stable warm environments like California the number of generations that can occur is yet undocumented. They're pretty indiscriminate feeders and will eat everything from your house plant to your veggie garden. The worst part is, as of yet there is no treatment to protect your leafy greens. They're quite content with whatever you spritz them with. Currently research is underway, but this summer you'll have to deal with them.

So what can you do?

by Armed Forces Pest Mgmt. Board

First one should learn how to identify a BSMB. In the pdf file below you will find an in-depth guide. In general, adult BSMB are greyish-brown, have dark and light banded antennae and dark and light striped dorsal abdomen (beneath the wings) (SEE PHOTO).

For the indoors the best solution is just to never let them in. Maintain barriers and seal off openings. Use a good sealant to plug cracks and crevices. Keep your screens shut and doors sealed tight. Mild success can be achieved by spraying insecticide around openings that are difficult to seal, although never inside the home. The less you can use the better as they are only mildly effective and many insecticides also kill beneficial insects. If you find bugs in your house or outdoors kill them. You might keep a dish of soapy water around. If you see a stink bug, grab it and toss it in. Stink bugs don't attack or bite so there's nothing to be worried about when you handle them aside from the possible "stink," which I personally think is more annoying than foul. The soapy water will kill them. All you need to do is cup your hand under them and knock them in gently with your other hand. They generally won't release their stink with this gentle method.

by B_cool

There are several stink-bug traps on the market for both outdoor and indoor control, not all of which seem to work. In an informal experiment done by WPXI news station of Pittsburgh (VIEW ARTICLE), Robin Taylor tries out some of the trap models on the market: The Dead Inn, The Asian Ladybug Light Trap, The Strube Stink Bug Trap and Catch It Sticky Traps. Of all of these the testers only had luck with the Asian Ladybug Light Trap ($50), but it offers mainly an indoor solution. As far as commercial outdoor traps there wasn't much luck.

In terms of cheaper trap solutions a man by the name of Jody Williams has devised a simple DIY outdoor stinkbug trap made from cardboard and three pieces of wood. You can view his how-to on Youtube.

Floating row cover is a good way to protect veggies from these pests. It won't work for ornamental flowers as it requires covering them up but for vegetables it works fairly well. Kent Phillips demonstrates how to use floating row cover in this video.

Alternative methods such as oils and scents have been suggested. I am not aware of their success rates but if you're desperate they're worth a try. You can read about some alternatives this article.

References:
University of Maryland
Entomological Society of America: Interview with Michelle Meck
Penn State University Entomology




for a great home reference sheet
DOWNLOAD BMSB FACTSHEET (PDF)

"Skid-row" Window Box

What's in a name? No, I don't mean that this window box looks like junk, just that it's made from junk, namely an old skid. I have been pining for a nice window box for a while now as it would look gorgeous by my neighbor's (yes I know, unfortunately I don't get a nice garden view) window. So every time I go to Home Depot or some other place I check them out and, outch!, those prices just aren't quite right. I considered a plastic one, but it's just not the same. Since I didn't feel like lugging timer around on the bus I decided I'd just go without or eventually go with plastic.

While I was walking to CVS this afternoon I saw an old skid lying out back in the trash and it donned on me: wood + nails = window box! All the materials were right there right down to the nails. Now I'm no carpenter but it seemed simple enough. I know merchants store them out back in the alley, but this one was in the trash so I picked it up and drove the neighbors crazy all afternoon with my hammering. At least they get the view...

Now this box the way I made it wouldn't be strong enough to hang but if you substitute in a wooden bottom and use the glue and clamps it could be. I don't need mine to hang so I didn't concern myself with it.

Skid-Row Window Box

 Printer-Friendly Version

A great way to reuse those old or broken skids merchants are getting rid of. You'll only need a few pieces to make each box (you can get like 3+ boxes out of 1 skid) so the skid can be pretty broken. See if any local vendors have any they'd be willing to donate. It's useful to have a crow bar to pry off the boards but not necessary. I did it with just the hammer.

Materials

• 1 (partial) skid
• hammer
• crow bar (optional)
• saw
• nails or liquid nails/wood glue
• 1 large sheet of corrugated plastic
• scissors/utility knife
• paint (optional)

Directions

1. Start by prying off two of the horizontal slats with your hammer or crow bar. Carefully remove the nails as you do so and save if planning to use later.


 2.  Use a saw to cut two short pieces of wood from the middle beams your slats were attached to (they are sticking up in the image above). Cut these pieces as long as you want your box to be wide. Once the first is cut, mark its length on the second either with a cut or a marker so the pieces are even.

3. Once your pieces are cut you are ready to assemble the box. Nail through the long pieces (widthwise) into the short (lengthwise). Usually your short pieces will be thicker because of the way skids are constructed so it is a good idea to nail into their length (see photo below for clarification, that's difficult to put into words). Nail the other end of your long piece to the other short. Nail on the second long piece of wood in the same fashion to assemble the box. When you are done each end of wood should have 2 nails in it: one in each corner.

The nails go through the long pieces (on top) and into the short (on bottom)

OR

Glue the box together in the same pattern. You will need to clamp your box together for at least 24 hours before you can continue to step 4.

4.  Lay your box on your plastic sheet. Cut a piece long and wide enough to completely cover the base of your box (sides included). If it is not long enough that is fine. Simply cut a second piece to cover the gap (if you have a second piece you will nail the first and second on top of one another so leave a little excess length). Nail the plastic onto the bottom with as many nails as necessary to prevent gaps. It is best to nail toward the middle so if your nail should slip out of the wood it is on the interior of your box.


5. Paint your box and it's ready to use!

It might not be fancy but it looks nice. Sorry I haven't planted it yet. I'll update the photos when I do.

Copyright & Licensing Information

To see my header contributors please visit my About page.

If somehow I have missed crediting you on my blog PLEASE email me to let me know. I will fix it right away.

All of my photos and content are free for you to use, cite and distribute. All I ask is that you give me credit as I do others on my blog. You don't have to tell me about it (unless you want to, I'd be flattered to hear) but don't try to sell/profit from them, claim them as your own or modify them and not share in the same manner. You can credit me as Charlene Steffel without a link or as The Urban Girl Gardens or Steff with a link back to my webpage. The Urban Girl Gardens is preferable, but any of those are fine.

It's a simple policy but if you want more information see the license and and it's links below.

If you would like to use my photos in a way that does not fall under this license (e.g. comercially) you may contact me at cutienut@live.com.

All Photographic Works by The Urban Girl Gardens are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at rooftopgardens.blogspot.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://rooftopgardens.blogspot.com/2011/05/about-me-my-blog.html.

***Note that all photos in this blog that do not have a credit under them (except the commercial photos in the toolshed) are ©2011 The Urban Girl Gardens



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Photo by The Urban Girl Gardens

Inexpensive Upcycled/DIY Ideas

Photo by Mr. T in DC

Who among us doesn't dread taking out the trash/recycling. I know I do, but if I repurpose some of it the load is lightened. Today I noticed that my recycling is getting especially full. Since I'm not wanting to walk the all of one block to take it out in this heat, I decided to repurpose what i could.






Plant markers are something I desperately need right now but really don't want to pay for. With all my fall veggie seeds it's tough to keep track of what's what. Even if you do, it's still nice to have labels for convenience purposes. A quick, easy and FREE way to get a lot of these is to reuse those plastic packagings and bottles. Whenever I buy something it always seems to come with lots of plastic packaging and so my recycling gets mighty fat. You can cut them into large strips or small stingy strips. If you're really conserving them you can use dry-erase marker instead of permanent. Either way these make plant markers that are (in my opinion) much better looking than those ugly white plastic ones at Home Depot.

Greenhouse covers are another good way to use those plastics. If you are using small cups you can cut bottles in half and cover your plants with them. Here I've used the packaging from some telephone wire I bought last week. If it fits, use it! I wrote underneath with dry-erase marker so these babies can be used again. they fit so well!

Old ice cube trays make great seed starters. When I moved in the previous tenant had left tons of old ice trays and other junk. I've found that even though I won't drink out of it there's no need to waste. My plants like it quite well.

DIY Hanging Planters

One way to find extra space for your plants is to use hanging planters. This great DIY project stems from a one done by Design Sponge with a few modifications  in materials and outdoor-friendly design.

There are three different types: an upside-down can planter, a simple hanging can planter, and an upside down soda bottle planter.

Of the three I think I like the soda bottle the best, unfortunately this was the only bottle of soda I had around and I had to empty it from my fridge (it's been there for over a year so I thought it'd probably be about time anyway).

We'll start on the left in this photo and move right. As we go through the steps, click on any of the images to enlarge them. Note that my drill in the photos is a Yankee drill and if you are using an electric drill you may want to make some modifications. If you don't have a drill you can use a hammer and nail to puncture the can.

DIY Upside-Down Can Planter

Printer-friendy version

I really like this planter until it comes to the lid part. I've been trying to think of a way to overcome that but thus far have been unsuccessful. I don't drink can coffee or eat wasabi nuts so I don't have a whole lot of "lidded" cans around. I got my lid from my baking cocoa can which now is covered with sran wrap. As you can see from the photo above, you must secure it with duct tape and it's not the most beautiful-looking thing. I may go back and paint over it though which would solve that problem. 

Materials

• 1 can (a size large enough for your plant), labels removed
• can opener (optional)
• drill
• duct/gorilla tape
• spray paint
• 1/8" dia. braided nylon cord
• cardboard or 2 coffee filters
• scissors
• a lid that will fit over the opening of your can
• spring link for hanging (optional)

Directions

1.  Start by drilling holes in the bottom of your can. You can use the can opener to take it off first or you can drill them while it's attached (if you choose the latter skip step 2). If you take it off you can drill on top of a scrap piece of wood or work surface. Since I didn't have one I used the gaps in my deck but you'll get a nicer hole if you use the wood (as opposed to drilling like I did or leaving the bottom on).

2.  Use your heavy duty tape to reattach the lid. Hold the lid up by putting your hand through the middle of the can and use small strips of tape to gradually cover the edges piece by piece. Be sure to press each piece down tightly so that a seal forms. The bottom doesn't need to be even with the sides of your can. There can be a little depression for water and how much of one is up to you. None is also fine you'll just have go slower when watering by hand.

3.  Drill two holes opposite one another near the base of your can (where you just taped). These will be used for hanging your planter so make them fairly close to the base (maybe even closer than this photo depending on how much of a depression you left when you taped your bottom in).

4.  Use a rust resistant spray paint to paint your can. Allow drying time. For designs you can decorate with acrylic (like I did) or any outdoor paint.

5.  When can is dry cut desired length of nylon cord. You will need to cut more or less cord depending on how high up your hanging site is. Feed the cord through a side hole and make a knot at the interior end. Pull tight against the wall of the can. Repeat for other side.

6.  Plant your selected plant in the can as usual.

7.  Cut out a circular piece of cardboard or doubled coffee filter. Make a cut halfway through your circle and cut out a small circular opening at the center. Put this around the base of the plant covering the soil.

8.  Cut a larger circular opening in your can lid (don't cut the radial line this time). This opening should be just large enough to feed your plant through (it will be challenging) but not so large that the contents of your pot will fall out. 1" to 1.5" should be sufficient. Gently feed the plant through until the lid can be secured on the can. Tape the lid to the can using your utility tape.

9.  Paint over utility tape carefully. Hang plant.

DIY Hanging Planter

Printer-friendly version

Most of the steps for this planter are the same as the last, with a few adjustments for orientation, so most of the photos are the same as well. This planter is good for any plant that is not fond of growing upside down.

Materials

• 1 can (a size large enough for your plant), labels removed
• drill
• spray paint
• 1/8" dia. braided nylon cord
• a coffee filter or two
• scissors
• a lid that will fit over the opening of your can (optional)
• spring link for hanging (optional)

Directions

1.  Start by drilling holes in the bottom of your can. The bottom should remain attached as if you tape it back on you run a greater risk of your plant eventually falling out of it. Keep secure what you can.

2.  Drill two holes opposite one another near the top (open end) of your can. These will be used for hanging your planter so make them fairly close to the top (yours will not be taped as in the photo below, which is reused from the last project).

3.  Use a rust resistant spray paint to paint your can. Allow drying time. For designs you can decorate with acrylic (like I did) or any outdoor paint.

4.  When can is dry cut desired length of nylon cord. You will need to cut more or less cord depending on how high up your hanging site is. Feed the cord through a side hole and make a knot at the interior end. Pull tight against the wall of the can. Repeat for other side.

5.  Trace the outline of your can onto your filter. It may not fit entirely but so long as it covers your holes it's fine. Use two if need be. Cut out your circle(s) and place it in the bottom of the can, covering the holes.

6. Fill your can with plant and potting mix and hang using a spring link or other hanging tool.

DIY Topsy-Turvy Soda Planter

Printer-friendly version

This planter has good versatility and gives your roots lots of room to grow in. There's nice space and it's pretty simple to make.

Materials

• soda bottle, labels removed
• drill
• sissors
• utility knife
• hairdryer
• spray paint
• 1/8" dia. braided nylon cord
• cardboard/2 coffee filters
• spring link for hanging (optional)

Directions

1.  Cut off the bottom of the base of your soda bottle just below where the label or above the feet with an extra 1/2 inch of space. There were little lines/dents on mine and I just cut along them. It's easiest if you puncture the bottle with your utility knife and use the scissors to finish the cut. The utility knife doesn't cut straight but the scissors alone won't make a smooth puncture. You'll also need to cut off the mouth of the bottle leaving a 2" to 3" gap (enough room to feed your plant through, but not so much that it will slip out; getting it through will not be simple). Discard the cap.

3. With your drill, a nail or other puncturing tool poke holes in the removed bottom.

2. Using a hairdryer heat the top until the plastic becomes wavy and pliable. Push the mouth inward until the top of the bottle is inverted. You might consider using gloves as I found the plastic somewhat hot (and I can handle pretty hot dishes). *it is a mistake in my photographing below that the mouth is still on. I forgot this step initially

3.  Invert the removed base of the bottle into the open bottom.  With your drill, a nail or other puncturing tool make two holes opposite one another near the base of the bottle. The holes should go through both the inverted base and the bottle body. These will be used for hanging. (the hole is circled in the photo below)

4.  Spray paint your bottle and allow to dry. Paint should be ready for careful (without rough handling) design painting after 1 hour.

5.  When paint is dry, feed nylon cord through holes. Knot the string on the interior end and pull tight against sides of bottle.

6.  Trace the circumference of your bottle onto cardboard or 2+ coffee filters. With scissors cut halfway into the circle. In the center cut a small hole for the plant's stem. Fit this around the base of your plant. This should cover the hole at the mouth of your bottle so that the plant and dirt do not fall out when you water. A coffee filter works well as it will allow water to flow out onto the ground but not dirt.

7. Pull the base off enough for the plant to fit through (it will be attached to the body via the nylon string). Carefully feed your plant up through the opening at the mouth. Surround plant with potting mix and replace the base.

8. Hang plant using spring link or other hanging tool.

If you have any questions or suggestions about any of these instructions let me know. I can clarify or get additional photos if they're needed.

A note about spring links...
If you don't know what they are you've probably seen them on key chains. They're very simple to use when hanging plants. Just clip the link onto your cord, wrap the cord and link around whatever you want to hang your plant from and clip the spring link back onto the cord. It will hold tight.

Tips for Rooftop Growers (1)

Photograph by Irene Mason

When you start your rooftop garden there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, it can get hot up there so you'll need to select plants that can withstand some heat, especially if there is no overcast from other buildings or structures. You might also want to place your plants on mats so that the roots don't get too hot. My roof can get very hot during the day. In addition to the heat up on the roof there's also a lot of sun. If there's no shady part of the day you can burn your plants leaves. Even some of my tropicals have been known to get too much of it up top so put them on a mat and keep an eye on your plants. Some will be less tolerant of the conditions than others. With these two factors in mind you can be sure being mindful of the plants' water need is a must. Plants can dry out quite quickly on a roof so you'll need to check them daily just to be sure they aren't dry. Plants whose leaves cover most of the pot will dry out much more slowly than those who have exposed soil, which is another thing to keep in mind when selecting your plants.

Photo by Stephanie of Literally Organized

Secondly, it's your roof not a back yard, stoop or any other ground-level structure so you want to keep things on the lighter side. I like using plastic pots with bark chips in the bottom rather than rocks as you've maybe seen from my how-to articles. Packing peanuts are another good alternative, especially since Styrofoam is so environmentally damaging and not recyclable in many areas. There is also a product out called Better Than Rocks, which is specifically designed for lighter gardening. Now with the pots themselves if you go for the ceramic look and/or need very large pots you can have your cake and eat it too with a company called Southern Patio. They make high-density resin pots that look just like ceramic but are very light. The Home Depot carries them and the prices range anywhere from $10 to $40 depending on the size you buy. You can also just do a basic Google search for resin pots and a ton will show up from Amazon and various other sources.

That's it for now! So go start a rooftop garden and help make good use of your rain water and runoff, save on cooling costs and filter your air!

Grow Bananas!

Getting banana seeds is simple enough. Many places sell them online. I've had particularly pleasant experiences with Georgia Vines (or visit her ebay store). She has an excellent selection of exotic plants & seeds including bananas and everything is very reasonably priced. I would recommend buying a dwarf variety if you intend to grow them indoors or need to bring them indoors for the winter as bananas tend to grow quite large.

Once you've ordered your seeds you'll be ready to start growing bananas. Be sure to have a sunny and warm spot for them. Mind that these won't be like the bananas you get in the grocery store which are propagated using suckers.

My banana seeds

On day one you're going to need to grab a cup of lukewarm water and soak the banana seeds in it for 48 hours. I set mine outside in the sun so it would stay warm and would get cycles of warm/cool and day/light but you could also set it on a heating pad or seed mat for warmth. The seeds often benefit from some form of temperature fluctuation so feel free to turn off any heating at night provided your house is not below 60 degrees (I'd even say below 70). You may also consider turning it down.

Once your seeds have soaked for 48 hours you will be ready to plant them. Things you will need include a cup/pot, bark chips/shards/rocks for the bottom and some well-draining soil. Bananas are tolerant of most soils but cannot handle standing water so make sure you maintain a well-drained environment.

Some growers suggest you nick the seed coat and others insist that you don't due to potential bacterial and fungal infections. In my opinion it's up to you. I have nicked hard seed coats and had them grow and I have not nicked hard seeds and had them grow. Either way I think germinating banana seeds will be semi difficult and take a while. I suppose to play it safe you might not nick it but if you feel the need that's fine. Soaking them in the lukewarm water is intended to soften them up, though.

First you'll need to prepare the soil. If you are using cactus soil or orchid soil it should drain well enough for the banana, but if you are using regular potting soil you'll need to mix in 40-60% sand for drainage. Mix your soil with a time release fertilizer (such as osmocote) and water in a bowl or pot until damp (not soaking!). Put a layer of bark chips, shards or rocks on the bottom of your pot or cup and then fill the rest with your soil and fertilizer mix. Pat down the mix and make a small depression in the soil. Banana seeds don't need to be terribly deep, just deep enough that they will not uncover with watering. Cover the seeds with soil.

Now you'll have to play the waiting game. Seed germination is all over the place for bananas. It could be as little as 3 weeks or as long as a year before you get germination. Once germinated, however, bananas tend to grow quite rapidly and you can get a fruit-producing tree in as little as a year if it is happy. However, fruit production is difficult. Ornamental bananas often will not fruit and with indoor conditions even wild bananas may not. You will have to be patient and if you want fruit try to mimic its natural tropical environment. Note that not all of the banana fruits will taste good but the bunches pretty if you can get them. Good luck!

Dwarf banana tree by Tony Buser