When I stopped working in an office , I found myself with a drawer full of what I retrieve were useless nylon stockings . I held onto a handful of them for special social function , but the repose got tossed in a detritus drawer in the garage . I unintentionally discovered how useful they are in the garden when I come across them when searching the same draftsman for string a few years ago . As it turns out , the stretchy nature of nylon stockings and their farsighted , minute shape makes them useful for a plethora of undertaking around the garden .
1. Plant Ties
When searching for twine all those year ago , I spotted the nylons in the back of the draftsman . I was in a precipitation and quickly cut the stocking into small-arm and used them as plant ties ( pictured above ) to impound my rowdytomato plantsto their stakes . The softness of the fabric does n’t cut into plant root word , and their stretchy nature means they exposit as the plant ’s stem grows . I ’ve used them to tie up my tomato ever since .
2. Seed Collectors
I save a lot of my own seeds , especially for anthesis annuals , such as zinnias , cosmos , sunflowers , amaranth , cleome and tithonia , but let the source to get on on the works often have in mind you have to share them with the birds . While I do n’t mind deal some , I receive that the birds were getting the lion ’s part and I was getting the puny seed they bequeath behind . So I started covering the mature seed head with section of nylon stockings to protect the seeds from the predatory fowl . I cover them as soon as the petals drop and leave them covered until the seed are mostly dry . The diminutive hole in the nylon fabric allow for for just enough air circulation to keep the seed heads from waste before I can snip them from the plants and reap the seeds .
3. Compost Tea Sieve
you could also use segment of nylon stockings as engulf bags for makingcompost tea . I simply fill up a stocking leg with compost , tie the open close fill up , and let it sit in a 5 gallon bucketful of water for a twenty-four hour period . When I ’m quick to apply the resulting nutritive - rich , compost teatime onto my plants , I simply lift out the compost - filled nylon and rain buckets the tea into a watering can . I often reprocess the same subdivision of nylon stocking several times , coldcock out the “ used ” compost and refilling the stocking between steepings .
4. Melon Supports
One of my favourite America for old nylons is as supports for mature melons . I grow my melons vertically , to save space , but sometimes the yield get too enceinte and displume the vine down off the fence they ’re climbing . To support the melons as they grow , I take a section of stocking and switch off it overt lengthwise . Then I make a little sling for the growing melon vine by tying the ends of the nylon to the fencing and stretching the heart around the underside of the melon vine . The stocking will lucubrate as the melon grow , providing just the right amount of supporting without being too restrictive .
5. Fruit Protector
I have a set of worry withcoddling mothsand orchard apple tree maggot assail the apples on my Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Our peach trees also suffer from brown rot . I ’ve establish that surrounding each immature fruit with a piece of nylon stocking prevents impairment from both pests , as well as protecting the sweetheart from browned rotting . In fact , the only way I ’ve been able to harvest a good organic peach crop is by breed each one with a shield of nylon when it ’s about the size of a nickel . Yes , it take some time , but not take to spray is worth it . It might be too time ingest if you have a big grove , but for a smattering of trees , it work like a appeal .
6. Onion & Garlic Storage Tubes
I also use my old nylons to store harvested and heal onion and garlic . I find the flexibility of the fabric stark for stash away these two bulbs , in addition to shallots . I ’ve even stored daffodil bulb in nylon stocking until planting meter arrived . check that the electric light do n’t have any blemishes or shitty spots that could stimulate the whole bunch to go speculative . As long as the bulbs are the right way heal in a cool , teetotal home for a few weeks , they ’ll last for months when stored in the nylon stocking .


Jessica Walliser

Jessica Walliser

Jessica Walliser

Jessica Walliser


Jessica Walliser