Castoffs from the Kitchen--Useful in the Garden

Items no longer needed in the kitchen can be repurposed in the garden. I thought of that today as I pulled out some favorites and planted beets and lettuce.

I didn’t use all these today but here’s a brief rundown.

Dented or slightly rusted stainless steel bowls in various sizes carry compost, fertilizer, potting soil and sometimes grubs. They also scoop soil to fill pots or spread mulch around the garden. The baking pan has a small hole but it holds seed starting mix or finely sifted compost.

A fork that has lost the silver on the tines helps transplant small seedlings or lifts weeds in tight places. It’s also part of the set I ate with as a child, so a happy memory when I use it. The silver knife belonged to my grandmother and can cut apart two seedlings in a six-pack. I leave the serrated knife in the garden during zucchini season for a quick cut where clippers won’t go; and I’ll grab it to remove mildewed zucchini leaves.

An old plastic canning funnel directs wayward items into a container and strainers separate seeds soaked overnight.

The wire circular sieve covers newly planted seeds with sifted compost or separates small saved seed from the chaff. Today, I used the perforated stainless steel tray from a biology lab to evenly cover mesclun lettuce seeds with just enough sifted compost.

So what have you repurposed to the garden from your kitchen?