A Dollar Item Protects Plants from Birds

Photo and great idea by Rpbyn in Phoenix via Hometalk.com.The landscape of US retail is such that there are dollar stores everywhere, but finding sources for row cover and gardening supplies takes some effort. BUT ... What if you could buy your gardening supplies at the dollar store? Would that be too good to be true?

A very brilliant shopper, Hometalk.com member Robyn from Phoenix, figured out that she could use a $1 pop up laundry basket from the dollar store to protect her potted plants from birds, bugs, and the sun. What are the plumbers in Phoenix putting in the water, because that is freaking brilliant?!

You know those pop up nylon laundry hampers? They're made of a large spring, and are covered in nylon mesh. Robyn says that she paid $8 for her nylon mesh laundry hamper, but a commenter said that she's seen collapsible hampers at the Dollar Tree for $1 each. (A whole bunch of "reputable" online retailers are selling collapsible nylon laundry hampers for at least $10 each. Hmmph!) For your garden, just go to the dollar store and buy the generic second-rate bulk commodity ones.

Now here is how to substitute a collapsible nylon mesh laundry basket for a row cover:

  1. Open up the hamper so that it's fully extended.

  2. Turn it upside down.

  3. Place it over the plant that you want to protect. You can place it on the ground to cover the entire pot and plant, or you can balance it on the rim of the pot if the pot is the same diameter as the hamper.

And voila!

While overturned hampers would be hard to cover whole rows of plants with, they're a perfect fit for container gardens. Thanks to Robyn from Phoenix and all the handymen and ladies on Hometalk.com for the foregoing ideas.

Chaya Kurtz writes for Networx.com.

Updated July 31, 2018.

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