If you want to take your self-sufficiency up a level, then here are three simple projects to sink your teeth into over the next couple of months ahead of planting season…
- Build a compost bin
It is quite easy to turn your garden waste (grass clippings, weeds, pulled up veg plants, fallen leaves etc) into good quality compost, and you don’t need a lot of space to do it. If you can get hold of some old pallets it is easy to make a simple square compost bay. Once you’ve got enough compost (after about a year) it will make all the difference to your veg patch. - Start a wormery
A wormery is perfect for dealing with all of your kitchen waste. This includes cooked food scraps, veg peelings, tea leaves, coffee grounds, bread, pasta and rice. You can also add vacuum cleaner dust, hair, wool, cotton and egg shells. You can build your own, or buy one. We’re not going to give you instructions to build one – you’ll be able to find a good video on youtube! - Install water butts
It’s a really good idea to collect rainwater to use during dry spells in the veg garden next year. It’s by far the most eco-friendly way of providing water to your veggies! A simple water butt, gutter and downpipe structure will do the job nicely – even better if you can set it up by the garden shed for easy access with a watering can next year.