Can you grow plants in aluminum cans?

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Can you grow plants in aluminum cans? Like soup or coffee cans? What other ways can you re-use them? Recycling them is a little complicated here. Trying to be conscientious. Actually, I'm getting a little panicked every time I put something in the garbage. We burn all our paper already. Suggestions concerning other kinds of disposables would be welcome!

-- witness (carlaevans@hotmail.com), March 17, 2001

Answers

We use alot of ours in the garage (screws,nails,etc).We also punch holes in them and plant them in the garden along with the veggies.We fill them up with water and it gets down to the roots of the plants (saves alot of water).We put our watermelons on them for more warmth.Hmm,that's all I can think of right now!

-- nobrabbit (conlane@prodigy.net), March 17, 2001.

Well, they make great collars against cutworms, I know that... And, I have started seeds in them. But they rust so... Don't know - you might want to start things in them, then cut the bottoms off to plant outside. I don't think I'd grow anything in them 'full-season' with the bottoms on.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), March 19, 2001.

An alternative is to freeze them full of water and then hammer a pattern of holes into the sides and make them into hanging lanterns for your patio or other outdoor sitting areas.

I wonder if you could use them as insulation in a small shed? Stack them to trap the air and seal them in the wall? I seem to remember there was something else that worked like this.

-- Sombra (Sombra.wilson@sk.sympatico.ca), March 23, 2001.


Just remembered a friend of mine uses them - cut down short - for making english muffins.

-- Sombra (Sombra.wilson@sk.sympatico.ca), March 23, 2001.

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