Building plant supports with things you already have at home is a great way to be eco-friendly and make your garden better. Here are some fun ideas you can try:

1. Use Empty Plastic Bottles

• Support Stakes: Cut the top part off an empty plastic bottle, but keep the base. Stick it into the soil next to a young plant for support. This is great for delicate plants that need help standing up as they grow.

2. Recycled Wire

• Bamboo and Wire Trellis: Take old wire hangers and turn them into a trellis. Just unbend the hanger and shape it into a grid or a teepee. Add bamboo sticks, and you’ve got a strong support for climbing plants. Did you know that about 1 in 10 homes throw away clothes hangers each year? That means you might have a free supply to use!

3. Tomato Cages from Fence Panels

• DIY Tomato Cages: If you have leftover wire or old wooden fence panels, cut them into pieces and make cages for your plants. A tomato plant usually needs 2 to 4 feet of support, making this a handy method for all types of tomatoes.

4. Old Garden Furniture

• Use Old Furniture: You can turn old metal chairs or wooden ladders into plant supports. Lean a ladder against a wall and let climbing plants grow up it. This not only helps your plants but also makes your garden look cool!

5. Repurposed Tights and Stockings

• Soft Plant Ties: Cut old tights into strips to use as soft ties for your plants. They’re stretchy enough to avoid hurting the stems. One pair can give you over $10 worth of ties if you bought them new!

6. Bamboo Skewers

• Stakes for Seedlings: Cut bamboo skewers to the height you need and use them to support young plants. A pack of 100 skewers costs around $3, which is a cheap and easy solution.

7. Hardware Wire

• Flexible Support Structures: Take old hardware wire and twist it into different shapes to make custom plant supports. You can use it to support plants that don’t have a regular shape.

8. Wood Pallets

• Vertical Supports: An old wooden pallet can be taken apart to give you several small stakes or can even be set up as a vertical garden. Using pallets in gardening helps you save money and reduces waste.

By trying out these methods, you can recycle materials and lower your gardening costs. You don’t need to buy expensive supports; you can create your own right at home!