Garden Recycling with Plastic Bread Trays

Before becoming disabled, my husband had a bread route. On the last day before the route was officially sold back to the company, the guy helping run the route was told to empty the truck (which we were keeping) at the warehouse. All unsold fresh product, stale product, and trays were now the property of the company. We asked him whether he had done it and were told that he had. So, imagine my reaction a few weeks later when I opened the truck and saw half a truck of product. The bread was donated to a hog farmer up the road, but we were still left with LOTS of plastic bread trays. What to do with them? My husband would throw a couple on brush piles to keep the fire going, but we weren't going to have THAT many burns for the amount of trays we had. Someone dumped a pregnant dog off (a MAJOR problem here), so I made a pen with small stacks. It kept the puppies corralled until the stinkers learned to climb up and over. The recycling company hadn't returned my call, so I started looking into other uses for them.

I recycle potting soil in old pots by pouring boiling water in the pot to kill any bugs or weed seeds. An upturned bread tray allows the water to drain better. I've had success growing herbs, lettuce, and other plants in bags of potting soil. I poked holes in the bottom and sides of the bag and then placed the bag on top of an upturned tray. This allowed water to drain, and provided ventilation. I cut most of the top of the bag off, leaving an inch or two on the sides.

If you grow cover crops for chickens, you could place upturned trays where you scatter seed. The chickens can get to the tops as they come up through the holes, but are not able to disturb the roots and lower leaves with their scratching. I plan to try this with a carrot bed. Bread trays can be used to keep all of your seed cups together when you are starting seeds. You can use them to store bulbs, potatoes, and onions. They're stackable, so they save space. When you're harvesting your garden, they come in handy for holding your bounty. For mobility, you could put the trays on a wheelbarrow or a child's wagon. When getting bulbs and plants ready for storing or mailing, you can throw them on a tray and then spray off the dirt with a hose. The holes in the tray will allow dirt and water to flow away from the bulbs or plants.

If you have other uses for bread trays, I would love to hear them. And if anyone is in need of some trays and is in my area, I can hook you up!