Warning: This is another one of those “can’t she just throw it away?” posts. And no, I can’t!
We have very sandy soil, which is great for growing asparagus, but the other plants I grow in my garden require more water and less drainage. There are companies that manufacture moisture control soil, but it is very expensive, so I decided to create my own. I mix dryer lint into the dirt along with compost.
We primarily wear cotton clothing and use cotton towels and sheets, so the dryer lint will easily break down in the soil. I would not do this with lint from synthetic fabrics. I tear the lint into small pieces and turn it under with a shovel. The lint retains water and keeps it near the plant’s roots.
Nobody can tell that there is lint in the soil, but the plants will thank you!
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joe doe says
ive thought about this recently, and chance you have any info on the dyes in the fabric?
i have an aquaponics system (fish waste feeds plants, plant clean water for fish)
so im not using soil, just grow medium, but it too is alot of money.
and ive heard fish are very sensitive to stuff in their h2o-and dont wanna test that theory if possible.
any thoughts?
thanks
Stephanie says
Ooh what a great idea!
Alea says
Melissa-
If you compost you can add dryer lint to your compost pile. With clay soil (which I had at my last house), I dig a hole about 3 times as big as I need for the plant and then fill it in with compost or topsoil all around the plant.
I wish I could send you some of my sand to mix into your clay soil!
-Alea
Courtney says
love this tip and how resourceful!
i dont see anything wrong with limiting your trash 🙂
Daina says
Ahh, I never thought of dryer lint as biodegradable – but of course it is (if you’re wearing cotton). Thanks for the tip!
Melissa says
This is a good idea. Do you think it would help with a dense clay soil like mine?
Bailey's Leaf says
Good for you! I’ve also put it out for birds to use for nest making.