Old broomsticks may seem ready for the bin, but Dr Meena Singh has found a simple way to give them a second life in the garden. The gardening enthusiast, who runs the Instagram channel gardening_ka_keeda, regularly shares practical tips and tricks for growing plants, and this DIY support is one of her useful ideas.
Instead of throwing away used broomsticks, she suggests taking them apart and turning the bamboo sticks into a support for climbing plants.
An easy support
To make the support, start by removing the lower covering from an old broom. This leaves around four to five bamboo sticks that can be used for the project. If you have two discarded brooms, you will have enough sticks to make a larger support.
Singh arranges the bamboo sticks into square shapes, placing them one above another to create a frame. She then ties the sticks together at the points where they meet using wire.
There is no need to follow one particular design. Rope can also be used instead of wire, and the sticks can be arranged into different shapes depending on the space available and the type of climber being grown.
Once the frame is secured, it can be placed in a pot or garden bed to give climbing plants something to hold on to as they grow.
In her demonstration, she uses the support for a cypress vine. After around 45 days, the plant has grown well around the structure, with the bamboo frame helping it climb instead of spreading across the ground.
Singh says the idea originally came from her mother, Usha Singhal, whom she had seen using a similar trick. She later recreated the idea in her own way.
What would otherwise have gone into the rubbish can therefore become a useful piece of garden support, proving that a little creativity can turn everyday waste into something practical for your plants.
