Wire waste baskets from dollar stores have all sorts of handy uses in the garden. Perfect for protecting seedlings and young plants and sifting compost, mesh baskets are really an essential garden tool.
Want more low-cost hacks? Also see 10 Surprisingly Good Dollar Store Finds for Gardeners.
Mesh Waste Basket Garden Hacks
Dollar stores are a mixed bag: some items are a good value; others seem like a waste of a dollar!
But one thing I’ve never regretted buying are these vinyl-coated mesh waste baskets. They have many uses in the garden and are surprisingly durable. I bought a few dozen of them years ago and they’re still going strong today.
Sizes vary somewhat between dollar stores but most sell a full-size basket like the one shown here (approximately 10 to 12-inches tall) and a smaller version about half that height.
When shopping, be sure you’re getting ones with 1/2-inch gaps in the mesh. There are other mesh waste baskets—usually more expensive—with much smaller gaps (1/8-inch) and a solid base (not mesh) but they are not as useful.
While this is an inexpensive item, it’s impossible to find them online by mail-order due to the size (shipping costs), so you’ll likely have to shop in-person at your nearest dollar tree or similar store.
Now let’s look at some of the ways you can use them.
1Protective Cloche for Seedlings and Young Plants
If you’ve ever had birds or other garden critters like squirrels and chipmunks eat or dig up your newly sprouted seedlings or freshly-planted plants, a cloche can save the day. Or, in this case, an upside-down mesh waste basket.
I use mesh waste baskets over all of my outdoor seedlings and transplants in pots, raised beds, and any in-ground plantings.
These protect my young sunflowers, peas, all other freshly-planted vegetable crops, and smaller fruiting plants like strawberries.
You can secure them in place with tent pegs or landscape staples (also called “garden stake pins”) if your animals are extra-determined.
I remove the baskets when the plants start to outgrow them and can fend for themselves.
2Compost Sifter
This isn’t really practical for sifting large volumes of compost, but it works like a charm for small lots.
Fill the mesh basket with compost and shake it over another container.
The mesh is just the right size to sift out large pieces and let the good compost fall to the container below.
I do this when I need small amounts to top up outdoor containers.
3Vole Control
I remember seeing this idea in a Garden Club newsletter years ago but I’ve never had a vole problem to test it out myself. But I’ve seen so many gardeners say it works, I’m confident it can help.
To keep voles from chewing the roots of hostas, dig up the hosta and replant it in a mesh basket using the same soil. This tip could work for any small plant or bulbs the critters are demolishing underground.
The basket is buried with the lip just above soil level.
The shallow-roots of the hosta do fine, and the voles, unable to dig through the mesh, go elsewhere for dinner.
You can also buy wire baskets to deter voles and gophers.
4Caddy for Small Garden Tools
This is what I use when weeding the garden. The large container is for the pulled weeds and the mesh basket on the side—attached with a large binder clip—keeps small tools handy including my pruners, dandelion puller, and my favorite garden knife.
I find this really helps me keep the tools handy without misplacing them amongst the plants as I work.
5Pond Filter
This simple setup can clear murky pond water within hours. It’s a variation of my Empress of Dirt Quilt Batting Method for Clean Pond Water.
How does it work? A piece of polyester quilt batting is sandwiched between two mesh baskets. The pond pump is placed inside with the return water hose aimed out the top. The whole thing is lowered into the pond with the lip of the basket just above water level. The batting works nicely to filter out algae from the water on its way to the pump.
If you want to spend your garden budget wisely, also see 10 Garden Mistakes That Waste Money.
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~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
