Making a Seed Starter from Recyclables

I saw this idea on the web somewhere and I thought that rather than spend money on peat pots this year, I’d try it. All you need is a few toilet paper or paper towel rolls, a plastic greens container, a spoon, scissors and a bag of potting soil to do this project.

1) Cut the toilet rolls in half with a big pair of scissors. Or use paper towel rolls – you can get about 4 pots from one of these.

2) Fold the ends of the roll in. This will help hold in the soil, but will still make it easy for the water to absorb.

3) Set the rolls in the plastic tray.

4) Fill the rolls with spoonfuls of potting soil or compost til they reach about ½ inch from the top edge.

5) Make a small indentation in the soil with the end of a pencil and put your seed in the hole. Cover lightly with soil.

6) You can pour water directly into the plastic crate or tray so that the rolls absorb moisture from the bottom.

7) If your tray has a plastic lid (mine got lost) putting it down will help the seeds retain moisture and protect them, or you can cover with plastic wrap.

8) Keep in a warm place until germination, then provide a good light source until time to transplant.

9) When it’s time to transplant, you can open up the bottom and plant the entire pot without disturbing the seedling.

I’m also starting some seeds in a old Clementine crate.
Depending on how the wood holds up, I may leave them in there . I’ll bet there are lots of other containers that could be recycled to start plants. There are some great ideas on Poor Richards Almanac. Our school has used old yogurt containers with a hole poked in the bottom. What about paper egg cartons? Has anyone tried those? I may try to do this with my son’s classroom this year.