DIY Seed Trays and Pots

Spring
has sprung! Or just about. You can tell because gardeners are starting their
seeds inside. Soon the soil will be warm enough for your little babies to be
planted in their permanent location. But first, you need to get them to sprout
out of their shells. Any gardener knows that seed trays and pots can add up in
cost. This is especially true if you buy them new each year, or even every few
years. However, you can make your own seed trays and pots by recycling supplies
you already have on hand. This is a “green” way to start your garden and it’s
easy on the budget. Here are some ideas for homemade seedling trays and pots.
Plastic
Containers
Big
and small plastic containers work for planting seeds. Add drainage holes by
pricking a nail through the bottom a few times and you are ready to go. Small,
individual-sized yogurt cups are ideal but larger containers, such as sour
cream containers, also work. Fill the cups with moistened potting soil and plant
your seeds to the desired depths. The only drawback is that you have to disturb
the seedling before you replant it. Cover the top of the container with one
hand, turn it upside down and tap the bottom to free the seedling. If you are
careful, you won’t damage the plant or roots. Use plastic pots for plants that
are sturdier or will remain inside longer so that they have a stronger root
system and more leaves before they are moved.
Newspaper
Containers
Newspaper
makes great seedling pots because it quickly decomposes when you plant it in
the soil. This means you don’t have to disrupt the roots when you transplant
it. Only use black and white newspapers. Never use glossy or colored newsprint
because it adds too many chemicals into the soil. You can make newspaper
containers in several ways:
1. Origami
newspaper pots:
·
Cut a single, broadsheet (the big
newspapers) in half so you only have one page in front of you.
·
Lay it on a flat surface like you are
going to read it. Fold it in half from top to bottom, along the natural fold.
·
Fold it from left to right.
·
Repeat the left to right fold and make a
sharp crease. Then unfold only the last fold. The crease is used as a
guideline.
·
Position the newspaper so the folded
edge is closest to your body.
·
Grasp the bottom right corner and fold
it toward the middle of the paper. The crease mark serves as a gage.
·
Open up the triangle fold that you just
created by sliding your finger between the layers of paper and fanning it open.
Take the top layer and move the corner over to the left side of the paper. This
creates a flat triangle that lays over the entire piece of paper. It looks
similar to a boat sail, if you were to make an origami boat.
·
Turn the paper over and repeat on the
other side to create a second triangle. Now you have a triangle that resembles
a newspaper hat.
·
Hold the triangle in the air so you can
see the four layers of the triangle. Invert the four layers so that they lay
flat when you put them on the table.
·
Position the paper so that the wide,
flat base of the triangle is closest to your body. Find on outside, bottom
corner and fold it into the center crease. Make a crease. Fold the same piece
of paper in on itself to the center crease. Repeat on the other side.
·
Turn the paper over and repeat the
previous step. The paper will look like a pointed arrow.
·
Lift the paper up so that the point is
facing down. Fold over each side about 2 inches on itself.
·
Slide your fingers between the layers
and open the pot out. You’ll have a square shape that you can fill with potting
soil and seeds.
2. Paper
Molds:
·
Shred black and white newspaper and add
it to a blender.
·
Pour a small amount of water into the
blender, half a cup at a time.
·
Turn the blender on and allow it to mix
up the paper.
·
Push the paper down the sides with a
spatula as needed.
·
Add more water to the mix as needed.
·
Continue working the paper in the
blender until you get a thick, pulpy mass.
·
Drain any excess water
·
Add two tablespoons of the blended paper
to each cup in a muffin tray. Use more for a large muffin cups and less for
smaller cups.
·
Push the paper around the muffin cups
until they cover the cups’ surface.
·
Leave the tray to dry for 24 hours.
·
Pop the newspaper cups out of the tray,
fill with soil and use as you would another seed pot.
Egg
Shells Containers
This
is an interesting way to start seeds inside. Cut the tops off the largest raw
eggs you can find. Use a serrated knife and saw the top one-quarter of the egg
off. This is tricky. You’ll need a gentle, slow, steady pressure to do it
successfully. Empty the contents out of the egg and rinse out the shell. Let
the shell dry then fill it with soil and add a seed. These are not large, so
they work best with small plants or plants that won’t be inside for long. Plant
the shells directly into the ground.
Egg
Cartons
Cardboard
egg cartons are possibly the ideal, recycled material for seed trays. They are
biodegradable, free and don’t need a lot of work. Simply fill them with soil,
add a seed and water them. The lid can also be used as a wide tray, although
the seeds won’t be separated. When you are ready, cut each eggcup away from the
carton and plant it directly in the ground.
Some
people use the styrofoam egg cartons as seed trays because the lids help conserve
moisture when they are closed over the seeds. However, Styrofoam is extremely
hard on the environment and shouldn’t be purchased for this project.
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