Want your own this summerGrow fruits and vegetables, then you should sow a few seeds in the house in the winter and let seedlings sprout for your garden. Most seeds aren't too picky about where they germinate, as long as they receive enough heat, moisture, and sunlight. While there are many containers you can purchase specifically for starting seeds, you can also save a little money by making your own growing pots from materials that are probably already in your recycling bin. Newspaper, cardboard rolls, small boxes and egg cartons can easily be turned into biodegradable nursery pots. Follow our step-by-step instructions and you'll soon have enough pots to grow all the seedlings you want.
Make your own nursery pots out of newspaper
Are you finished with the Sunday paper? Now you can turn them into a few practical little growing pots for your seeds. Small glasses can help with shaping. A straight-sided juice glass works just as well if you don't have small glasses.
Materials required:
- Small glass jar or a juice glass
- Newspaper
- Scissors
- Shallow bowl of water
- potting soil
- Seeds
Step 1:Cut newspaper
Cut newspaper into rectangles large enough to completely wrap around the jar with some overlap.
Step 2:Soak newspaper
Submerge the newspaper rectangles in a shallow dish of water until moist.
Step 3:Form cultivation pots
Roll the softened paper around the container. Pull the bottom edge of the paper out enough so that you can fold and shape the bottom of the pot. Fold and press the paper around the bottom of the jar. Flatten the soil on a flat surface and set the pot aside to dry. Then carefully pull the paper pot away from the glass.
Step 4:Plant seeds
Fill the new paper pots with the sowing soil and press the soil lightly. Using your finger or the end of a pencil, make a shallow hole in the soil. Place the seed in the hole and cover it with soil. Spray the pots with enough water to completely moisten the soil.
Cling film acts like a greenhouse
To speed up the germination process, you can cover the seeds with cling film. It always keeps the seeds moist and warm.
Make your own seed tray from an empty box
Many household items come in small cardboard boxes that are just the right size for the seeds and are also sturdy enough to hold together until the resulting seedlings can be planted outdoors. You can also breathe new life into the boxes that once stored foods like cereal or tea bags by converting them into seed trays where multiple seeds can germinate together.
Materials required:
- Small paper box, e.g. B. a tea box
- Scissors
- potting soil
- Seeds
Step 1:Cut the box
Using scissors, cut off one of the longer sides to form a shallow bowl.
Step 2:Make partition walls
Use the cut pieces to make dividers as needed. Pay attention to the depth of the box.
Step 3:Plant seeds
Fill each box with sowing soil and lightly tap the soil. Using your finger or the end of a pencil, poke a shallow hole in the soil in each section. Place the seeds in the holes and cover them with soil. Spray the homemade seed tray with water until the soil is completely moistened.
Make your own nursery pots out of cardboard rolls
As useful as paper towels are in the household, they are just as versatilethe leftover cardboard rollsUse for DIY projects like these biodegradable planters. Just make a few cuts, fold in one end and you're done.
Materials required:
- Cardboard rolls of kitchen paper
- Scissors
- potting soil
- Seeds
Step 1:Cut cardboard roll to size
Cut the paper towel roll into 8 centimeter long tubes. Make four evenly spaced cuts about 2 inches long at one end of each tube to form the flaps that close the bottom of the pot.
Step 2:Fold flaps
Fold each flap inward to close one end of the tube. It's okay if there is a small gap between the flaps - this will help with drainage.
Make your own seed pots out of egg carton
You can also germinate seeds in egg cartons super easily and inexpensively. There are some good reasons to use egg cartons for starting seeds, especially if you're just starting gardening or are starting plants from seed for the first time.
- Egg cartons are small, already divided and easy to cut.
- The shape of an egg carton makes it easy to place on a sunny windowsill.
- Egg cartons are flexible containers for sowing seeds. You can use the whole box or simply cut it apart for smaller containers.
- Depending on the type of box, you can stick it directly into the ground along with the seedling and let it rot there.
- You can label the egg carton directly to make it easier to identify your seedlings.
If you're sowing seeds in an egg carton, you still need to think about drainage. Poke holes in the bottom of each egg cup to allow moisture to drain out. It is best to place a tray underneath. Fill each egg cup with potting soil and plant the seeds at the appropriate depth. Water the seeds well and keep them moist during germination.
Also read:Growing in PET bottles works as if by itself!
When do you have to sow the seeds in your DIY growing pots?
Check the seed bag to find out when to sow the seeds in your DIY nursery pots. Typically it's about six to eight weeks before the last frost in your area (so if that's April 15th, count back from there and make sure to sow your seeds on or after March 18th ). You can find the average dates for the most popular vegetable cropsin this article.
Once your seeds have germinated, you should provide them with as much sunlight as possible or use grow lights. When the weather outside becomes warmer and there is no longer any threat of frost, it is time to harden off the seedlings. This means slowly acclimating them to life outdoors by placing them and their pots in a sheltered spot in the garden for an hour or two, gradually increasing this time until they can stay outside all day. Then they are ready to be transplanted into the garden bed or a balcony box.
Find out hereHow to germinate seeds in tea bags.
