Eco-friendly Gardening - Make your own seedling pots

Spring has officially sprung and for many, that means beginning to prep your garden!  If like us, you’re apprehensive to purchase unneeded gardening materials, most of which are typically unsustainable then you’re looking for eco-friendly alternatives to starting your seedlings. Luckily we’ve got you covered with a handful of ways to get your garden started with easy DIY eco-friendly seedling pots.

1. Toilet roll tubes

An easy way to repurpose toilet roll tubes is to use them for seed containers. Simply cut one end of the tube in 4 opposing places, about 2-3cm long and then fold them into each other, as shown in the image below. You can then add your compost and seeds as directed on the seed packet! 

2. Eggshells

This is one of our favourites as the shell works in two ways. First, it works as a planter for the seedling to grow and mature, secondly, when you plant the seedling in your garden, you can gently crunch the egg, and plant it in the ground with the seeding. This gives the plant nutrients while it further matures.

1. To use eggshells, try to crack the egg at the top, leaving more room for compost, separate the top as cleanly as possible. Remove the contents of the egg for cooking, then wash the empty eggshell with natural soap and water.
2. Fill the empty eggshell with compost and plant your seeds as directed on the packet.

3. Cardboard egg cartons

If you’re not using your cardboard egg cartons to hold your eggshell planters, then they’re perfect for growing your seedlings. Simply fill the compartments with compost and plant your seeds as instructed on the packet.

4. Newspaper

A simple and eco-friendly way to plant your seeds is to reuse pages from a newspaper. 

1. You’ll need a round container to make the shape of your planter, something such as a small tin can do nicely. 
2. Cut the newspaper into strips long enough to wrap around the can 1.5 times and long enough to hang over one edge 2-3cm.  
3. Take one strip of newspaper and wrap around your can completely, leaving 2-3cm hanging off the edge. 
4. Tuck the overhanging newspaper towards the centre, as shown in the image. If your corners do not want to stay secure, you can use a piece of eco-friendly brown tape.

5. Oranges

Orange peels are a great way to get your plants started this spring, simply cut your orange in half and scoop the fruit out with a spoon before eating. Then the peal works as a nice cup to add compost and your seeds! 

Reduce and reuse principals are so important to everyone at Huski Home and with a little effort, we can all make a big difference!  We hope you enjoyed our list of eco-friendly seedling containers, what are your favourite ways to start your spring garden?