How to Start Your Own Seedlings

Buying plants from the nursery can be expensive. With some common household items, you can start your own seedlings for a fraction of the cost!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cardboard egg cartons
• Compost or potting soil
• Plastic wrap
• Exacto knife
• Seeds

1. Wet cardboard egg carton. It should be quite damp, but not so wet it falls apart.

2. Fill each egg cup with potting soil.

3. Press 2-3 seeds into each egg cup. Water thoroughly.

4. Drape plastic wrap over egg carton and set by window. Water when soil begins to dry out. Depending on plant variety, sprouts should appear in a few days to a week.

5. Once seedlings are 1"- 2" tall, you can thin them. Remove the smaller/weaker seedlings in each cup, leaving more space and nutrients for the larger one.

6. Continue to water until seedlings are 4"-6" tall. At this point, they are ready to plant. Cut egg cups apart. Make an X-shaped cut in the bottom of each cup, and pull flaps back slightly. This will allow roots to escape easily.

7. Plant, egg cup and all in a larger pot or in your garden. The cardboard will decompose, adding nutrients to the soil.

Tips & Warnings

• If starting a variety of seedlings, be sure to mark them! Also, save the growing instructions from the seed packet to make sure your mature plants receive the best possible care.
• Don't fertilize plants while they're in the seed cups. It's difficult to dilute it enough, given the small size of the containers, and you could easily burn or even kill your baby plants.

[tracyleigh]

on 1/11/2008 Good advice