I started my first seeds of the season last week—tomatoes, my favorite summer crop. I like to give them a head start by sowing the seeds indoors so that come April (if I’m lucky), I can harden them off and transplant them outside.
Right now I’m starting several varieties of tomatoes, purple tomatillos, and shishito peppers in 16 tiny seed starting pots recycled from years past. While 16 sounds like a reasonable number, it’s not uncommon for me to have upwards of 100 pots or more, of all sizes, once I’m in the thick of seed starting season.
I have a huge collection of containers in the yard, ranging from 1-inch seed starting flats to 1-gallon plastic pots. At one time or another I brought these home from various nurseries, and have reused them season after season.
But with my garden growing every year, I often don’t have all the pots I need in spring, when hundreds of seeds await their new homes.
That’s why I start gathering them now, and chances are, you can find just as many containers around your house and not spend a cent on “proper” seed starting pots.
These upcycled seed starting containers only need to last a few weeks, but ones made of more durable materials (like old tea tins or baking sheets) can be used year after year.
Once seeds have germinated, open the top until the seedlings are big enough to transplant to individual containers or cell packs. Any smaller plastic or styrofoam container can be recycled and used as a container for starting seeds. Make sure to poke drainage holes in the bottom to prevent over-watering.
When do you start your seeds? Check the last frost date for your area. Seed packets generally have information on whether the seeds should be direct sown or planted indoors. If the packet says start indoors, calculate backwards for each seed variety you want to plant by how many weeks before the last frost it should be planted indoors.
My number one favorite way to reuse produce containers (and plastic egg cartons) is for seed starting! Some of the containers already have the drainage holes (like berry cartons) and the rest are easy to poke through with a knife or corn cob holder (I heat it up first using a candle or gas burner on my stove so it melts a quick hole right through).
For me, the easiest seeds to start in produce and egg containers are herbs, onions, some flowers, and greens for microgreen trays. Any seeds that you can plant thickly as a seed bed and then later separate into single pots or for transplanting will work. (I leave my tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, brassicas, cucumbers and some flowers for individual cell-packs and seedling trays).
Recycling, upcycling, repurposing…whatever you want to call it, we are always looking for ways to reuse materials that would normally be thrown away to help keep our impact on the waste stream low. Although I’m not personally a big fan of buying produce that comes in plastic containers, there are the occasional times that I do. Once they’re empty, I try to find a use for them.
Empty food containers
Here we have a few things from my kitchen this week, which ordinarily would’ve been tossed in the recycling bin. But, they are perfect for seed starting!
I’ve saved a cardboard egg carton (which you can plant in the garden with your seedling, as the paper will decompose naturally), a tub that previously held a block of tofu, a carton that had feta in it, and a container that once had sour cream.
You’ll need to poke a few holes in the plastic containers for drainage (a nail works well) and can set them on top of a baking sheet or other repurposed container to catch drips.
A Cheap and Easy Way To Grow Seeds with Water Bottles
FAQ
Is it safe to grow plants in plastic containers?
Can you use plastic tubs as greenhouses?
Can you use plastic to grow plants?
If, after all this, you still feel concerned about the use of plastic to grow plants, you can always opt to not use plastic in your garden. You can use the more traditional clay and ceramic container, recycle glass, and paper containers from your home or opt to use the relatively new fabric containers that are available.
Can you grow plants in plastic containers?
Container gardening is the answer and is often accomplished in lightweight portable plastic containers. However, we are hearing more and more concerning the safety of plastics in regard to our health. So, when growing plants in plastic containers, are they really safe to use? Can You Grow Plants in Plastic Pots?
Can you use old plastic containers for sprouting seeds?
The good news is, is that you can actually repurpose old plastic containers as mini greenhouses for sprouting seeds! You can also use them for starting other versions of sprouted food like scraps you’d normally throw out in the kitchen.
Is it safe to grow in plastic?
You can use the more traditional clay and ceramic container, recycle glass, and paper containers from your home or opt to use the relatively new fabric containers that are available. In conclusion, most scientists and professional growers believe that growing in plastic is safe. You should feel comfortable growing in plastic.