Starting Seeds Without Peat Pots or Seed Starter Kits

Many of us grow our own vegetables to save money as well as to eat healthier. Don't spend money on seed starter kits or peat pots to start your vegetable garden when you can start your seeds using a seed starting mix in recyclable containers that you already own.

Start Your Seeds in Eggshells

There's nothing more eco-friendly than an eggshell for starting your vegetable garden. Try to crack your egg closer to the narrow end so you'll have a larger vessel to start your seedlings. The eggshell needs no special preparation other than a quick rinse before adding a small amount of seed starter mix and planting your seeds.

Tomatoes especially can benefit from the calcium in an eggshell and the entire shell can be planted in your garden or larger permanent container when ready to transplant. Simply tap the bottom of the eggshell to loosen the outer shell and put it into the soil like you would a peat pot. (See my slideshow of the entire process)

Start Your Seeds in a Cardboard Canister

Recycle the cardboard containers from hot chocolate, loose tobacco and oatmeal to start your seeds indoors this spring. Most canisters are large enough that you can cut in half and make two seed starter pots. When flipped over, the plastic lid becomes the bottom and when ready to transplant, simply remove it and plant the entire cardboard container into the soil.

Start Your Seeds in Drink Containers

Milk jugs and half-gallon orange juice containers are another good vessel to start seeds in. Cut off near the top and you're left with a container deep enough for seedlings until they're at least a few weeks old.

Start Your Seeds in Various Plastic Containers

Do you purchase your kitty litter in large plastic containers? Buy large jugs of laundry detergent? Use vinegar as a green cleaner? Go through gallons of milk a week? Have 2-liter bottles looking for a job? All of these containers can be recycled to start your vegetable seeds and some may be large enough to accommodate more than one seedling. Cut off the tops, wash and rinse thoroughly and fill with soil and/or seed starting mix. They all have a spout which can also be repurposed (funnel to fill bird feeders, to pour oil into your engine instead of on it).

Note: Don't start your seeds in plastic containers that once held chemicals or toxic solutions.

Start Your Seeds in Styrofoam Containers

When you finish the coleslaw or mashed potatoes from KFC, save the styrofoam container to start your vegetable seeds (plant cabbage to make more coleslaw!). The styrofoam that fresh mushrooms are packaged in works well also.

One disadvantage to using plastic or styrofoam containers to start your seeds is that you will have to remove the seedlings when transplanting since you can't plant the container. Whatever containers you use, make sure there's a way to poke a few holes for drainage.

Source:
Personal experience