Make Your Own Seed Starter Kits

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In the past I’ve bought seed starter kits, only to realize I didn’t plant early enough or take care of the kits well enough to make them a worthwhile purchase.  We still enjoy planting from seeds, so I’ve found the best way to plant starter seeds for flowers and veggies on a budget and make it work – egg cartons with a twist!

I use styrofoam egg cartons with holes cut in the bottom for the roots to grow and to allow me to push the starter clump out instead of having to pull the flower out by the delicate stems.  The holes also allow me to set the entire carton into a tray of water instead of pouring over the top and over saturating or damaging the plants. I cut squares of paper towels to cover the hole so the soil doesn’t all fall through.  Because the paper towels are organic material they can be planted with the soil if they don’t come completely off the clump.   If you are lucky enough to have cardboard egg cartons you can cut them apart and plant them as well, but I’d recommend still cutting the hole in the bottom, as sometimes the roots are too weak to penetrate the cardboard.

I’ve found that it’s best to not water the starters the day before you plant them in the ground though, so they’re a little more firm for planting.  You can saturate them well after planting.  This method for seed starter kits has worked the best for me in terms of cost and function.  I use regular potting soil, not the fancy kind.  I do mix it with some of our compost and sandier soil though for a good mix of nutrients.  When you’re planting in small amounts it doesn’t take a lot of soil you know!  I’m hoping to plant today or tomorrow, so I’ll try to update with some pictures or find my pictures from last year :-)

Do you have a good method for starting seeds at your house? 

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