It's finally time to start my seeds. This winter has been so long and cold, I was beginning to wonder if it would ever end. But the time has finally arrived to plant my seeds and begin preparing my garden beds. It is exciting!
Over the years of gardening, I have tried several methods of starting seedlings with varying success. I wasn't really impressed with any of them. Some were too expensive, some were too much trouble and some fell apart before I was able to replant. So last spring I had an idea while at a family restaurant. I tried it out because I wanted to see how it worked before writing about it. I think it worked like a charm and it was also cheap and easy! Can't get much better than that. Let me show you what I did.
Over the years of gardening, I have tried several methods of starting seedlings with varying success. I wasn't really impressed with any of them. Some were too expensive, some were too much trouble and some fell apart before I was able to replant. So last spring I had an idea while at a family restaurant. I tried it out because I wanted to see how it worked before writing about it. I think it worked like a charm and it was also cheap and easy! Can't get much better than that. Let me show you what I did.
I don't like spending a lot of money on materials to start my seedlings. Peat pots are great, but they are one time use and too expensive for my taste. I start over a hundred seedlings every spring, I can't afford that many peat pots. I tried folding up the bottoms of toilet paper rolls and they fell apart the second or third time I watered them. Same with rolled newspaper pots. I tried using the small plastic four pots you get from nurseries, but I have a hard time getting the seedlings out of them and do too much damage to the tender newly grown roots.
I was rather discouraged till one evening in spring of 2017, my husband and I were sitting in a family style restaurant, and when the waitress set down my husbands fish and chips, I noticed the little paper cup of tartar sauce sitting on his plate and I wanted to shout "EUREKA!" Those little cups would be perfect to start seeds! They are food safe, fairly tough because they are expected to stand up to heavy sauces and ketchup, and they are paper, so they will break down fairly quickly when planted in the ground. You can even write on them, so they can be labeled!
I was rather discouraged till one evening in spring of 2017, my husband and I were sitting in a family style restaurant, and when the waitress set down my husbands fish and chips, I noticed the little paper cup of tartar sauce sitting on his plate and I wanted to shout "EUREKA!" Those little cups would be perfect to start seeds! They are food safe, fairly tough because they are expected to stand up to heavy sauces and ketchup, and they are paper, so they will break down fairly quickly when planted in the ground. You can even write on them, so they can be labeled!
I went home and opened up Amazon and started searching. I found the cups and I could not believe how inexpensive they were. 250 for less than $6. I ordered them and waited for their arrival by drawing out my garden plan so I would know how many of each seed I would need to plant. When they arrived, I was ready to begin.
First I labeled all the cups with what was to be planted in them. Then I took them outside
and began filling them with potting soil. Next the seeds went in, two in each cup
It didn't take long before they were up and growing. Unfortunately, the weather outside did not cooperate so I ended up letting them get bigger than I normally would have, but the cups held up very well.
When I got ready to transplant them, I saw that the roots were growing out the bottom. Another great thing about these cups is that they are soft enough to let the roots grow out the bottom, but they still hold together when you pick them up. I just took a piece of broken shovel handle and pushed it into the dirt to make a depression and then dropped in the cup and covered it with some loose dirt. The roots remain undisturbed and undamaged and the cups disintegrate within a week in the wet soil.
I think this idea is one I will be using from now on. Try it for yourself and you will see how easy it is. I save over $150 every year by growing my own seedlings instead of buying sets at the nursery. It is so simple, anyone can do it.
Have a great week and plant some veggies!
Jade :)
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