Shirley Bovshow's DIY Seed Starter Pots

REPURPOSED ITEMS YOU CAN USE TO PLANT SEEDS (DIY SEED POTS)

1. You can use a number of paper and plastic items from your recycling bin as DIY seed starter pots-as long as they drain water!
2. Paper Products: Egg crates (esp. great because you can plant right in the ground because they're biodegradable!), paper towel and toilet paper roll cores, cardboard boxes
3. Plastic Products: Yogurt cups, plastic water bottles, keurig coffee cups

YOU CAN EVEN MAKE SEED STARTER POTS OUT OF NEWSPAPER!

1. Lay a single strip of newspaper and measure 6 inches from side edge of paper, cut full length
2. Roll Bottle and wrap the bottom 4” of bottle with newspaper (with 2 inches of newspaper extending from the bottom of the bottle
3. Fold in the bottom 2” of newspaper in towards the concave area of bottle
4. Remove bottle and push the inverted flaps of newspaper down inside the “cup” so it lays flat
5. Fill with seed starting soil, mist and plant seed

HOW TO PLANT PRE-SPROUTED SEEDS:

1. Take the pre-sprouted seeds (stuck to the paper towel), just cut away the paper towel piece, lay seed on soil and cover with a fine layer of soil
2. Mist and place on top of seed heating pad or on a warm appliance until leaves emerge: keep soil moist
3. Move to a sunny area once the leaves emerge. Continue growing until ready to plant outdoors

Tip: Start seedlings indoors 6-8 weeks before planting outdoors Tip: Use "seed starting mix" instead of regular potting soil, it is a soil-less mix

WHAT TO DO WITH ANY UNUSED SEEDS:

1. You save them for next year! They’ll stay in great condition if you keep them dry and out of direct sunlight.
2. CD jackets are great for storing seeds because they close tightly and securely. Take plain CD covers and insert colored construction paper as a jacket to label and write notes.
3. Use different colored paper to represent different seed types: yellow for tomatoes, green for herbs, etc.

Return to Episode Guide >>

Check out Shirley Bovshow’s Garden Designing Expertise at EdenMakers.com, and follow her on Twitter @EdenMaker.

Get more great recipes and crafts by visiting us on Pinterest at pinterest.com/homeandfamilytv and follow "Home & Family" on Twitter @homeandfamilytv and Facebook. Plus, check out our YouTube channel for backstage videos.