To prepare an egg carton for planting seeds, cut off the container lid and place it under the bottom of the carton. Poke holes in the bottom of each egg cup to allow moisture to drain out. Fill each egg cup with potting soil and place seeds into the appropriate depth. Water the container to get the soil moist but not soaking. To keep the carton warm as the seeds germinate, place it in a tray or shallow pan to catch draining water. Place the cartons in a sunny window and water daily.
To ensure proper growth, poke small drainage holes in the bottom of each egg cup and fill them with potting soil. Place one seed in each hole and cover with soil. Spray the soil and newly planted seeds with water. The inside of an egg carton is too small for optimal growth, so it’s essential to water them daily but not overdo it. Always check the soil first and add water to it before putting it into the egg carton.
Place the egg carton on a plastic tray and gently water the seeds every morning. Keep in mind that the amount of water needed depends on the type of seeds and their environment.
📹 How To Plant Seeds In Egg Cartons – Starting Seeds In Egg Cartons
Starting seeds in egg cartons is a cheap way to start seeds indoors. Plus you get to reuse your egg cartons instead of recycling …
📹 Egg cartons & Toilet Paper Rolls – What You NEED to Know about Starting Seeds in Them
Egg cartons & toilet paper rolls can be complete disasters for starting seeds indoors IF you don’t know a few tricks that I’ll show …
@devinthegardner- i have “turned over” the dirt in my garden as i believe this might be the firs step to planting in group veggies and fruit. Im finding black ants and the weeds are sprouting big like never before. like i said before… im new to all of this and i need some information and guidance through it all. i know it can be done. #1, do you have a article on either gardening for beginners for outdoors gardening (i saw the one article that had the potato bags!)? i live in a region that is hot in the summers (104 degrees plus) but cool nights and its in the mountains so the dirt is dry and rocky. #2 what are inset control products i can use that are safe for the garden? and last (i think) those black “tarpy” looking things that i found in old planting boxes… are they used to stop weeds from growing in the vegetation? #4 (i said i THOUGHT it’d be all lol) can anything be planted above ground or in the planting boxes or are some things just MADE to be in the ground directly… OH and what mulch and panting soil is best to mix for an outside garden? sorry so many questions… i am sooo brand new to all of this but im in the mode of transitioning my family back to the food from the earth… THANKS!
So I got a box of 5 dozen eggs and want to start a ton of seeds using all the cartons. However a simple windowsill won’t really work in the case. So it setting these cartons outside viable? I live in southern Texas where I get lots of sun and hot weather. Just wondering the best way to set this up with limited indoor space and ample outdoor space. Also I have good shaded areas as well. Thanks in advance
Thanks for all your recent questions about starting seeds in egg cartons and toilet papers rolls! Your questions challenged me to experiment and seek out the BEST way of using them for seed starting indoors.I hope you enjoy this article, and feel free to drop your own tricks in the comments for other viewers to see. Have a great weekend 🌱Valerie
I have been using toilet roll inners to start peas/ beans for a number of years. Protects them from mice till past the interesting stage for the critters ! Tried egg boxes for small seeds, but nothing much grew in them for me ( possibly not the right compost) I had my doubts anyway as I think they are too small, the seedlings would not have reached the right stage for transplant before they have outgrown the egg box. Just my opinion, if it works for you, great. I have just received a leaflet from a charity I support which includes instructions on how to fold the pages into a seed pot once I have finished reading it ! Looking forward to trying that out !!
Egg carton toss! 😂👍 I’m going to try starting seedlings in Keurig coffee/tea pods. I always remove the used grounds/tea leaves for my compost pile, so the empty pods will be readily available. I realize I’ll have to transplant promptly, but my garden space is tiny, so this experiment will be to scale.
I like your upcycling ideas. I’ve started using yoghurt pots before I saw ur article. Just wondering if you have any upcycling ideas for see-through plastic covers for outdoor winter use? I’ve used the cut top of soda bottles with pricked holes but as some of my veg like pak choi and pointed cabbages are getting bigger, the bottle tops are looking a bit tight. I’m looking for ideas.
I’m trying out the tp rolls for the first time this year, and so far so good. I like that it’s easy to water them from below because of the gaps in between, and they’re also much sturdier than the newspaper pots that some people make. I agree with the egg cartons 100%. I tried them a few years ago, and it was as if I’d never watered them every day. Same goes for the tiny 1″ pots that some places sell. No water retention!
Re toilet rolls i don’t cut them in half though i might try it however i do cut 3 slits in the bottom and fold it over to make a base, i also use the plastic tray but instead of watering form above i half full the tray with water the rolls are far more sturdy than you think especially when theyre living in a tray. This has the added bonus of making the seedling reach down for the the water source helping develop its roots. It also softens Up the cardboard to make it possible to plant the tube although i do tear off the bottom and if its easy enough ill split the tube too
I have four containers of tp 1/2 rolls going now, for about a week. One plant is up, the Blue Flax, I think. Thing is, the sides of the tp rolls are molding slightly. Most of the comments on Reddit say this really isn’t a problem, but I don’t like it. Other than that, I like them as there has been less need to water than when I used the pods, and I think roots will be encouraged to grow long and out of the bottom without being stunted or blocked. Love experimenting.
We’re with you on egg cartoons. We use them to hold seed potatoes while chitting them. Toilet paper rolls are decent if you like “fiddly” imo. I know people like them for broad beans and peas, but I have seen a huge benefit over traditional methods. Peas in gutters works great for us 🙂 Awesome Val !! Cheers 🌱👍🌱
Thank you– this was SUPER helpful for me as I explore growing my own seedlings for the first time this year! I have seen some articles online that instruct to cut flaps in the toilet paper rolls and fold them inwards. Is there an advantage to keeping them open? I am a bit wary that folding could retain too much water/not have enough drainage, but at the same time, a fully open bottom maybe too much drainage! I suppose I could try both ways and see which way produces better seedlings.
Egg cartons did not work out for me. They started off really well inside a plastic salad container with a lid. After a while, I noticed mold growing on the egg cartons. I repotted them and stopped using egg cartons. They are okay for starting seeds, but have to be transplanted pretty quickly so I like your idea of reusing plastic containers better.
I started my seedlings this year using TP rolls but noticed yesterday that fuzzy mold started growing on my TP rolls. 😢 How do I get rid of those molds without losing my seedlings? Or, is it okay to just let them on the rolls? I’m afraid that those mold spores or whatever there’re called might spread all over my house?
I start my seedlings using a paper towel and a sandwich baggie. Put one sheet paper towel in the baggie. Add seeds and enough water to dampen the towel. close and zip, keeping some air inside the system. Place in a warm dark place until seeds germinate. Then, I took paper towel out and tore/cut towel to separate seedlings. I used egg cartoons(bottom only) this year for first time. Placed separated seedlings in egg cartoon and cover with soil. When I have emerence, I got a plastic container large enough to hold egg cartoon. Filled 2-3 inches soil in container, poked holes in bottom of egg cartoon and placed in plastic container. Filled with soil and watered. Seems to be working fine. I did notice the top of the egg cartoon seems to wick the water away. My system works for small quantities of seeds. I have peppers, tomatoes, cantelopes and watermelons started.
Thank you so much for a great article I watch from the beginning to the end it seemed like the toilet paper rolls for the easiest and smartest way to go. Thanks for sharing how you went about it. Hugs and kisses from grandma Sandy. I always love perusal your article if you come up with some great garden tips hugs and kisses from grandma, Sandy and Debbie.
Seems mold is less of a concern if little of the cardboard is exposed. I’ve started many plants successfully in half TP rolls packed 12 to an 8 oz mushroom box placed to catch light from a sunny window. Pack tightly & fill to top with soil. Told my friend who used them whole & they got moldy. Hydrogen peroxide helps plants germinate and is antifungal, so could add 1 tablespoon regular 3% hydrogen peroxide per pint to watering can.
Hi also if you want your toilet rolls to sit nicely in a tray remember its just cardboard so squash it flat then squash it flat in the other direction and your tube is now a rectangle, cut about a centimetre ish up each corner on one end and fold them in and you have a tube that lines up nicely in a tray and doesn’t fall All over the place