Hello my fellow organic gardening enthusiasts and welcome (back) the blog and to another entry in my Organic Gardening series that also comes with an eco-friendly craft. As you (may) know I started my own seedlings a few weeks ago. I had to buy a variety of trays and biodegradable cups to go in the trays however I didn’t only use store bought items or left-over nursery pots. I did a lot of online and library research before I started my seedlings and I learned that you can start plants in an egg carton. Now I was skeptical at first as I thought that the egg carton would become water logged, soggy, and generally not hold up. Well, I was wrong and I feel the need to share my findings. Beneath are the instructions so that you too can turn an egg carton into a mini nursery and get some plants started.

Materials:

• 1 clean egg carton
• Scissors
• Pen or pencil
• Organic potting or top soil
• Organic seeds

Directions:

1. Cut the lid off of one clean egg carton and set lid aside
2. Take a pen or pencil and poke a small hole in the bottom of each eggcup
3. Fill the eggcups three quarters of the way up with soil
4. Make a well in the soil approximately halfway down and place a seed in it then cover the seed
5. Place the egg carton on its lid so the lid acts as a tray underneath it

I was leery about the success of this project so I tested it out with some extra basil seeds I had. I can now proudly report that the egg carton plants are at the same stage as their counterparts in the biodegradable cups and plastic trays. The only downside is that you have to be more careful of overwatering. As with all seedlings you have to water judiciously – every other day seems to be what my plants require in my environment. A gentle watering can is best for seedlings so that the water is gently sprinkled although a spray bottle that can mist will work as well. This is especially important when using an egg carton base because if you overwater the cardboard will break down.

This would also make a fun eco-friendly craft for kids to do at home or school. They could start with something like basil or lettuce seeds and can watch as their seedlings sprout and continue growing. Introducing the homemade egg carton base would also teach them resourcefulness. Repurposing egg cartons may also make trying your hand at gardening more feasible as you won’t have to invest in the trays.

If you have experience (good and bad) with an egg carton plant nursery, please share what you’ve learned and I will keep you updated on mine. If all goes well, I may be stockpiling them through the year to be able to start my entire garden in egg cartons next season (although I may need donations from others…I don’t eat that many eggs). Trial and error has served me well when it comes to my organic garden so I’m not afraid to try new things and take a chance on a new gardening concept and this one seems to be working out so far.

Happy organic gardening.