I am so excited for Spring.
For the first time in more than a few years, we are going to start a fun project…a vegetable garden.
We haven’t had one since we moved to this province over 8 years ago….mostly because our Spring has been filled with hockey, but this year our son has decided not to play Spring hockey, which means free weekends for our chief gardener…my husband.
{As you might remember, I am not much of a gardener, as I wrote about in How I Stopped Killing Plants and Learned to Grow Something.}
In anticipation of our garden project, I’m getting ready to start seedlings, so I’ve been having fun looking around at all kinds of seedling ideas on the interwars.
I get so inspired seeing lots of different ideas….there are so many cool ways to start seedlings no matter what your budget.
Let’s take a look, shall we?
Of course, as I was browsing around the Stokes website, I saw the traditional pellets for starting seedlings. This is an easy, foolproof method, but it does take some money to go this route.
There are also the popular trays that are found everywhere this time of year. Trays and popsicle sticks make excellent starting gardens for tiny seeds. I love this picture from Chiot’s Run showing this method.
If you are looking for more environmentally friendly seedling trays, using egg shells and egg cartons is a popular method that has been used for years…as shown in this photo from Soda Pop.
The shells can be crushed gently when planting the seedlings in the garden later in the spring. Egg shells make the perfect small nest for a tiny seedling like we see in this lovely pic from Indiana Public Media. You can even write on the shells with a sharpie if you like.
I love this tutorial from Learning & Yearning for making seedling cups from newspapers. Brilliant use of a material that everyone has access to, and if you already have a subscription to a newspaper…this costs nothing.
Here is another creative idea from Food For My Family for using paper towel or toilet paper tubes cut and lined with newspaper. Again, another no cost way of using materials already found around the house.
And if you are super ambitious and have the time, you can make these neato cups just using a paper towel or toilet paper tube on it’s own. I found this unique idea at The Tree Hugger.
And most of us have food containers that can be recylced into studier cups for starting seedlings like Powdered Green has done.
You can also use empty pudding cups and yogurt cups like Gardening in the Burroughs of NYC used for her seedlings.
And a super cute project idea can be found at The Frugal Girls for starting seedlings along in a mini-terrarium created from a soda bottle.
And when it comes to hardening those plants off, I like this idea of using rubber maid totes to carry the cups outside, like in these pictures from the Garden Web Forums site.
Dollar store baskets will also work, as well as cookie sheets or left over scraps of plywood.
I will be using a combination of trays purchased years ago, as well as recycled containers for starting our seedlings.
How about you?
Are you starting some seedlings?
What do you usually use to start your seedlings in?
I have been collecting lots of ideas for Spring on Pinterset if you would like to take a look:
Thank you SO much for visiting!
xo
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This is a great, informative post, but the pictures were also fun! I like the egg shell idea! I'll have to give this a try!
So many great ideas! I have a container garden each year on my patio, which happens to be the only sunny spot in my yard.
I will remember the egg shell idea, it's a really great one I think.
I can't wait to get out in my garden! You have some great ideas here!
I haven't started seeds, yet, soon. It's still a long way off before I can plant and I don't want to start them too early.
I don't do many, time was always a problem for me, and lighting. Love all the ideas for seedling pots.
Debbie 🙂
Last year I tried to grow basil, tomatoes, carrots and peppers, and only the tomatoes worked after I ditched my mouldy pots and actually bought plants. HAHA. This year, I think I need to buy/find a step by step, day by day guide to growing the items I want to. I have a feeling, it will still be a disaster. lol
Stopping by from the Ginger Snap Craft party. I just wanted to say I, too am anxious for spring and gardening! We do seedlings and we've used about everything you've shown in the post. lol! I'd love to have you share this timely post at my Rock N Share party!
Thanks for a nice bit of spring on a snowy winter day! Cheers.
These are all great ideas. We have just started talking about our garden for this year and I am getting excited! We eat yogurt everyday so i am going to start saving those containers.
Such great ideas! I get so excited for planting things this time of year! Thanks so much for sharing. Pinned! Have a wonderful day!
So many creative, free ideas! I personally started my pepper plants a couple of weeks ago into yogourt cups and ice cream tubs. Last year I started them way too late and only started seeing my little pepper buds in October… naturally didn't get any peppers! This year will be different. Have fun!
Graet ideas! I must save them 🙂
Lior
…. and look at that post of a friend from some months ago…
http://www.tapuz.co.il/blog/net/userBlog.aspx?Blogid=75736&TagName=%u05E9%u05EA%u05D9%u05DC%u05D4
Have a great weekend 🙂
Lior
What a great round up Angie!!
Thanks for sharing this at The DIY Dreamer.. From Dream To Reality! Can't wait to see what you link up tomorrow evening 🙂
Featuring you today! 🙂 Thank you so much for linking up to {wow me} wednesday!
Ginger @ GingerSnapCrafts.com
http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2013/03/15-ideas-recipes-tutorials-for-spring.html
So wonderful seedng! Love spring and to grow plants! I'm always having squash seed in the window from april. Thank you for sharing!
visiting from thrifty nifty things. Lots of good ideas. I have done toilet paper rolls but end up with dirt everywhere as they are round. Newspaper for me next year I think
Hi…just popping over from Sundae Scoop and I LOVE all these ideas. It will be warm here this week and I'm just itching to clean out my beds and get ready for some planting. Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂
Dana at Happy Little Lovelies