Quick Cheap Seed Starting Boxes

Being an advocate of using what's on hand....and cheap.....I often use cardboard produce boxes for starting seeds. These boxes are readily available here. They're throwaway items that the store is glad to get rid of. Being cardboard, they need protection from water. Solution ... line them with a sheet of plastic. In this case, a recycled plastic trash bag. Yup, I'm a cheap. I use the trash bags that held donated linens for the pet shelters. Yup, I'm not one to throw useable things away, much to the distress of my friends. Oh well. 

I could use my garden soil to start the seeds in, and sometimes I do. But when I'm growing plants that need gentle transplanting, I prefer using something with peat moss in it. So I either use promix or a 50-50 promix/garden soil mixture, depending upon how delicate the seedlings are. The more delicate, the more promix. 

Step 1- pick out a box that's in good condition

Step 2- line it with a trash bag

Step 3- fill it with potting soil mix, then trim away the excess plastic bag

Step 4- sow seeds. Don't forget to label it. Gee, I really hate it when I forget the label. 

Step 5- transplant seedlings

Step 6- recycle potting soil

Step 7- reuse the bag

Step 8- recycle the cardboard. Cardboard usually goes into one of the hugelpits that's in the process of being built here on the farm.

This is not the only way I start seeds, but it's an easy way that saves me from having to buy pots. I usally use recycled nursery pots, the bottoms of gallon milk jugs, old plastic cups, and recycled plastic soda bottles.