I make about two hundred seed starter pots for under five dollars! I'd like to share my method of starting seeds using an item that most people throw out, it's so quick and easy everyone should try it. The only purchased item I use is a bag of vermiculite. Other materials needed are a foil cake/pie pan or plasticware container and empty paper rolls from paper towels and t.p.
Press down on the tubes, smashing them flat, then cut them in strips roughly 2" wide (creating rings about 2" tall). After cutting all of the rolls fold them flat on the opposite side, turning the circle shaped bands into squares. And fill your container with the squares.
Pour your potting soil or dirt in the square pots. I use vermiculite, a lightweight non-nutritive potting agent that when kept warm and moist is a great substrate for undersoil germination. Then, just level the verm or soil off level so you can see the square dividers. Lay out your seeds two per pot and top each off with another sprinkle of earth. Since I ended up with 40 squares in my pan I chose to plant 8 pots each of 5 different plants. Be sure you frequently mist or gently water well and keep in a warm place for a few days, and covering with plastic wrap or foil will help to keep moisture in. I kept mine on a shelf above the water heater.
Its been about five days now, I didn't expect much yet but the Mugwort and Indian Tobacco have sprouted up! This weekend I'm going to start veggies in the same manner. When the plants are ready and the weather is stable I will be transplanting directly into prepared hay bales, I'm working on a tek detailing that process to share with you when the time comes. As always, I took my own photos. Thanks for sharing your day with me, see you again.
LOVE how you reused things to make this- from the TP and paper towel rolls to the aluminum baking pan and clear plastic wrap (great for a homemade greenhouse and seedling starter!)
Very cool. let thy food be your medicine.
Resteemed!
Brilliant! A lot easier than folding the paper pots and sturdier too! Can't wait to see everything grow!!
Great tip @medicinewheel !!
Clever technique! Thanks for sharing it.
Good idea! Thank you! 🌱
I'm glad I found your blog. I'm fairly new here and trying to find and 'friend' content that I enjoy. Yours is a terrific blog and I wish you success - I'll be watching for you in my 'feed', and looking for like minds. Being read is another matter - very few people are seeing my blog - it seems to disappear in seconds - so I've decided to stop stressing over it and just enjoy Steemit. I hope this is a place where quality wins out over steem for $ strategies, and I guess we'll see over time. Steemit has great potential. Momz
I've for sure been lucky to find my niche in the homesteading community here on Steemit. We are a pretty interactive and talkative bunch. I'm really suprised how much I've come to value interacting with my Steemit buddies from U.S./Canada and New Zealand to wherever the illusive @intspekt resides.
I've also been lucky and greatful to have a lot of my material grazed for a few days after posting. I attribute it to the tightknit sub community, homesteading in this case. I really enjoy your articles, they are beautifully written, thorough, sited sources even! You obviously pour yourself into your steemit posts. Have you been able to hunt down some groups that specifically attract spiritual people, Maybe even a Yoga offshoot? Your writing definatly deserves readers and they will find you! 'Build it and they will come'
Keep your eye out for a group or circle, maybe experiment with different tags. Stay positive and keep doing what you do as long as your enjoying it! Your doing something right, great reputaion score you've got going; they are so tough to build!! Thanks so much for you for your comments. Have a blessed week @talk2momz!
great post and very good creative in home steading.thanks for sharing knowledgeable post.
followed and upvoted
Excellent post, thank you for sharing!
This is perfect! We seem rock go through toilet paper quick here. I knew there had to be a good use for those rolls!
The rolls are great for making candles too; just melt down your old candle ends, secure a wick in the center, and use the tube as a mold until the wax hardens and peel off!
Excellent. WILL DEFINITELY BE USING THIS IDEA.
Everything I already have and was looking for ingenious ways like this to plant some more! Sweet!
Those broccoli sprouts are lookin healthy!