Save Money with This Seed Starting Hack- Seedling Containers

Seed starting season is here and if you aren’t careful you could find your wallet a lot slimmer come planting season. Today we are going to show you how to help the environment and save money with our favorite seed starting hack.

Have you ever started a new hobby and fell victim to all the gadgets and gizmos that come with it? I have! Boy oh boy have I ever.

I get lured in by all the pretty things, and sometimes I end up just finding them in my Amazon cart without even realizing it. But over the years I have learned that your hobbies don’t have to break the bank, or hurt the environment, especially if that hobby is gardening.

The Struggle is Real

I am the kind of person that gets and idea in their head, ruminates on the idea for a short while, then decides to go all in. And by all in, I mean all in. I think I have said it before, I am my father’s child. When that man sets his mind to something there is no stopping him.

So where do I head? That’s right, the store, to get everything the internet told me I need to be good at what I want to do.

What ends up happening is that I often find that I didn’t need all the “stuff” to support the new hobby or venture, because the things I already had around me work just as well if not better.

Isn’t that a bummer!?

So in an effort to cut down on stuff and wasted money, I have been more thoughtful about what I have that can be given new life to help support the things I love to do.

One way I have done this is by reusing items when I am seed starting.

Don’t Get Pulled Into The Spend

There are so many shiny items out there begging for you to buy them. Trust me I know because every time I walk through a garden shop I find myself daydreaming about all the cool things they have.

It is really difficult for me to walk past stuff that I think, in that moment, would make my seed starting better or easier. In reality, seed starting isn’t all that hard the way I do it now!

When we first started this homesteading journey, my goal was to be more self sufficient and to create less waste. One way I do that is by giving old things new life.

We did this in our farmhouse as my husband painstakingly pulled loose the walls of tongue and groove board for us to reuse in the final home, and we will continue to do this in everything we do.

Waste not want not, and be thoughtful about the items you add to your home. These items were made somewhere by someone in someway. Do you know those things and if so are you willing to support them?

A Note on Sustainability and Fair Trade

Do you know where the things you buy are made?

If you are like me, you spent a great deal of your life not knowing or maybe just not thinking about where things are manufactured.

There are so many resources out there to learn more about the items you purchase. Lean into understanding how your items are manufactured and who is manufacturing them. Are the people behind the product being treated fairly and is the company supporting the environment in a way you are comfortable with?

It is harder to purchase things when you know the origins of the product do not line up with your beliefs. Do some research before you buy and if you still need to buy; buy local, buy sustainable, buy fair trade.

Want to learn more about one of my favorite fair trade jewelry companies? Click here!

Alright back at it!

Money Saving Garden Hacks for Seed Starting

Now that you all know I struggle with spending money on hobbies, let’s dig in (haha garden pun) to the reason you are really here. Let’s start with the containers you use for seed starting.

Containers for Seed Starting

I started seed starting for the first time last year and trust me I wanted to spend all the money on all the gadgets, but I refrained. They have these cool little reusable pop out silicone containers now that come in these really cute colors! So tempting, but so unnecessary

Instead I used inexpensive containers I already had lying around the house and I am going to share some of my favorites with you today.

Egg Cartons

Egg Cartons are my container of choice when it comes to seed starting, especially for tomatoes. This is a great way to up cycle what otherwise would be thrown in the trash and taken to the landfill.

I tend to use the twelve count containers for seed starting because they are easier to maneuver if you have to move them. I collect eighteen count egg cartons for the chickens eggs. You can get years of use out of them!

Newspaper

Did you know you can make decomposable pots with newspaper! I love this idea so much. What a fun project to do with kids.

But what about the ink? Many newspaper companies now use a soy based ink that is safe for the environment.

There are a ton of great DIY tutorials out there. This one by Crouton Crackerjack on YouTube caught my eye! Check it out!

Milk Jugs

Milk Jug are another great option for seed starting and can be used to start seeds outside during the winter! This is great for space saving!

I love that similar to egg cartons, milk jugs give new life to what otherwise would be trash.

Milk jugs are a great option for nothing you want to get a big jump start on for the growing season! These mini greenhouses are perfect for lettuce and other cold hardy varieties. Hop on over to Bunnysgarden.com to learn more about winter sowing in milk jugs!

Plastic Berry Containers

These are another favorite of mine because we always have so many lying around the house. My kids have learned to ask before throwing something in the trash because Mom is probably going to use it for something.

Berry containers make perfect little greenhouses for seedlings. They have the perfect amount of ventilation and drainage and are just the right size for all kinds of seed starting.

I love to start flowers in these or even transplant seedlings that have outgrown their egg carton to these larger containers.

These are also great for harvest later on. Just wash them and now you have the perfect container to store your cherry tomatoes, berries, Brussel sprouts, or any other number of small veggies.

Go Forth and Garden (and save money)

We hope this post has inspired you not only to start your own garden from seed, but to also think about all the ways you can save money and the environment. So before you throw out that milk jug, think about all the things it can grow for you and your family!

Check out our homesteader post on seed saving for some more money saving ideas!

Happy Gardening!!

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