How I Start Seeds for (Nearly) free and Waste Less!

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In a wasteful world, people pay top dollar for plastic wrapped dirt, cheap plastic pots, spray dangerous chemicals in plastic containers, and still buy plastic-coated produce out of season at the grocery store.

As for me and my house, we'll save the cash and lose the packaging. This is how I garden for nearly free and produce almost no waste.

Seed Savings-

1. Buy or use a seed library/seed exchange to find organic/Heirloom Vegetable Seeds in paper packets.
2. Use same packet for years by storing properly and use it up.

3. Save the seeds from your plants or organic food to get seeds for free.

Cheap dirt-
1. Use worm casings from a worm bin or aged compost to start seedlings to lose the packaging and save your wallet.

2. Buy bulk compost and have it dumped in front of your house.

Free seed pots/Mini-greenhouses-
1. Reuse individual yogurt containers and punch 3-4 drainage holes to start seedings.

2. You can also reuse toilet paper rolls as seed pots.

3. You can reuse plastic containers for mini greenhouses or upside down Mason jars if yours aren't all being used. (You can always ask your friends to save these recyclables if you make your own yogurt and baked goods or if you use family cloth instead of toilet paper, like we do. Once you use family cloth, you won't want to go back, trust me.)

Starting seeds 2-3 weeks ago, all free containers and dirt from our worm bin!

Plant markers/Plant starts-

1. Mark a piece of scrap paper and slip it in or around the container=compostable plant marker

2. Plant starts can be regrown from plant scraps in water or by sticking cuttings in potatoes with two to three eyes on them!

What are some ways that you save money on gardening supplies by wasting less/using less packaging? 

Enjoy a less wasteful world by seeing our seedlings progress,

Little Urban Greenie

Both of the tomato seeds sprouted in the pot, so I'm planting them here with the avocado until it's warmer out

Organic avocado I sprouted in a yogurt cup

Cauliflower seedling in the middle, and I'm adding calendula seeds for good companion planting and extra cheerful healing flowers for inside

Aloe vera babies with golden yarrow seeds in the middle and more calendula seeds around the edge for healing indoor flower cheerily