Рецепт Start Seedlings in Eggshell Planters
Start Seedlings in Eggshell Planters
March 26, 2014 By Jelli 17 Comments
Did you know that you can start seedlings in eggshells indoors long before the winter frosts subside? Eggshells are the perfect vessel to contain and nourish tiny seedlings. They’re 100% natural and an ultra inexpensive, low-mess solution to growing a healthy, vibrant herb,vegetable, or flower garden.
You can start herbs , vegetables, or even flowers in eggshells in a sunny windowsill before springtime and watch the delicate plants grow. Later, easily transplant seedlings along with the eggshells to the garden without worrying about disturbing the plant’s root system since the eggshells will decompose in the earth as the plant grows. It’s fantastic! You can even get your kids involved.
I’ve tried using a basic paper egg carton to start seedlings without shells and it was a bust. While the sprouted plants were healthy inside the carton, trying to remove them to transplant was a mess. The soil fell into bits and separated from the fragile seedlings, leaving them vulnerable and determining an unfortunately bleak fate. When I tried an alternative, trimming the individual seedling cups from the carton to transplant with carton intact, it was still a mess. Finally, it dawned on me that I was going about it all wrong.
Eggshells, to the rescue!
Grow a lush, productive garden this summer by starting your seedlings in eggshells. {Tweet this!}
Materials:
Seeds
Eggshells
Egg Carton
Soil
Permanent marker or plant markers
It’s simple to get started. Whenever you bake cookies, make custard pies, or dine on breakfast crepes, make an effort to crack the eggs at the center of the shell and open them carefully so you don’t destroy them. Rinse the shells out, dry them, and collect as many egg shells as you’d like to use as seedling starters. Our little 4″ by 4″ garden will soon be planted with 15 vegetable seedlings.
Choose an egg carton and place one dried egg shell in each cup. If you’re concerned about drainage, use a pushpin to prick a hole into the bottom of each shell. This wasn’t a concern to me, and I figured I’d probably destroy a few shells in the process, so I skipped this step.
Fill each shell nearly to the top with good quality earth or potting soil and plant seedlings per directions on the seed packet.
Label each plant row with permanent marker or with pretty plant markers so that you remember what you’ve planted. You can even write directly on the egg shells if you wish.
Be sure to check the moisture of your seedlings daily and place in a sunny windowsill to germinate and grow.
Once seedlings are well-established and outgrowing their eggshell homes, transplant to your garden and watch your plants thrive.
What are you planting in your garden this spring? Share below in the comments and be sure to add any helpful gardening tips too!
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