Gardeners: Save Those Easter Egg Cartons and Egg Shells

If you're a gardener and would like to start plants from seeds this year, then save your Easter egg cartons, they make the perfect container for starting your seedlings.

If you’re a gardener and would like to start plants from seeds this year, then save your Easter egg cartons, they make the perfect container for starting your seedlings.
egg carton seed starter

Egg cartons are an ideal place to start your spring seeds. The small Jiffy peat pellets fit perfectly into the egg holder areas. Just place them inside and water them and poof instant garden soil! Or if you prefer, you can fill each little egg cup with a small scoop of organic soil.

Once the pellets are fluffy or the soil is packed in you can place the seeds inside and water.

The Styrofoam containers work best- I know they’re not eco but at least you can reuse them in a way that is. You can use the cardboard ones too but if they get too wet they start to fall apart. Usually I can get them to last until I can transplant the seedlings into the ground as long as they don’t have to be moved around much.

I love the egg cartons with lids (though you can use ones without).  Early on you can close the lids at night and either leave them outside or take them inside to protect from the cold without worry about spilling dirt everywhere. Once the seeds sprout into large enough plants you won’t want to close the lids but hopefully by then the weather will be warm enough that you don’t have to.

Another fabulous Easter egg item that you can reuse for your garden are the eggshells left over from all those Easter eggs.

Eggshells are great organic material for the garden. They’re full of nutrients and great to add into your soil or mix with the compost you place in the garden.

I prefer to use them as a deterrent. I sprinkle the shell pieces around the plants and throughout the garden and it helps keep pests away. I also mix in ground up chili peppers and chives. This is a great all purpose mix that helps keep away bugs, creepy crawlies and furry animals like cats.

My neighbor’s cats like to use my garden as a litter box (which is both unpleasant and unhealthy). The cats hate the feel of the shells and the smell and taste of chives and peppers. So they stay away. Yay for me and my garden.

So now you know how to make use of the egg leftovers from Easter in a great doubly green way because not only will you be reusing but you’ll also be growing a green garden.

Creative Commons photo by Chris Feser.

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