Clever Biodegradable way of Transplanting Seedlings
Transplanting seedlings in an egg carton
When we moved into our home we got a lot of cuttings for our garden. It is a treat. We now can start giving cuttings/seedlings to friends from our own garden. It can be a pain to replant minute baby plants however, or keeping them alive until your friend collects. Read more for a great biodegradable idea.
If you have ever received cuttings or small baby plants as a gift you know it is a bit more time consuming replanting them than a more established ‘grown up’ plant. The plants you purchase at the nursery are easy to pop out of their bags, soil and all, and to place in the hole you dug in the ground. Cuttings or small plants you usually need a lot more holes for and it can be quite a mission with the roots popping out of the hole or the plant disappearing completely into the hole. Then to keep the plant up straight is the next struggle. Okay, yes, it may not be that difficult, but it can really be a schlep.
If you have been on the giving side, you will know keeping the plants alive in between giving the plants away and them being replanted can be problematic.
My suggestion, an egg carton. Place the baby plants into the holes and fill with soil.(I ‘pick’ the plant right out of the garden soil and all and straight into the egg carton). You can keep the carton outside or in an open plastic bag or container on a kitchen counter until you give it away. Water slightly to keep it moist. Note the carton will go wobbly, therefore it is best to keep it in a plastic bag or container so that it is easy to carry and not spill water or soil. With the moist carton the soil can be kept moist and the plants stay alive. Now the person that receives the plants can either take the plants out of the container and plant them, or they can just plant the whole container. It is carton and biodegradable. So why not?
If you know you are giving the plants away immediately as a gift, do not wet the plants and the carton will stay firm. You can wrap a ribbon around it and dress it up as a lovely home-made gift.
Have fun with this, next time instead discarding all the ‘baby plants’ shooting up in the wrong parts of your garden, plant them in egg containers and give them to family and friends who just moved into a new house. It is much cheaper than purchasing plants from the nursery as gifts.
M@Home
Transplant your plants using a biodegradable egg carton
Use an egg carton for seedlings
