Annie’s Easy Peasy Seedling Starters

Although there is no sign of warm temperatures in sight in my quaint little Northwest Indiana town, Spring in only two days away. This fact turns my attention to starting my spring and summer gardens.

While it is still definitely too early to be planting my real garden, it is not too early to be preparing the seedlings that will eventually find their way into the homestead garden plot.

JP and I choose to be a single income family most of the year so that I can be a stay-at-home-mom to Little Bug. Because of this, we live on a strict budget. We have no extra money for fancy seedling starters.

We have found this method to work wonderfully with all type of seedlings. From flowers to veggies, this inexpensive seedling starter recycles, as well as saves you money.

Annie’s Easy Peasy Seedling Starters

• Gather gallon sized milk jugs with lid in place. It is best to have at least one per variety of seedling you want to start indoors.
• Clean and dry out milk jugs.
• Cut jug almost completely in half, just under the handle, leaving 3 inches uncut.
• Fill with soil until one inch below cut on milk jug.. Not dirt. Dirt and soil seem to be used interchangeably, but they are totally different. Soil is used to grow plants. Dirt is usually unable to grow much of anything, including weeds. I like to use an organic, moisture holding variety of soil from the local farm store, but any soil will do.
• Using a permanent marker, write variety of seed on the milk jug so you won’t forget.
• Plant seeds. It is ok to crowd them in. They will not be in there long enough to get overcrowded.
• Water.
• Flip top of jug over onto rest of jug.
•  Place in sunny spot. It could be a windowsill, your living room floor; anywhere the sun will hit it.
• During the part of the day when the sun will hit it, flip top off of jug so that the seeds (and eventually seedlings) can get as much sun as possible. If it is warm enough, you can even take your seedling starter milk jugs outside for the day, however, be sure to bring them in at night if the temperatures get too chilly.
• When there is no sunlight, flip top onto jug, covering the seedlings. This will create a mini greenhouse for your precious seedlings.
• Once your garden plot has been tilled, the seedlings are at least several inches tall, and it is warm enough outside to plant, gently transfer seedlings. If you have more than you need, leave some in the jug to make sure that the planted ones take. If they don’t, transplant more seedlings into your garden. If you do not need the left over seedlings, give them to a friend or sell them at a farmers’ market.
• This method works great for container gardeners as well.

So there you have it, a cheap and relatively easy way to get your seeds planted and growing into seedlings.

Enjoy the remaining days of winter, lovelies. Very soon we will be wondering where all the cool breezes are as we toil in the hot sun.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”  ~ Harriet Tubman

~Annie