Today’s post was supposed to be about renovating my thinking chair. Unfortunately, mother nature had other plans {rain} & that project will have to wait. Since I couldn’t go outside & do the stuff I wanted to do, I had to find something I could do inside. Organizing my seeds seemed like a good solution! It gave me a chance to get some seed tapes & paper pots ready to use for when the weather clears up. I’ll also give you some ideas for recycled seed starters that you probably use everyday.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission if you buy something through my link or ad. This does not change your cost it just helps keep this blog running. Thanks for your support! See Privacy Policy & Affiliate Deals page for more information.
Seed Organization
Y’all I haven’t looked in these boxes for over a year! I ordered more seeds & just tossed them in there. It’s been several years since I actually planted a full garden, so I had no idea what I had. Time for a clean up!
First I cleaned them out & decided I also needed to fix my dividers. These are not quite working anymore!
I folded a small square of scrapbook paper in half & attached it to the front of the divider. The general grouping is on the outside. The inside holds a list of the seed types. Maybe that will keep me from buying seeds I don’t really need!
This is the pile of empty seed packets & tags I cleared out of 1 box!
I’ll save the seed packets with information I need to reorder & discard the rest. At least now I know what I have & it’s easily accessible with my new dividers. ?
I even added chalkboard labels to the front so I can remember what’s in the boxes.
I got these boxes about a million years ago at Wal-Mart & I didn’t see any like it currently. You can use one of those 97 cent shoe boxes too, so long as it’s kept out of sunlight & dry. I’ve also seen people use binders with plastic sleeves to store seed packets.
Recycled Seed Starters
You can start seeds in almost anything that will hold dirt & let water drain. Today I’m making some seed strips & pots using recycled items. These include newspaper, used coffee filters,….
And empty K-cup pods!
A used k-cup pod is just about perfect for starting seeds in. It has a built-in filter & drainage hole! I’ll add a little of my used coffee grounds, some compost soil, & pop in a seed. These will go in a shallow dish or pan which makes it easier to water. I usually put the water in the pan & let the soil soak it up from below. Cover it with plastic wrap & poke some holes in it & you’ll have a mini greenhouse!
Old newspapers are good for all sorts of garden things. I’m using them to make plant pots & seed tape today. I used this tutorial to make the plant pots. It worked okay, but I had to add some flour paste to help it stay together. {That’s just flour & water!}
I found this tutorial for DIY Seed Tape over at Premeditated Leftovers & decided to try it out. This works great for those tiny, hard to see seeds, like carrots.
I decided to do something similar with my leftover coffee filters.
It works better if you get more of the coffee grinds off first! I lay mine out on a newspaper stack to dry, save the grinds in a jar, & the filters in an open plastic tub. This just cuts down on mold! Wadding them up once they’re dry will get off more of the grinds & make it lay flatter.
Once I laid out my seeds & let it dry, I folded them up into a little packet. I used a little dot of flour glue to hold it in place.
These will be great for pots or herb gardens. Usually you want patches of herbs & not rows.
Paper Pots
All the newspaper pots will be great for the tomato seedlings my mother-in-law gave me over the weekend. I also got a calla lily & two tiny cherry tomato plants from my grandmother-in-law. ?
I’ve got to clear a patch in the garden before planting them. They need some soil! It will be easier to plant them in the paper pots because the pot is biodegradable. It will also be better for them than a jar of water!
Check out my Pinterest board Home ~ Gardening for more garden inspiration & tips. Happy hump day y’all!
