Use Your Egg Cartons to Grow Seedlings

Published on Tuesday, May 11, 2010, by CHOW Video Team / Edit Post

Use Your Egg Cartons to Grow Seedlings

Old egg cartons deserve better than immediate recycling. CHOW.com Associate Editor Roxanne Webber gives them new life as containers for growing seedlings.

CHOW Tips are the shared wisdom of our community. If you’ve figured out some piece of food, drink, or cooking wisdom that you’d like to share on video (and you can be in San Francisco), email Meredith Arthur and tell us what you’ve got in mind.

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  • great tips el capitan! I was thinking, if one was worried that the roots would not grow through the bottom of the egg carton completely, they could use your method (keep the seedling in the egg carton), but just cut or tear off the bottom before replanting, keeping the rest of the carton (sides) intact.

  • I tried this as well but definitely the depth of soil was not sufficient as the plants began to grow past the first week or two. My cartons also did not rot well at all (no roots went through) -- perhaps a different manufacturer?

  • Soil! Not dirt...

  • I tried that this spring with several plants - tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and red pine seeds. I was very pleased with the results - one or two of the trays developed a thin white mold, but wasn't a big deal.

    Since the cartons wick moisture well, they tend to dry out fairly quickly, so keep an eye on soil moisture. Egg cartons will rot away very quickly, so you can even cut the individual...+READ

    I tried that this spring with several plants - tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and red pine seeds. I was very pleased with the results - one or two of the trays developed a thin white mold, but wasn't a big deal.

    Since the cartons wick moisture well, they tend to dry out fairly quickly, so keep an eye on soil moisture. Egg cartons will rot away very quickly, so you can even cut the individual cells apart and plant the entire thing in the ground - carton and all! Then you never have to touch the delicate roots with your fumbling fingers...

    I found that the roots will grow right through the egg carton, as long as it's kept moist. So there you go! Finally, if you grow seedlings for several weeks in advance, this may not be enough soil. Then you can make easy pots out of newspaper (google it) and eventually plant that whole package in the garden. Amazing - Green - and best of all - FREE!!-COLLAPSE