5 Economical DIY Seed Starter Cups

economical-seed-starter-cups

Starting seeds indoors in seed starter cups before the actual growing season officially begins is extremely beneficial, especially in places like Maine where the typical growing season might only be barely longer than the time certain crops need to mature to harvest – and in northern Maine, not long enough for some crops to start from seed outdoors.

Extend your Growing Season

In Zone 5a, where I live, the last average frost date is May 15th, and the first average frost date in the fall is October 15th, leaving just 150 days – give or take – to get seeds planted, sprouted, grown, and harvested.

Using a seed planting calendar can help you figure out when you should be starting the seeds of various crops indoors to get a jump on the growing season. This past week I started lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, peas and beets in the house under a grow light.  It’s a little early, but this past winter was so mild I took a chance that spring will arrive a bit earlier this year.

Starting Seeds

Starting seeds is fairly easy. You need some sort of container, potting soil and of course the seeds. Plastic wrap and a misting bottle also come in handy. After filling your containers with potting soil, press a few seeds into the soil, cover lightly with more soil, mist well to moisten the soil but not saturate it, then cover each container with a piece of plastic wrap and set them in a warm spot in your house – the top of the refrigerator or over a radiator are good choices. Keep the soil moist, and once your seeds sprout, you can remove the plastic wrap and set your seeds in a sunny windowsill or under a grow light.

repurpose-common-items-into-seed-starter-cups

Economical Seed Starter Cups

Seed starter cups are available commercially, but that can get expensive. If you reuse plastic cups from a previous year, be sure to wash them out well to prevent soil-borne bacteria from infecting your new seedlings. A more economical idea is to repurpose some items you likely have around the house into seed starter cups. Here are some of my favorites:

eggshell-seed-starter-cups

Eggshells/Eggcartons

Save your eggshells. Rinse them out, then poke a small hole in the bottom for drainage. Eggshells are great to use for those crops that require extra calcium (such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant), because the calcium in the shell will leach into the soil to feed the plant.  Set the shells into an egg carton once you’ve filled them with potting soil and planted your seeds and place them in a sunny windowsill. Or, if you want, skip the eggshells and plant right in the egg carton!

Screenshot 2016-03-21 at 8.48.51 AM

eggshell-starter-cups-for-sunflowers

When you’re ready to transplant the seedlings, just crush the shell a bit with your fingers, and plant the whole thing in the ground. If you are using just the carton, carefully cut each section apart and plant it right in the ground. The cardboard will decompose. Read more here…

k-cup-seed-starter-cups

K-Cups

If you have a Keurig coffee machine, those K-cups are perfect for starting seeds. They already have a drainage hole in the bottom, so all you need to do is rinse out the coffee grinds (dump them in your garden for a free soil amendment) and fill them with potting soil. You will need to take the seedling out of the cup to plant it outside. Read more here…

toilet-paper-seed-starter-cups-2

Toilet Tissue or Paper Towel Rolls

Start saving your toilet paper rolls. Paper towel rolls work as well if you cut them into thirds. To make an easy seed starter cup, cut four notches in the bottom of each roll, then fold them inward (as if you are assembling a cardboard box) to make a solid flat bottom.

toilet-paper-seed-starter-cups

toilet-paper-seed-starter-cups-3

When you’re ready to move your seedlings outdoors, simply unfold the bottom and plant the whole thing in the ground. The cardboard will decompose into the soil.

newspaper-seed-starter-cups-4

Newspaper

Old newspapers also make inexpensive seed starter cups and are best for the larger plants. Rip a sheet of newspaper in half, fold it in half, then wrap it around a tin can, soda bottle, glass or other cylindrical object. Tape the seam to secure it, then fold the bottom and tape that as well. Fill with potting soil and water. When you’re ready to transplant your seedlings, you can just untape the side and bottom seams and plant the seedling, or put the newspaper and all right into the ground.

newspaper-seed-starter-cups

newspaper-seed-starter-cups-2

newspaper-seed-starter-cups-5

I hope this has given you some ideas of easy ways to make seed starter cups for practically nothing. Visit my blog Fresh Eggs Daily for more gardening tips, as well as advice on raising chickens naturally.

cutout-signaturewithlogo

Lisa Steele

About Lisa Steele

I am a bestselling author and freelance writer who also happens to be a fifth generation chicken keeper. I grew up in Massachusetts across the street from my grandparents chicken farm and raised chickens and rabbits as a kid. After college and a brief stint on Wall Street, I got married and spent the next decade as a Navy wife on a farm in Virginia. Now, my husband has retired and we've moved to Maine, ready to continue our farm journeys with our flock of chickens and ducks.