Who doesn't dream of spending their days growing their own seeds and strolling through a perfect home garden? Well, that dream just got easier to achieve — because one Instagrammer is sharing a clever trick to grow your own seeds at home using just an old toilet paper roll and some scissors.
In a popular Instagram post, gardener, author, and certified plant (and human) mom Misilla (@learntogrow) shows not only how to create your own TP seed starter pots but also how to prevent mold once they start growing.
The scoop
To complete this hack, all you need is an old cardboard toilet paper roll and a pair of scissors.
Misilla starts by cutting the rolls in half. She then cuts four vertical slits in the bottom of one of the tubes, creating four little flaps (think the bottom of a broken-down cardboard box). Using that cardboard box-folding technique, she folds each flap inward, creating a stable "bottom" for the pot with a small hole in the middle.
Once the tube is officially pot-shaped, she places it in a small container, each waiting to be filled with soil and a seed. She suggests using a seed starter soil mix with good aeration and moisture retention. To avoid oversaturation, try misting your seeds multiple times a day instead of pouring water over them.
Once the first set of leaves emerges from your seeds, Misilla says it's time to go ahead and transplant them. Your seeds should slip easily out of the cardboard, which may already be deteriorating due to moisture.
How it's helping
This clever hack can help you cut down on waste that you may otherwise be throwing away. Since cardboard is biodegradable, and this trick helps it break down even further before heading to the compost bin, it's a great way to reduce waste and reuse a simple household object.
On top of all that, it saves money since leftover toilet paper rolls are essentially free and, therefore, much cheaper than even the most budget-friendly seed starter kits.
What people are saying
We weren't the only ones jazzed about this clever hack. Commenters were excited about this super simple way to garden at home.
"This is such a good way to get going on gardening when you don't have a lot of money to do it with," one user writes.
"I've literally been saving my TP and paper towel rolls for a few weeks now and was worried about mold, as it's what killed a lot of my stuff last year. This was super helpful!!!" another says.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
