The tools we need to start a garden are already in our refrigerators, our bathrooms, and our pantries. TikTok user Amy Chapman (@inthecottagegarden) has taken to the platform to show budding and seasoned gardeners how to use waste products to start seeds.
The scoop
Amy starts by showing how drink cartons can be used to sow seeds. She cuts a rectangle out of one side of the carton, saving it for later, and then cuts a few holes in the opposite side for drainage. She then fills the carton with soil and tops it with seeds. To block out the sunlight, she covers the seeds with the rectangle she initially cut out.
@inthecottagegarden How to reuse waste items and turn them into seed trays 🌱 Gardening doesn't have to be expensive, so why not try recycling household waste to start your seeds 💚 #gardening #growyourownfood #zerowaste #sustainableliving ♬ original sound - In The Cottage Garden 🌻
The plastic boxes that vegetables come in, as well as old egg cartons, can also be used for a similar purpose, she says. Toilet paper rolls can be used to plant seeds like sweet peas, as they give their roots plenty of space to grow.
The video closes with Amy demonstrating how to start seeds in an old plastic bottle. She cuts the bottle in half, removes the lid, and fills the top half with compost. Then, she inserts the top half into the bottom half, both to stabilize it and to catch any drips.
"You don't need much to start a garden," Amy says. "You can reuse things you already have."
How it's helping
This hack is a simple and sustainable way for gardeners to start a variety of seeds. Gardening is a great way to save money on produce, as well as a joyful activity that can improve mental and physical health.
Gardening also reduces our environmental impact by decreasing the demand for mass-produced, store-bought, and globally shipped produce.Â
What everyone's saying
TikTok users expressed excitement in Amy's comments over these simple gardening hacks.
"Egg cartons that I can plant directly outside?!" one user commented. "I need to try that thank you."
"All great ideas! Been using several of them before. This year I got a bunch of free pots from florists," said another.
Others had follow-up questions and ideas of their own to share.
"Use plastic bottles for watering," one user suggested. "Put holes in the lid cut off the bottom and bury the bottle leaving a cm above soil then fill with water. Slowly waters your plants roots."
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