What better way to kick off the growing season as warmer weather nears than with an easy DIY gardening hack? And this one can take you from seed to seedling with just some patience and a few empty toilet paper rolls.
TikToker ZestyGrower (@zestygrower) shared how she reuses old toilet paper rolls to germinate seeds for the garden.
@zestygrower Using toilet roll holders as biodegradable seed starting pots 🌱 Make sure to water the plants enough as the cardboard will absorb more moisture than while using plastic trays. #allotmentuk #seedlings #growingfromseed #gardenwithme #seedstarting #countrygirl #groworganic #beginnergardening #foryoupage #fyp #growingveggies #gardeningtips #growingvegetables #zerowaste #biodegradable #gardenwithme #gardeninglover #selfsufficient ♬ Storytelling - Adriel
The scoop
To prep the toilet paper rolls, make four evenly-spaced one-inch cuts on one end of each roll. Fold the sections toward the center to close off that end of the roll. You've now created your own biodegradable seed starting pot.
"Add compost, add [your] seeds, and then add more compost," the TikToker shared. "I water them in and then wait a few weeks for the seedlings to appear."
The TikToker shows how easy it is to transfer each seedling to its new home. She simply unfolds the closed end of the toilet paper roll and sticks the entire cell into a larger pot. Those with garden beds can do the same thing — make a hole for the unfolded roll in your garden and drop it in.
The now-opened end of the seedling "pot" allows the roots to grow downwards while "the cardboard will naturally decompose into the soil," the TikToker said. This enables the roots to expand.
How it's helping
This method is just one way of growing your own food at home from seeds without buying designated seedling starter trays. The hack saves you money on the upfront costs of starting your own garden by using materials you already have at home.
Instead of landfilling your empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls, you can reduce waste and repurpose it into something useful. A biodegradable seed starting pot will eventually return back to the Earth after it's broken down. If it's made of cardboard, this will take approximately two months, according to Recyclops.
The cardboard material will also absorb and retain more moisture than plastic seedling trays, keeping your seedlings happier throughout the growing season.
Another home expert found empty toilet paper rolls to be a great organization tool for managing wires and cables.
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I already have 🧑🌾 What everyone's saying
Many gardeners corroborated the effectiveness of this hack.
"This works great," one commenter shared.
"Genius and resourceful!" another said.
"Yessss I've absolutely loved doing this this year and such a good way to use them up!" a third commenter confirmed.
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