Starting Seeds Recycling Project
It’s that time of year again. Even though the temperatures outside might be chilly, it’s time to think about those summer gardens and flower beds. You could wait for spring and buy vegetable and flower plants or you could start seeds indoors.
Starting seeds indoors is not complicated and it doesn’t require any high-tech or specialized equipment. In fact, you probably have the main supplies you need at home right now. When I plant, I only want to spend money on seeds and maybe good potting soil if it’s too cold to dig top soil. Recycled containers work great for starting plants.

Starting Seeds Indoors In A Soup Container
Some people get soup at Chick-fil-A and think “Wow. This is really good!” My thought was, “This container would be perfect for starting seeds!” As it turns out, it is!




When the seedlings emerge, we will take the lid off and water as needed with the spray bottle so they won’t be damaged. After the seedlings get a couple inches high, we will thin them by spreading them out into other containers.
When the weather is warm enough during the day, we will move our trays to a shady spot outside (like a screen porch or patio)–definitely make sure you have put holes in the bottom of the containers. If it’s going to be heavy rain, we will bring them in to protect the young plants from “flooding” or too much wind.
The plants should be ready to be planted outside late April or early May.
Other Recycled Containers To Try For Starting Seeds Indoors
Here are some other recycled items that make great seed starter containers:
- egg cartons
- egg shells
- yogurt containers
- ice cube trays
- pudding cups
- sour cream tubs
- take out containers like salad bar to-go containers from the grocery store
What types of seeds do you start indoors? What containers do you use?