Starting Seeds Without Buying More Plastic

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The amount of plastic in the world depresses me. Lately I’ve been trying to buy less of it, instead finding ways to re-purpose things I already have or find more durable, less toxic alternatives. I used to always buy those cheap plastic seedling trays, and though I had every intention of reusing them for as long as possible, they would inevitably crack right down the middle over the course of a few back and forth trips between home and the community garden.

I also used to use those little biodegradable peat pots for my seedlings, but I never really felt great about using those either. Much like how though using a paper grocery bag is theoretically a little better than using a plastic grocery bag, I think we can all agree that its really better not to use a disposable grocery bag at all. I think its really better to just not use the little disposable seedling containers, whether they be made of plastic or paper or peat.

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So this year I’m trying some alternatives. Continue reading

A Slow Start

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Well, our makeshift seedling heat mat worked perfectly. It stayed consistently warm without ever overheating, and just about all of the seeds sprouted within a week. Pretty good, especially for peppers, which can be very difficult to germinate.

And then after that nothing happened. Continue reading