TRY THIS AT HOME: REPURPOSED GREENHOUSE

As we near the start of our growing season here at the Lab, we've begun to explore creative ways that we can start seeds without purchasing new plastic containers.

For our first experiment, we repurposed old bedding packaging and turned them into mini greenhouses. The packaging had the perfect ingredients- an enclosed plastic container with a convenient zipper on top. Before getting started, we made sure the packaging didn't leak. We added soil, compost from our backyard, and seeds. We filled each mini greenhouse with about 2 inches of soil mix, which is plenty for staring seeds. In  one we planted basil, on the other lettuce. We watered liberally, but not enough to leave puddles (after all, seeds don't swim!). The mini greenhouses were zipped up and placed on a sunny window.


This is when we realized that the container isn't strong enough to stand upright on its own. We incorporated a little engineering to troubleshoot our situation. Using two kebab sticks, we placed them in a crisscross shape in each greenhouse. This provided the needed stability to keep the greenhouses upright. The results below are two weeks later on the lettuce.

What else can you repurpose as a mini greenhouse for starting seeds? How about clear plastic egg containers? There's lots of possibilities! Happy growing!