All green thumbs know that germinating your own seeds is much more economical than buying seedlings from a garden centre.
You save almost 90% on the gardening budget!
But how do you sprout peas, squash and tomatoes when it's still too cold outside?
Easy as pie, dear readers;-)
The answer lies on your breakfast table, at the market, or in your compost pile.
What is it about ? I named:eggs! Egg-orizing, isn't it?
Yes, to make even more savings during the sowing season, use eggshells as a container to make your biodegradable seedling pots.
Your wallet will thank you!
1. The entire seedling pot is biodegradable.
2. The cost of an eggshell is €0. Just collect the shells if you eat eggs.
3. The shells contain mineral salts, such as calcium and other very useful nutrients.
4. The shells are untreated and therefore safe for animals and children.
5. Planting seeds inside the house gives you a huge head start for your garden. Even if it's still freezing outside, you'll be ready for the first warm days.
6. Seeds germinated in an eggshell are sturdier and tougher than when planted in the ground.
7. Indoor germination allows you to weed out the weakest seedlings and monitor them daily.
8. This is a very fun project for kids.
You'll need some good eggs and some gardening tools to do this.
But don't worry, most of them are probably already stored in your kitchen or somewhere in your house.
- seeds (try to use old varieties)
- eggshells
- egg cartons
- potting soil
- 1 spoon
- 1 punch or needle
- 1 knife
- 1 pot and 1 pan
- a marker
- 1 spray bottle
Use a needle or an awl to make a small drainage hole in the bottom of each shell.
Make the hole big enough so that it is not clogged with soil or roots.
Cut the shell to 1/3 the height of the egg. Use a small knife to gently remove the shell. Take care not to damage the bottom of the egg.
Tip: to make the hole in the egg easily, use a sharp or serrated knife and go slowly.
Empty the raw egg from the shell into a bowl. Make an omelet or scrambled eggs for dinner. Delicious and zero mess!
Wash the eggshells under water, then boil them in a saucepan for 3 minutes to kill all bacteria.
Check the inside of the shells for small bits, and let them air dry.
Place each shell in a cardboard egg carton so it won't break.
The more creative among you can imagine miniature clay pots or fancy decorative planters.
Fill each shell with potting soil up to 2/3.
Add a seed to each shell. Respect the sowing depth recommended on your seed packet, and look at the average germination time.
Place the sprouting shells in a warm, sunny location.
Keep the soil moist (but not soaked) by watering regularly. The best is to spray water regularly with a spray bottle. Look how it grows!
Using a marker, gently write the name of each plant sown on the shell. If you plant a lot of different varieties, you will end up forgetting which is which!
Your children can also decorate the shells as they wish. But be careful not to break them;-)
Once your sprouts are strong enough and the season is right, plant your sprouting shells in freshly tilled soil.
When planting, lightly crush the bottom of each shell so that the roots can easily find the fresh soil.
Warning: don't be in a hurry to transplant in open ground (if you don't have a shelter). Wait until at least April for the south of France and temperate regions and the end of May for cold and mountainous regions. It would be a shame if the frost ruined your efforts;-)
