Simply Live- In the Garden

It is time to start some seedlings, if you haven't already. Why not try to grow a little food for your family this year. You don't want to wait until you need to grow food to learn how to make the little babies grow. Here are some super cheap potting solutions:

Peat pots are great to start seeds in. They are small and they can be planted directly into the soil without disturbing the roots of the plant. The problem for me is the cost. The solution: homemade pots made from newspaper.

Not only are you saving money, but you are recycling! Basically you take a sheet of paper and make it into a cylinder shape. I saw several different sets of instructions on the net. Some had you use a glue stick to hold the edges together, some were just origami boxes. I fiddled around and came up with a easy origami type cylinder. You can also cut a toilet paper roll in half and cover the bottom with newspaper to make a great little pot.

Grow bags are another way to grow plants cheaply. Basically the concept is the bag becomes a pot. You fill the bag with compost or potting soil, seal it up with duct tape, cut a few drainage holes in the bottom and an X on top where you want to put your plant. These retain moisture better than pots and are way cheaper. They can be thrown away after the plant dies instead of having to be stored. You can put them anywhere and if you don't like the look of the plastic, you can cover them with pine straw or hay. There is no weeding with this either. I know you can use black trash bags, but I would assume grocery sacks and shopping bags would work just as well.

I plan to use these ideas and mix them with a great idea sent by my friend to create a movable garden for my salad greens. I am using a wagon that can be moved from the sun in the spring and fall to the shade in the summer. I expect to enjoy fresh salad all year!

We'll see?!

Happy Gardening