My cheap seed-starter hack is better than using a flimsy Walmart buy – don’t crack them and they’ll last forever
GET your seed party started with one gardening pro’s easy and economical trick.
They insist you’ll be able to keep reusing a cheap item that you probably already have in your kitchen.
Reddit user Alldressed_chip shared their easy hack in a post.
“Use eight-ounce Styrofoam coffee cups as seed-starter cups,” they said.
They explained how poking holes in the bottom is ideal for “drainage.”
And all you need is a marker to stay organized.
“Write the name on the side in Sharpie,” they said.
The best part might just be that you’ll only ever need one cup – if you’re careful.
“Since Styrofoam is for all practical purposes immortal, as it doesn’t biodegrade for 500 years or something like that, this means that as long as you don’t crack them, you have them forever,” they said.
According to them, the cup would last “a lot longer than trying to re-use the flimsy black plastic cells that petunias come in at Walmart.”
And that wasn’t their only tip.
They also suggested scouring Walmart for a sale.
They advised buying disposable cushion mums in October when they sell for just a buck.
“Buy a ton of them, discard the mum, and keep the eight-inch pot,” they said.
“It’s a hugely useful size for medium things like peppers, orchids, and geraniums, and buying new plant pots that size is expensive,” they continued.
Others had their own hacks to share.
“I use plastic forks to mark seedlings,” said one Redditor.
Buy it now
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Dart Insulated Eight-Ounce Cups, $6.99, Walmart
“I cut daylilies back to the ground after they bloom,” they continued.
“They all get a virus, not deadly, but one that causes leaf streaking.
“Anyways, they grow back pretty quickly with new, bright green, healthy foliage and look nice into fall.”
If you want to try the trick for yourself, Walmart sells a pack of 25 insulated foam cups from Dart for $6.99
Meant to store both hot and cold beverages, they can now be used for holding seeds as well.
Easy gardening tips to save money, maximize space, and repel pests
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- Banana peels, vinegar, and coffee grounds are often recommended as natural fertilizers.
- Dollar Tree sells four packs of seeds for $1.25.
- Try a vertical planter like Amazon’s Mr. Stacky 5 Tier Stackable Planter, $35 to make more use of a small space.
- Use netting like the Garden Netting Pest Barrier, $8, from Amazon to keep away bugs that eat your vegetables.
- Try sacrificial planting to reduce the use of pesticides and keep pests away from your garden. Deliberately growing certain plants to attract agricultural pests can keep them away from the plants you want to protect. Examples include marigolds, lavender, catnip, and chives.
- For pesky weeds in your garden, the Grampa’s Weeder – The Original Stand-Up Weed Puller Tool with Long Handles, $45, from Amazon is a helpful tool you can use without having to bend over.