Zero waste plant propagation

With the recent move it became apparent how many seedling pots I actually use! I am not proud of the fact that most ended up in landfill, and moving forward I am more mindful about where I source my plants from and the packaging that they come in. This basically means I either raise my own plants via seed or I head to my local markets where there is a vendor who sells seedlings straight from the plug wrapped in newspaper. After doing a huge cull of those plastic pots just before we moved, I found my propogation supplies were low, so I looked towards the different things I could use that would work well for the seedlings and also be waste free. The options I am working with right now include making my own pots reusing newspaper/paper, trays and jiffy pots. I have in the past attempted egg cartons and toilet rolls, I find the egg cartons are not deep enough and dry out way too quickly, and the toilet paper rolls are way too thick that I have to unravel them before planting. Both of these options really stunted my plants growth.

Paper Pots

We buy 'who gives a crap' toilet paper that comes wrapped in paper and I've found these covers perfect for the job. You may also have access to newspaper. It's better to use a lighter weight paper (recycled is best) as if it's too thick it will take longer to break down. https://www.instagram.com/p/BpTToo8lo37/

Jiffy Pots

These are a bit on the expensive side, but I use these for plants that I plan to give away, sell or swap. The paper pots don't handle travel well so these have been a great alternative

Trays

I'll use plain trays with rows of seeds for most of my greens or any seedlings that don't suffer too much from being divided when they are a bit older. Things like lettuce and beets have been great in the trays.

Direct Sow

My general rule of thumb with planting seeds is if it's bigger seed it can go directly in the ground and bypass the propagation station. Any plants that grow as cuttings, I will pop on my window sill in a cup of water wait for roots to form then place them directly in the garden. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo-Na_5Ft03/?taken-by=loveofdirt Do you have any clever waste free things you do in your garden? Please share in the comments below