Starting Seeds? Don't Throw Out Your Takeout Containers

Growing your own plants can provide fresh herbs for your cooking, healthy home-grown veggies for the family, and exquisite flowers to bring life and color to your home or garden. But many people shy away from planting their own seeds due to concerns about the cost of starter seed containers and soil, as well as all the work involved in supporting those seeds to sprout to life. While good potting soil is pivotal to housing your seeds in a nutritious environment, there's no need to spend an extra cent on special containers for your starters. If you've saved seeds from fresh herbs and veggies, you can save money here too by avoiding the store-bought variety. Instead, simply repurpose your takeout containers.

By upcycling old takeout containers, you'll create the ideal housing for your seeds to get the best start in life. Pretty much any type of takeout container will do the job, from your cardboard Chinese takeout boxes to the plastic trays on which you get sushi. Even to-go paper coffee cups or smoothie containers will work, as will Styrofoam burger containers or donut boxes. As long as you have good potting or starter seed soil, enough (but not too much) moisture, sufficient sunlight, and a cozy container with good drainage, your starter seeds will be perfectly content to start their journey to becoming seedlings.

Cardboard containers like those used for Chinese or Thai takeout are great for starter seeds, as they have a waxy coating that helps to retain moisture. This is great for seeds, but not for reheating Chinese takeout in the container, as the moisture makes the box soggy. Because this coating helps to hold warmth in the container, it's perfect for seed germination.

Simply open the flaps of your cardboard box so that your seeds will get the proper amount of sunlight. Then, poke some holes in the base so excess water can easily drain out. Fill the container with starter seed soil and plant your seeds. Along the same lines, paper coffee cups are also a great option, especially for plants with longer root systems like dill, asparagus, radishes, parsley, fennel, and sage.

Pizza cardboard boxes are also great for starter seeds. The shallow depth allows warmth from the sun to penetrate the soil easily — but you will need to keep an eye on moisture, as the heat can dry out the soil faster. Poke a few drainage holes in the bottom of the box before spooning your potting soil into the box. Then, poke some more holes in the soil or carve troughs along the length before sowing your seeds into them. Cover gently with the soil and moisten. Plants with shallow root systems — like mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and basil — would do well in this type of starter seed container. In the veggie lineup, try lettuce, chives, spinach, and shallots in a shallow box.

You may find that plastic takeout containers are also great for gardening, especially those with removable lids, such as a clamshell container. Popping the lid back on the base after moistening the soil creates additional humidity that supports seed germination. As a result, the container acts as a mini greenhouse. Of course, you'll still need to poke some holes in the bottom of the container for drainage, coupled with a few holes in the lid as well so that fresh air is able to circulate a bit.

Additionally, be sure not to discard those plastic soda bottles that you often order with your takeout. If you cut the emptied bottle in half, either widthwise or lengthwise, the base makes for a great home for seeds to start their lives. Remove the label to open up all the surfaces for sunlight to penetrate the bottle — remember that colored plastic, especially darker colors, will retain heat even better. After that, don't forget those drainage holes.

Alternatively, turn your bigger bottles into self-watering planters. All you need to do is remove the lid and turn the top half of your bottle upside down in the base. Then, thread a piece of natural material (like twine or cotton) through the neck of the bottle so that it flows into the bottom half. This will serve as a conductor for the water, transporting it from the base container into your soil. Fill the top with soil, plant your seeds, and then water thoroughly — just ensure that there's a generous amount of water in the base.

You can also repurpose utensils and accompanying items like sauce containers to help germinate your seeds faster. The napkins that most often come with your takeout can be used to help your seeds sprout more quickly. Pop a few seeds in the folds of your napkin, then wrap it up and moisten it with water. Place the seeded napkin in a clear sealable bag before popping the package in a nice sunny spot. The humidity generated by the heat and moisture in the bag will encourage the seeds to sprout far quicker than planting them in soil. These will, however, need to be planted rather quickly in their next-stage containers; otherwise the roots will start to grow into the paper napkin, making it difficult to separate the seedlings when replanting.

Or, thoroughly wash out the little sauce containers that came with your meal, whether it's soy sauce for your sushi or BBQ sauce for your burger, to plant a few seeds in starter seed soil. The small size and shallow (usually transparent) nature of the container create a teeny-tiny greenhouse that encourages seeds to sprout faster. This is especially true if the lid is still on. You can also speed up this process by folding the seeds in a small piece of the moist paper napkin before placing them into the sauce containers. Whatever you do, be sure to replant as soon as the seeds start to sprout.