With grocery store aisles packed and shortages of pantry staples, families are becoming more aware of our dependence on an uninterrupted supply chain for our food. Now is a great time to learn how to grow food at home, whether you live in a house in the suburbs or on acres of land in the country or in a city apartment.

Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to start seedlings at home, and it’s a great project for little hands! No need to rush to the garden center or hardware store; most if not all of these supplies you most likely have on hand and you can order seeds in the mail. It’s the perfect social distancing project for your kids that will pay off in dividends this summer. Disclaimer: I have a black thumb, so if I can do this, so can you.

Supplies:

Egg cartons
Plastic Wrap
Popsicles Sticks
Toothpicks
Dirt
Seeds
Clothes Pins

Step 1: Prep the Egg Cartons

Egg cartons should have four small holes poked in the bottom with a toothpick.

These will act as your plant-holders (see, I’m good at this already). You’ll want to cut the top off the egg carton and set aside (it’s important to keep this part, so don’t throw it away!) Flip the egg carton over to reveal the bottom (the part that holds the eggs) and use a toothpick to poke four holes in the bottom of each cup for drainage. This is easiest if you’re using an egg carton made of styrofoam. The kind I used is made of recycled paper, which is a little more tough to penetrate. I gave my 5-year-old a tiny hammer, and that helped. When you’re done, it should look like the photo. (Sidenote: Pretty much any container can hold dirt, water, and seeds if it tries hard enough. Don’t have enough egg cartons? Try empty eggshells, toilet paper rolls, plastic containers, newspaper, etc. Just be sure to poke holes for drainage.)

Step 2: Wrap Lid in plastic for tray

While your kids are poking holes, you can wrap the lid of the egg carton, which you already detached, in plastic wrap. This will serve as the drainage tray to catch any water. Pro tip: Kids tend to overwater; don’t skip this step!

Fill each cup of the egg carton with soil.

Step 3: Fill the cups with Soil

This one feels self explanatory, so let me tell you a little bit about dirt. If you’re avoiding the hardware store because of Coronavirus like we are, this step is going to need a bit of research and ingenuity. I happened to have some leftover potting soil in my garage that I added some nutrients to. Coffee grounds and crushed eggshells add nitrogen, potassium, and other nutrients. I also read this tutorial on making your own seed starting mix. I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand and putting dirt in my oven seemed a little strange, but these are strange times, friends. My point is, get creative. Like kids, plants grow best in the most ideal conditions.

Step 4: Plant your seeds

Pay attention to the instructions for depth and spacing when planting your seeds. Unless you haven’t taken your recycling out for eons (like us), you probably don’t have enough egg cartons for all of your seeds. That’s okay! Store them in a cool, dry place and use them next year. Use the popsicle sticks to mark what kind of seeds you’ve planted or just use a marker on the side of the container to keep them straight.

Step 5: Cover with plastic wrap

Cover the egg carton with plastic wrap and secure in place with clothes pins to create a mini greenhouse. This step was completely foreign to me (see: amateur gardener), but apparently you need it to help the seeds germinate. This YouTube video helped my kids and I understand germination. Place in a part of our home that is dry, warm, and gets lots of sunlight. I have a south-facing bay window, so that’s where mine went.

Water your plants by removing the plastic wrap and lightly misting them daily. Elsa dress not required.

Step 6: WAter your Seeds

One of the biggest challenges for me is knowing how much water to give plants. We decided the best way to water sufficiently but not drown them is to check them every day, lifting the plastic and misting them with a spray bottle. This is a great project for little hands that promotes responsibility and gives them something to do when they can’t play with their friends.

Step 7: Planting

You can plant when the seeds have sprouted and are an inch or two tall after the last frost of the year. If you used egg cartons made of recycled paper material, you can just plant them directly in the ground. The cardboard will break up easily.

Sowing Seeds with Supplies from Home