Gardening with Kids: Eggshell Seedlings

The best kind of home DIY projects are the kind that use recycled materials, and this one does just that. Since summer is coming, we’re doing a series of posts on gardening with kids to get your children excited to learn about the delicate ecosystem we live in. Developing an admiration for nature at a young age is so key, and it will shape their personalities. Bonus points if you start your own backyard composer – we’ll have a post for that in the coming weeks, but today it’s all about starting a garden from scratch with eggshell seedlings:

You’ll Need

Empty eggshell halves, rinsed
Egg carton
Seed-starting mix
Seeds (small seeds such as herbs and flowers work best)
Small spoon

Directions

1. Make sure you’re using clean eggshells. It’s okay if your eggshells are uneven (I mean, they’re eggshells), but as long as you have at least half the shell intact it will be fine.

2. Arrange your eggshells in the carton.

3. Use a teaspoon (the cutlery not the measuring spoon) to fill each egg pot with pre-moistened seed-starting soil.

4. Place a couple of seeds in each pot according to instructions.

5. Leave the carton in a sunny south-facing window.

6. Lightly mist the soil with a spray bottle depending on each seedling’s instructions, but remember that there are no drainage holes so you shouldn’t over-water. When your seedlings have emerged, snip the weakest or smallest ones to allow the largest seedling room to grow.

7. When your seedling have developed their first set of true leaves, you can transplant it into a larger pot or directly in your garden. Gently crush the shell and remove a few shards around the bottom. You can plant the whole thing this way, and the eggshell will decompose in the soil, feeding extra nutrients to your seedling.