Recycled Seed Starting Containers

Starting seeds needn't cost you a whole lot of money. In fact you may not even need to go to the store to get items in which to start growing seeds in.

Take a look around your home.

Here are some ideas for recycling items that you may already have in your home that can be used as seed starting containers:

1. Egg cartons/ these can be actually cut in half..cut the lid off of the bottom part and you then have a flat tray area to plant seeds into, as well as 12 compartments to plant seeds into.

2. Don't toss those yogurt containers! They can be recycled as well.

3. Pint ice cream containers work well also.Enjoy your Haagen Daaz just a little bit more now..knowing that you can use the container to also start a new tiny plant in.

4. Baby food jars

5.Don't toss out that slightly chipped coffee mug or tea cup..if it can still hold water..it can still hold soil , and will make a good seed starting container.

6. Milk jugs. Cut off the top portion , and you now have a great container in which to start a tomato plant.

7. Children have a neighborhood birthday party? Ask the hostess mom to save the paper cups for you. She may look at you a wee bit oddly, but in a week or so you can take her a gift of a small seedling started in one of those recycled cups.

8.Did you stop at the deli and get a sandwich to go? Use the container as a mini "greenhouse/seed starter"..many deli containers have a small plastic lid on them..these act as a nice "terrarium" type atmosphere..great for starting seeds.

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Happy Gardening!

~The Victory Gardener~

(image shown courtesy of DK images free clip art)

Kumquat Marmalade

So..last night I made some yummy "Kumquat Marmalade"

I took about 4 lbs of fresh sliced, de-seeded kumquats/with the stem end sliced off.
Added about 1 cup sugar per 1 lb. of fruit.Added juice of 1 fresh lemon.

Let it all cook down until the fruit starts having a transparent look on some of the peeling, and the sugary syrup starts to thicken.

I then put the hot mixture into my blender and lightly chopped it.
Then back into the pot to cook about 8 minutes more. Then into clean hot jars.
Yummy! So good on toast.
(***you can actually do the same thing with navel oranges or other oranges....slice the fruit thin and include the juice of a lemon..no need to use pectin..the fruit is tart enough)
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~The Victory Gardener~
(image shown property of Tina Wilson)