Start Your Own Flower Plugs With A Creative Upcycling Idea

Has a recent trip to your local nursery left you with a pile of empty pots and trays cluttering up the potting bench in your garage or garden shed? Fear not because all of these items are reusable over and over again for your favorite gardening endeavors. In fact, just like TikToker, Gardening with Ish, you can easily start your own flower plugs by upcycling those empty plug trays using a packet of seeds and some potting mix. Plus, this will save you money because buying seeds is far cheaper than purchasing transplants. For inspiration, you might want to explore a range of easy to grow perennial flower seeds that are perfect even if you don't have a particularly green thumb.

Before you get started, it's a good idea to make sure any leftover pots and trays are scrupulously clean. There are good reasons why you should always clean your flower pots to ensure they're pathogen-free. You can easily wash them, either in a bucket or the sink, using some warm water and bleach. The bleach will help to kill any pathogens that may be present. Make sure you wear dishwashing gloves, especially if you have sensitive skin. Alternatively, you can wipe the containers with rubbing alcohol to disinfect them.  Once you've given the containers a good wash, just put them out into a sunny spot and let them air dry. Then, it's time to start planting.

Using empty plug trays makes starting your own flower plugs so much cheaper, and you won't have to thin out the tiny plants like you would if you direct seeded. To begin, fill your clean tray with some quality potting soil or seed starting mix and water gently until the mix is nice and moist. Then, grab your seed packet and carefully deposit one or two seeds into each cell in the tray. Take note of the sowing depth that's specified on the pack. Many flower seeds are quite small, so they can just be gently pushed into the soil without the need to create a hole first. For others, you might want to cover them with a little extra mix or some vermiculite.

After sowing the seeds, use a spray bottle to add a little more moisture and help the soil settle. Place your trays in a warm spot, out of direct sunlight. Plugs do tend to dry out very quickly, so you need to be vigilant in keeping them well-watered. Once the seeds have germinated and the plants are large enough, it's really easy to pop each one out and plant it in your garden. Then, all that's left to do is to give the trays a clean and repeat the process. This is an economical way to fill your entire yard with gorgeous flowers while also limiting waste. And don't forget, you can use old egg cartons around your garden to start seeds just as easily.