If you’re anything like us at YourLifeChoices, you love a good gardening tip—especially one that saves money, reduces waste, and makes life a little easier.
Well, we’ve stumbled across a clever $0 gardening hack that’s taking the internet by storm. It’s all about turning your rubbish into a resource. That’s right: the secret to growing healthy seedlings could be hiding in your recycling bin!
Next time you polish off a punnet of strawberries or a tray of kiwi fruit, don’t toss that plastic container in the bin. Those clear, lidded fruit containers are the perfect do-it-yourself mini greenhouses for starting seeds.
Not only do they help you repurpose single-use plastics, but they also create the ideal warm, humid environment that young seedlings love. A green-thumbed social media personality, PlantingWithE, recently demonstrated how easy it is.
Here’s how you can do it at home:
- Clean and dry your empty fruit container.
- Fill it with seed-raising mix or potting soil (dampening the mix first helps prevent seeds from shifting).
- Scatter your seeds—herbs like thyme, basil, or dill work beautifully.
- Cover lightly with more soil, then water gently.
- Close the lid to lock in moisture and warmth, mimicking the greenhouse effect.
- Place your mini greenhouse in a sunny spot, like a windowsill.
The holes in the bottom of the container allow for drainage, and you can even bottom-water by placing the container in a shallow tray of water. This helps keep the soil moist without disturbing your seeds.
Gardeners across Australia are loving this hack. Comments on the video range from ‘Wait, [what?] This is brilliant!’ to ‘Let me go get into my recycling bin.’
Others have shared their own success stories, with one saying, ‘This is how I start my basil and dill. Love repurposing these!’
More seed-starting hacks from your recycling bin
The fruit container isn’t the only household item you can repurpose for your garden. Here are a few more ideas to get your seedlings off to a flying (and frugal) start:
- Plastic milk bottles: Cut the top off on three sides to create a hinged lid. Fill with soil and seeds, then close the lid for a greenhouse effect.
- Egg cartons: Pop a couple of seeds in each section. These are great for starting small batches and can be placed in a greenhouse or sunny windowsill.
- Toilet paper rolls: Cut four slits in one end, fold to make a base, fill with soil, and plant your seeds. These are especially good for plants like sweet peas, which prefer deep root runs.
Starting seeds indoors gives you a head start on the growing season, especially in cooler climates or if you want to grow plants that need a longer season to mature.
It also means you can control the environment, reduce the risk of pests, and save money compared to buying seedlings from the nursery.
Repurposing household waste for gardening isn’t just good for your wallet—it’s also a win for the environment. Every plastic container or cardboard tube you reuse is one less item in a landfill, and you’ll be rewarded with a garden full of healthy, homegrown plants.
Have you tried this free seed-starting hack, or do you have your clever gardening tips to share? What’s the most creative thing you’ve used to start seeds? Let us know in the comments below—we’d love to hear your stories!
Also read: Got stung? This common Australian plant offers instant pain relief
