That time of year

Category: gardening | Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 5:24 pm

Planting some seeds in preparation for the forthcoming season, has been mostly flowers so far but did plant peppers yesterday, will now go on from there. I have two heat mats in my sunroom: one's full of "holdover" plants/newly started geranium cuttings that really need the bottom heat, and the other one's covered with trays of flower seedlings, didn't know WHAT to do with the peppers, so put them on top of a 24 inch Gro Light in the dining room! The little high-dome trays the cells are in is a testimony of how my (small) mind works when it comes to gardening: they are actually plastic containers Sam's Club puts their whole roasted chickens in! These are simply ideal for holding 2 6-pak cells each, and the clear plastic tops have two vent holes that can be opened for allowing excess moisture to escape..who could ask for more?
I'd bought an already cooked chicken last fall, was just about to throw out the container when it hit me they'd make excellant SMALL seed starting ones! Grabbed two 6-paks and found they fit in the base just right, just HAD to get some more of these! A few weeks ago, I gathered up my courage and decided to ASK for two when a meat room gal was stocking the cases. Said "Excuse me..but is there any way POSSIBLE I can have, or buy, two of the chicken containers? EMPTY ones?": "EMPTY?" was the reply followed by a look that was unbelievable, so I explained just WHAT I wanted them for and got another "odd look" as she handed me two. Things went fine til I had to check out at door: gal checked my items against the sales receipt, informed me I'd "forgotten the chickens!" when she saw the trays, so smiled and went on to explain to her what they were for also..and THIS brought on a laughing fit from people in back of me! Felt like I two HEADS instead of two empty containers, but was one very happy gardener as I walked out the door!
Now those are in "operation", and the wait for germination begins. I know they work as I started decorative peppers in the initial one (after I washed out the chicken remains), and those have already been transplanted into bigger pots. Nice thing is these "mini-greenhouses" can be used repeatedly..would you call this recycling? What otherwise would have ended up in the trash has become this gardener's DELIGHT! YEP! I'm a "scrounge" I guess, small mind and all!

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gardengater wrote on Wed Feb 17, 2010 9:18 pm:

I would just call that "green", reusing and recylcling. I'd call that ingenious.

Newfpaws wrote on Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:11 am:

What a great idea. I have a very small house and am always trying to figure out ways to start seed. Those big trays are cumbersome and I struggle with places to put them. I'm going to try this!

Jewell wrote on Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:57 am:

I save the salad, and cookie (plastic) trays for to put pots into also. I do a lot of plant starts so it makes it much easier for watering. With the lids on they are like a mini green house also. Some of the plastic containers are better than the furniture protectors you'd buy to protect table tops from pot bottoms. :)