Seeds Indoors- the experiment

Until this year, I've shied away from starting seeds indoors. In theory, I always knew it was the better option simply on cost. One basil plant at the garden store is $3.95. The farmer's market is a little better, with a 4-pack for that price. A packet of basil seeds, however, with a couple hundred potential plants in it, is about 2 bucks. Why, you may ask, not just plant the seeds directly outdoors? Totally an option, unless you're impatient for the taste of summer as I (and most gardeners I know) always am come April. Or, the plant in question needs more growing time than the area's season allows (like tomatoes and peppers). Putting plants, rather than seeds, in the dirt after the last frost can cut one to two months off waiting time to start harvesting.

If you google indoor seed starting, though, it's intimidating. Techniques (and price) range from milk and egg cartons to multi-hundred dollar systems of movable shelves, special eco-domes, and automatically timed sunlamps. Pile onto that a lack of space, two curious cats, and sun that only comes in the south windows, and my decision seemed easy. Until this year. The direction my garden is taking, the number of high priced plants I want, and my general try it and see attitude made me want to experiment.

I decided to use what I had and go cheap and simple, which included an egg carton, some small planters from previous years, and cups made out of newspaper.

Newspaper works well for plants that don't like their roots disturbed, like cucumbers, but also for being free. Tear a piece of newspaper in half and wrap it around a can, leaving about an inch off the end. Fold down the bottom, fill it with potting soil, and place a bunch in a container that will hold water. Because it's paper, you'll need to water from the bottom up by pouring directly into the container. Then, in 6-8 weeks, you plant the whole thing, paper and all.

For the milk carton (which has to be styrofoam because cardboard will disintegrate), poke holes in the bottom of each section and cut the top away to use as a drip tray. I have heard various levels of success with this, so I'm growing cilantro and parsley that I don't care as much about. Plan what seeds go where and get to planting.

I only have a few spots to put all these future seedlings, so we'll be coexisting for a while. 

That is if they ever make it to plants with the likes of this one: 

Seedling updates to come in a month or so!