DIY A Quick And Simple Seed Starting Tray With An Empty Water Bottle

Seed starting can be a daunting task, requiring a careful hand and attention to detail as you bring your seeds to life. While nailing this process can take trial and error, one thing that can make germinating seeds easier is having the right tools on hand, including a seed starting tray. You can make your own DIY biodegradable seed starting tray with ingredients you already have in your kitchen, but there are also ways to repurpose common household items into essential garden equipment, giving new life to something destined for the trash. This includes taking empty plastic water bottles and repurposing them into clever seed starting trays — a smart beginner DIY that isn't just environmentally-friendly but also budget savvy.

To get started with this quick DIY seed starting tray, all you need is an empty plastic water bottle, a box cutter, and a sharp object to create holes with. Nails are a good choice, but you can also use the box cutter for this step. Since many common seed starting trays are made of plastic, your old water bottle is a perfect solution for germinating seeds on a budget.

With no power tools, DIYers of all skill levels can enjoy this gardening DIY. However, because you'll be using sharp objects, it's important to practice proper safety techniques. When using this DIY, make sure to keep lighting in mind for seed starting, as the clear plastic can increase light exposure.

Once you've gathered your supplies, transforming your water bottle into a DIY seed starting pot takes only a few steps. While individual water bottles work nicely as starter pots, large gallon bottles also transform into affordable pots for larger plants.

Start off by removing the lid, then cutting your water bottle horizontally a few inches from the bottom. You want the top portion to be larger, since that's the part the soil will go in. Hang on to the lid: You'll need that in the next steps. Once the bottom is completely removed, invert the top so that the bottle's mouth is facing down, sitting in the bottom like a funnel in a cup. If you want to increase drainage, use the nail or box cutter to add small holes in the top portion of the water bottle near the mouth. You can control drainage and keep your soil in place by dropping the lid into the top portion once it's inverted. The cap will block the mouth of the water bottle without sealing it off entirely. if either the base is too deep or the body of the planter is too long, trim them to the length you want. The inverted mouth of the water bottle should almost touch the bottom of the reservoir base.

Once you're finished with structuring your bottle, all that's left is to add your soil and seeds. When it comes time to plant your seeds, this handy seed sowing pencil eraser hack makes it easy to achieve the right depth for your seeds. And with that, you've created your very own repurposed water bottle seed starting tray that's perfect for cutting down on waste without sacrificing a garden essential.