Starting seeds indoors is always a good way to get a jump on the growing season and ensure that your plants will be healthy, hardy, and vigorous. How you start your seeds is a matter of preference, but lots of gardeners recommend using egg cartons for the purpose. Just as many warn against it!
So what’s the straight answer? The truth is that egg cartons, the right ones, are ideal for starting your seeds! They can give you the ideal combination of affordability, flexibility, and easy transplanting that will start your growing season off on the right foot.
I recommend them to everyone, and in the rest of this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about using them. Pull out those seeds, and we will get to it.
First, Pick the Right Carton
The first tip I can give you is possibly the most important: you only want to use paper egg cartons for starting your seeds.
Only paper is biodegradable, but plastic and foam cartons are not. As we will learn soon, paper has many advantages aside from being eco-conscious.
Though you can use plastic egg cartons with good results, you’ll always have to remove your seedlings and transplant or repot them, which can disrupt their growth or even hurt them.
Foam egg cartons are just a no-go for our purposes, so avoid them entirely.
Pros of Egg Cartons for Seed Starting
Time to get down to brass tacks. Why are egg cartons good for starting your seeds? I’ve got a list of considerations for you below.
They’re Sustainable
Paper egg cartons are highly sustainable. Simply made from a cardboard-like processed paper, they break down quickly, adding carbon and other nutrients to the soil and dissolving away to nothing in short order.
This means you can put them right in the ground without worries of causing contamination or leaving litter that will be there for countless years.
It’s good for your property, and also good for the planet!
They’re Super Cheap
If you eat a lot of eggs like I do, you won’t have to pay anything for these cartons. You’ll just have to save them! If you go through just two cartons of eggs a month, and you might go through many more, you’ll have 48 awesome seed-starting containers at the end of a year.
They’re Convenient
If you haven’t used them before, it’s hard to overstate just how convenient and useful paper egg cartons are for starting seeds. They’re easy to move, the perfect size for many veggies, herbs, and ornamentals, and even easier to transplant. Ultimately, they will save you effort, time, and aggravation as a gardener.
They Make Transplanting a Snap
Far and away the single best attribute of paper egg cartons. When it’s time to repot or transplant your seedlings, whether they are ready to go outdoors or staying indoors, you don’t need to do anything except dig a little hole and set the cardboard “cell” holding the seedling into the soil.
That’s right: no digging out a fragile seedling, no worrying over transplant shock, and no fears of nicking or damaging roots which will result in stunted growth or even the loss of your plant. Simply put, they are perfect for the job, working just like a miniature biodegradable seedling pot.
They Are Awesome for Plants That Are Sensitive to Transplant Disturbance!
If you grow anything that struggles to thrive after you get it transplanted, I urge you to reach for egg cartons.
Root vegetables, squash, pumpkins, peas, beans, okra, and more are just a few examples, but if you remove the necessity of popping them out of their starting container and disturbing those incredibly sensitive roots, you’ll have far fewer failures.
Like I said above, you’ll bury your started seeds with the individual egg carton cells; no removal required!
Cons of Egg Cartons for Seed Starting
Now, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows when starting seedlings in an egg carton. They do have some drawbacks, though these are minimal. Review the following, and I’ll tell you how to minimize them.
Not Good for Plants with Deep Root Systems
Obviously, egg carton cells are not very deep. Even compared to the smallest seed-starting pot, they are quite shallow – about 2 inches – and this means they are better for germinating seeds rather than getting seedlings going properly for planting later on in the season.
Root vegetables, tomatoes, and any other plant that has deeply reaching roots will need careful tending and early repotting to stop them from becoming root-bound.
You’ll Need to Water More Often
A small volume of soil also means that less net moisture is retained, and it will be absorbed and evaporated more quickly by the seedling. You’ll need to water more often while remaining careful not to overwater, and that can be annoying. There are, though, some easy workarounds for this I’ll tell you about in later sections.
Sometimes They Fall Apart
Paper egg cartons are great because they fall apart, but sometimes they fall apart too easily or too quickly! If you reuse cartons that got too damp, or you just have some that are made cheaper than cheap, they might crumble. That will let soil and, ruinously, the seeds tumble out!
They Can Be Messy
Egg cartons work great for holding eggs, but with the lids off, they are pretty shallow. This means it’s easy for dirt to spill out of them, and that can make a mess in the area where you have them parked in your home. Not to worry, I’ve got an easy fix for that too.
Mold Can Be an Issue
With some paper egg cartons, mold can be an issue. For whatever reason, some types/brands just seem susceptible to mold formation if they get the least bit soggy. In my experience, though, this typically only occurs when people store their collected cartons when they are damp or wet in the first place; let them dry out before you stash them and you should have no issues.
Still, it’s good to know before you go all in. Test your chosen brand of carton by repeatedly soaking one and letting them dry out well prior to the planting season. If you notice mold forming, maybe get a different brand! If mold only forms on them after they have soil or potting mix in them, the spores are coming from the soil and not the carton!
How to Start Your Seeds Right
It doesn’t get much easier than this. First, cut the lid off of the carton so it doesn’t get in the way. Then take a sharp tool like a skewer and poke a few holes in the bottom to facilitate drainage. Keep the holes small, about 3/8 of an inch, to reduce soil loss.
To start your seeds, simply put a spoonful or two of your potting mix or other substrate in the individual cells, not quite up to the rim, then plant a few seeds to the prescribed depth in each individual cell.
Remember, always plant more than one because even the best seeds will fail to germinate sometimes. You can pinch off or prune back the weakest ones once they’ve established themselves. Then keep the soil moist and, if necessary, cover the carton to help keep the seedlings a little warmer and retain moisture.
More Tips for Success with Egg Cartons
Store Them Right Until You Need Them
It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference. As you are collecting your egg cartons over the months, getting them ready for future starting, store them right. This means keep them in a cool, dry place. Moisture is the enemy here because it can lead to mold and cause your cartons to crumble.
Maintain Good Drainage
It’s easy to forget about once you’ve punched those holes, but soil that stays overly moist will be disastrous for your little seeds.
Because the paper of the carton tends to warp and, sometimes, close up with successive waterings, don’t be afraid to lift them up and check that those holes are still open. Punch a couple of extras if needed.
Consider “Tenting” Your Cartons
I mentioned above that you’ll need to water your egg carton seeds more often because the smaller volume of soil will dry out more quickly. One thing you can do to overcome this is tent the carton using a clear plastic cover, plastic bag, or similar material that will still let light in.
Use a skewer, chopstick, or something similar to hold up the plastic covering by making a “tentpole” in the middle of the carton and on either end, and then drape the material over it. Secure it to the poles and to the edges of the carton on two sides with tape if needed. Just make sure you can still get under it easily so you can water and tend to your seeds!
This also helps keep the seeds a little bit warmer, which can be helpful in colder regions or if you have them in a drafty spot of your home.
Stick a Tray Under Them
Don’t forget to set your cartons on a tray of some kind to catch any soil that spills out, along with water that might drain away. As detailed above, spills tend to be a little bit more frequent with egg cartons compared to other seed-starting containers.
Ready to Plant? Cut Them Up
When it’s time to repot or transplant, don’t do anything silly; grab a sharp pair of scissors or kitchen shears and cut away the individual cells. This works far more reliably, and easily, compared to trying to tear them off. Also resist the urge to stick the whole egg carton in the ground; your seedlings won’t be properly spaced if you do that.
Be Ready to Repot for Deep-Rooting Plants
Remember how I said that deep-rooted veggies and ornamentals need a little extra care if you’re going to start them in egg cartons? All that means is that you must be ready to repot when the time comes. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that they will become root-bound, and that can seriously impact their long-term prospects.
Luckily, repotting is a snap: just cut away the individual cells, dig a small hole in a larger pot or other container that’s about the size of the cell, plant, and care for as normal. You don’t need to scoop them out as long as the carton is paper!
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Tom has lived and worked on farms and homesteads from the Carolinas to Kentucky and beyond. He is passionate about helping people prepare for tough times by embracing lifestyles of self-sufficiency.