Frustrated by the cost of seed starting supplies? Do you wish you could start seedlings for free, and enjoy a bountiful garden without the cost of peat pots and seed-starting mix? Try these tips to start seedlings for free, year after year!
Having a vegetable garden is very much a money-saving proposition, so it's really not too hard to justify the expense of seeds, soil, and a few tidy seed-starting flats. All in all, it might cost what? Maybe $30 every spring, for everything you need to start a garden's-worth of young seedlings. And that garden can easily save hundreds, if not thousands, on the yearly food budget. It's really quite the bargain.
But let's be brutally honest, here. Some years, that $30 for seeds and supplies is hard to come by. I'm sure I'm not the only homesteading Mama who has carefully planned that little buffer into the January or February budget - only to have unforseen circumstances, like a car repair or doctor's bill, make it challenging to pull the trigger on those items anyway. And for those looking to live a self-sufficient lifestyle, spending as little as possible for off-farm expenses is a big part of making that dream a reality. What if we could just cut out that yearly "seed starting" line item entirely?
The great news is, it is absolutely possible to have a fantastic garden year after year - and never spend a cent on starting seedlings. Let's break it down. When it comes to seed-starting, you really just need three things: seeds, containers, and soil. With a little ingenuity, all three can be had without spending a thing.
SEEDS
It's hard to beat the joy of poring over a wonderful heirloom seed catalog - especially if it's during a January blizzard and you're cozy by a good fire. But if you're an heirloom seed junkie like me, it can be a little shocking to add up the total of all the varieties you've circled, by the time you get to the end! Thankfully, with a little work, there are some creative ways to put your hands on quality seeds, without the sticker-shock.
Save your own. The simplest way of having free seeds every year, is to save your own. The International Seed Saving Institute is a wonderful resource, with all the information you need to get started with saving seeds.
Find a seed swap or garden club. "But", you say, "I don't want to save some of every kind of plant each year. That's overwhelming!" Or perhaps you want to try new varieties each year. A great way to accomplish this is through a local seed swap. Say you save a boatload of your favorite heirloom corn and cucumber seeds. You bring plenty with you to trade, and come home with a bounty of tomato, pumpkin, melon, and all manner of other seeds for your garden.
Host a seed swap. Don't have a seed swap near you? Southern Exposure has an excellent guide to starting your own seed swap. Libraries are usually very happy to work with people looking to host a community event like this!
Join an online seed swap. Technically, this doesn't qualify as entirely free, since postage is involved. But it's pretty close to free, and certainly still worth a mention. There are quite a few seed swapping forums online, where people are happy to exchange seeds through the mail. The Garden Web Seed Exchange is one of the most well-established. There are also some Facebook seed swap groups - "The Great American Seed Swap" is a large country-wide group, and there are an increasing number of local groups, so it's worth looking for a Facebook group for your area. It's quite common for members of online seed swaps to offer free seeds, for only the cost of postage. These are generally called "SASE" (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) offers, and by searching within the forum you'll probably see many offers.
CONTAINERS
Containers may be the easiest way to save money on seed-starting. Once you start keeping your eyes open for free containers to start seeds in, you'll notice them everywhere.
Repurposed food containers. So much of the packaging used for food, can work well for starting seeds. These are some of my favorite types to work with:
- Rotisserie chicken containers, like the one filled with basil in the photo above.
- Yogurt cups
- Plastic egg cartons (these are WONDERFUL for starting really tiny seeds)
- Small plastic produce tubs (like the ones mushrooms are packaged in)
- Cherry tomato cartons
Paper recycleables. Try your hand at making your own pots out of newspaper, or the packing paper that's sometimes used in shipping boxes. Jill, over at The Prairie Homestead has a great little tutorial here. You can also use empty toilet paper rolls, or cut paper towel tubes down into several small pots.
Discarded commercial seed flats and pots. Retired seed flats and pots are pretty commonly available at commercial nurseries, and they'll often be happy to give them to you if you ask. Many dumps and transfer stations also have piles of seed flats and plastic pots available for gardeners. Thrift stores are another good place to check. People drop them off along with clothing and household donations, and (at least in my area) the stores generally just put them out free for taking.
When it comes to free containers, this is just a start. There are SO many ways to get creative when finding containers for starting seeds. For even more ideas, check out this excellent post from my friend Sarah, over at The Free Range Life. She's got a huge list of container ideas!
SEED-STARTING MIX:
Honestly, getting a nice light soil mix might be the most challenging part of this. While one could use garden soil, it's really not an ideal medium for seed starting. Seedlings are more prone to dampening off in the heavy mixture, and garden soil also generally contains weed seeds, which germinate and compete with the seedlings you've planted intentionally. The goal is to have a fine, light, seed-free medium with just enough nutrients to help those seedlings get a good start.
Leaf mold and compost. John Walker has a good "buy-nothing" recipe for seed starting mix, and he keeps it really simple. He sieves together a 50/50 mix of leaf mold and compost for his seed starting. I've used his method with absolutely excellent results, and did not find my seedlings prone to disease or dampening off.
British garden journalist Kim Stoddart's free seed-starting recipe calls for equal parts leaf mold, compost, and garden soil.
Now, chances are, you've already got a compost pile. If you've got some good "ripe" compost, then you've got that part take care of. But you'll notice that the other common ingredient in both of these formulas is a little less common - leaf mold. The value of good leaf mold seems a bit more recognized in Europe than it is here, but it's catching on. For tips on getting your own batch of leaf mold going, check out this post from Grower's Supply. It does take a couple of years to make, so in the meantime you can do what Kim Stoddart did (and what I've done), and just dig under the dead leaves in a wooded area, for that fine crumbly layer that's above the soil, and below the leaves. It's crumbly brown magic, and once you work with it, you'll definitely want to get your own leaf mold pile going!
I hope that these suggestions are helpful in reducing or eliminating your seed-starting budget! Do you have other creative ways that you save money on starting your garden each year? I'd love to hear about them!
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Jessie @ This Country Home says
You have so many great tips here! I try & save my containers because they really come in handy in the garden! My mom used to save milk cartoons & cut them in half. To get new seeds, I would also suggest checking with your local library. Our library has a seed library where you can check out seeds for free each year & saving/returning the seeds is optional. Thanks again for a great article!
Anna says
Jessie, what a fantastic library service...checking out seeds! That's a great idea, thanks for the tip! Just checked out your lovely blog by the way - holy cow, those breakfast burritos look amazing! Thanks again for the kind words and great tip!
Marisol says
Thank you for your informative articles! I have pots and I also have the soil/compost. My challenge is I live in Illinois it is super cold. How can I ensure the seeds I plant get enough light and warmth inside to survive long enough till I can plant them outside? Thanks
Anna says
hi Marisol! Thanks so much for the kind comments! Oh, I totally get you about the colder climate - here in Maine we still have plenty of snow on the ground! So, here are my tricks for getting them light and warmth without investing in a grow light (because, well...frugal!) I make use of the window space I have, and during seed starting time, every window that gets enough light gets a table in front of it for holding seed trays. If there's not enough room right in front of a window (there never is!) I rotate the seedlings each day, so that they take turns in the more direct light of the window. Also, I have one of those very inexpensive 4-shelf mini "greenhouses" that you can so often pick up at "big-lot" type stores for about $9 toward the end of spring...I put this near a window as well so it holds a LOT of seedlings with those 4 shelves. Our house is pretty cold, so the more delicate, slower-growing seedlings, I usually use some type of mini-greenhouse for, as they're getting started. I love the rotisserie chicken containers from supermarkets, and even old clear plastic zipper bags that sheets and pillow cases come in, make wonderful mini greenhouses for the more delicate plants - I just set the pots right inside, and zip them up. If you see too much moisture forming inside, you can unzip it during the warmth of the day, and zip it back up at night. I hope some of these ideas get you started - basically, all south-facing window areas in my house look like a ramshackle who-ville garden village from late February-early May. But it works!! ; )
Jackie says
Great post! I was just sitting here thinking about how to scrounge up some extra cash for starting my seeds this year. I'm going to look around my house and see what I can find to re- use!
Alicia Owen says
I like the idea of seed swaps. We need to do better this year about saving our own seeds. Stopping by from the Homesteader Hop.
Anna says
Hi Alicia! Yes - seeds swaps are so much fun! I was so delighted when we first moved, and I found out that one is hosted at our local library every year! Best of luck with your seed-saving endeavors!
Amber Jane says
I can't wait to get started with my seedlings in my Organic Vegetable garden and these tips are great Anna
Anna says
Amber, thanks so much for the sweet comment! I'm glad you found it helpful. I'm so excited that seed-starting time is here, too!! = )
Karen Merhalski says
I love your articles, you always have such good ideas to try!
Anna says
Karen, thank you so much! I really appreciate the sweet comment!!