One creative gardener showed TikTok how a bit of trash can be transformed into something extremely useful for your garden.
Lily (@keeneyacre) shared in a video how she’s using paper towel and toilet paper rolls for the first time to create seed starters.
The scoop
Lily starts off the video with a quick joke, “I’m growing my seeds in garbage,” to draw the viewers in. In reality, she’s taking an everyday recyclable and giving it a second purpose.
@keeneyacre Seed starting with toilet paper rolls. I actually dont know if this will work. But were gonna try it anyways. Even though it might be a disaster. #gardening #beginnergardening #beginnerhomesteader #homesteading #seedstarting #startingseeds #plantingseeds #reuse ♬ original sound – Lily┃Keeney Acre
First, Lily takes several paper towel and toilet paper rolls that she’s saved and cuts them to the size she’s looking for. Then, she makes some small slits at the bottom, so she can enclose it and prevent losing any dirt.
“I think it’s a great way to reuse what you have on hand,” she says.
Lily then fills each roll with the dirt mixture as well as the seeds she’s planting and places them in a plastic container that acts as a mini greenhouse. After a generous water mist, the project is complete.
She said she put her seed starters in a larger greenhouse under the lights but says you can try this in a sunny window, as well. This is great for someone who is living in an apartment and doesn’t have access to a yard, too.
How it’s helping
For many backyard gardeners, seed-starting supplies can add up quickly. By giving a plastic container and some toilet paper rolls a second life, you’re saving money and doing something good for the environment. Plus, you can reuse these makeshift greenhouses season after season, stretching your savings even further.
Single-use plastics like food containers are a major contributor to the growing landfill crisis and plastic pollution in our oceans.
By reusing what we already have, we reduce the amount of waste that needs to be hauled away, buried, or burned, which can pollute our air. Reusing also prevents plastic from breaking down into harmful microplastics that threaten marine life.
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What everyone’s saying
“I do this too,” one commenter exclaimed. “I also reuse salad containers, yogurt cups even things like juice boxes if you cut off the top and put a hole in the bottom.”
This goes to show there are lots of creative ways to make less waste.
So next time you finish a roll of toilet paper or paper towels, think twice before tossing it in the recycling bin. It might just be the perfect home for your next batch of seedlings.
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