Looking to extend the life of your houseplants, or turn your existing plants into more plants? Look no further. A recent TikTok has you covered, with a specific and unique method for getting the most out of your flora — food containers.
The scoop
In discussing how to make a “prop box” (short for propagation box, designed to “propagate,” or breed further plants), TikToker Krystal (@plantswithkrystal) posted a video explaining her simple process for using discarded food containers to help along this propagation process.
@plantswithkrystal Prop it like it’s hot… and make more babies 🌱 Prop boxes are great alternatives to water propagation. The satisfaction of just chucking a node into into a prop box, forgetting about it, and then in weeks you have new growth that you didn’t even think about, is a magical thing. Consider saving those take out containers too and making your own prop box. #propagationbox #propboxes #plantcare #plantythings ♬ original sound – PlantswithKrystal
“Use any container that you have on with the lid,” she says. “Spinach containers from the grocery store, chef’s kiss. Then take the cuttings that you have … leave it to soak [in the container] for about an hour and wring out any of the extra water. Find the nodes of your cutting, and place them in the moss. … Get a little spritz in, [close the box], raise the humidity of the container.”
She continued: “Every week I leave it open for about 10 minutes, and I give it a little [spritz], then I close it and put it back in its space [under a grow light or bright window]. And then before you know it … and with some patience, you’ll have some new growth on your nodes.”
How it’s helping
The benefits of this hack are twofold.
First, it will save you time and energy usually spent on finding a used box or container worth turning into a prop box. It’s not like that’s a very time-consuming activity to begin with, but it can only help.
Secondly, it benefits the environment.
We all learned the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle” growing up, and while it’s certainly catchy, it also encapsulates how you can contribute to environmental conservation.
Repurposing a leftover food container into a plant prop box may not seem like a major decision, but these environmentally conscious lifestyle choices add up over time. Reusing paper and plastic products instead of throwing them out is an active choice to reduce waste, which in turn reduces crowding in landfills and protects oceans from pollution.
Make enough of these choices, and we can make a world of difference to our environments, both local and global.
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What everyone’s saying
Commenters had some questions, but many were simply blown away by the simplicity and cleverness of this trick.
“This is amazing!!!” wrote one user.
“Thank you for showing this!” another response read. “It’s been a mystery to me.”
“Such a great idea!!!! Thank you!” another TikToker exclaimed.
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