I’ll Never Throw Out a Plastic Berry Container Again, Thanks to This Brilliant Trick
Lately I’ve had spring decorating on my mind — especially for the kitchen. I’m not a huge seasonal decorator, but I spend a good deal of time cooking for my large family of seven. I enjoy transitioning my kitchen comforts, as I like to think of them, to match the season. For instance, I switched my kitchen candle from a winter-y balsam fir scent to a citrus and green tea scent. I also recently added a countertop herb garden.
The kitchen is one of the best places to figure out how to reuse items. From zero-cost kitchen storage made from cans of tomatoes to using enchilada sauce bottles as homemade salad dressing containers, kitchen “trash” is pretty useful — and using it in creative ways can help offset the steep price of groceries, at least a little. While scrolling on Instagram, I recently discovered a hack that combined my love of springtime touches and repurposing kitchen items: using a berry container for starting seeds.
The Reel by @the_discogarden makes it seem so simple. Add some soil to an empty berry clamshell, sprinkle in some seeds, top it off with more soil, and voila! You’ve upcycled something you otherwise would’ve tossed into something super cute and useful.
I’ve used berry containers in the past for stashing washed berries in the fridge or in a cooler to keep sandwiches from getting squished, but I never thought to use them for seed-starting. Egg cartons and even eggshells, sure — they’re great because whatever seeds you plant in them can go directly in the garden without taking them out of said vessels (assuming your carton is biodegradable!). The same cannot be said for berry containers, but they have something else going for them — a humid environment, which is ideal for seed germination.
Humidity levels are important during germination, the stage when the seed develops into a seedling, or sprouts. In fact, many seed-starting trays come with humidity domes that trap moisture in the air around the soil where the seeds are planted. Berry containers with their lids mimic the environment of these dedicated seed trays, and they’re perfect for an amateur gardener just trying things out. (Note that once seedlings sprout, humidity should be lowered, so you’ll want to open the lid at this point.)
To use a berry container to start seeds, line the inside with paper towels and fill the container with soil, about half an inch to a quarter inch from the top, depending on how deep the container is. Add the seeds to the soil according to package instructions, water, and then close the lid. Place your seed-starter station in a warm, sunny spot and enjoy the new life taking root in your upcycled project.
This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: I’ll Never Throw Out a Plastic Berry Container Again, Thanks to This Brilliant Trick