Nature’s little seed pots

Eggshells make cute enviro-friendly seed pots. When your seedlings have grown, simply crack the shell a bit more and pop them straight in the garden, shell and all. Vegetables, flowers, herbs and even trees can be started this way. The eggshell will slowly decompose in the soil, feeding nutrients to your plants. Rip the egg carton apart and put it in your worm farm or compost heap.

1 Crack your eggs carefully. If there is more than half of the shell intact there is more room for potting mix, but half shells work too.

2 Place the eggshells in a carton and use a spoon to fill them with damp seed raising mix.

3 Sow your seed. For big seeds like peas, one seed per eggshell is enough. For tiny seeds you your fingers to sprinkle a pic of seeds into each shell. (Read the instructions on your seed packet.)

4 Place the carton in a warm sheltered place. A window sill works well, but make sure it’s not too hot! 5 Using a mist spray bottle filled with water, lightly mist every couple of days to keep the mix moist. Take care not to overwater, as there are no drainage holes in the egg shells.

6 Once your seedlings have emerged, you can use scissors to carefully snip the smallest ones off, giving more space for the strongest seedling to grow. 7 When your seedlings have at least two sets of leaves (the first leaves, which are called ‘cotyledons’ plus the first set of ‘true’ leaves) it's time to plant it out into the garden or into a larger pot. Gently crush the base of the shell and make some holes for the roots to growth through.