As part of our Plant Hope campaign, we are encouraging our customers, whether novice or experienced gardeners, to become more sustainable and to help nature through gardening. Encouraging and teaching children will give them plenty of knowledge and understanding.

So, we gave some of our team a sustainable planting activity for their children/grandchildren to grow at home. They have had fun planting into their egg boxes and are eager for them to grow. It’s amazing to see all their interest and how gardening can bring the whole family together.

Why Not Have A Go With Your Children?

Choose a packet of seeds and have a go at growing your own! Growing seeds in an egg carton is a fun way for children to learn about how a plant grows. The next step is easy – when the seedlings are big enough, the biodegradable cups can be transferred directly into the ground or a larger pot.

What you will need:

A packet of seeds

An egg box (doesn’t matter how big)

Peat-free compost

Garden trowel

Mist sprayer or fine spray watering can

A plate or tray

Optional – crayons, coloured pens or paint to decorate the egg box

Handy Tip: Soaking your seeds in water for 12 to 24 hours before planting them is an age old technique to help them germinate.

Step 1

Decorate your egg box. Use water-based paint, crayons or coloured pens to make your planter look special. This is optional but fun.

Step 2

Using a trowel/spoon, add soil to the individual egg cups. Fill them nearly to the top.

Step 3

Using your finger (or a straw like Albi has here), poke a hole in the soil in the centre of each cup.

Step 4

Place a seed in each hole and cover with soil. Keep hold of the seed packet, you’ll need it later for instructions on how to look after your plant.

Step 5

Place the planted egg box on a tray and give it a spray of water.

Step 6

Keep your planter in a warm and light location, keeping the soil moist by spraying with water every couple of days. Keep a look out for the seedling breaking through the soil, this should happen between 1 and 3 weeks depending on the seeds you have chosen to grow.

Step 7

When your seedling is big enough (check instructions on seed packet) it is ready to be transferred to a larger pot or into the ground. Many vegetables can be grown indoors such as salad leaves, carrots (in a deep pot) or tomatoes.

If you are growing outdoors, it is a good idea to take your planter outside and leave in a shady spot for a day or two

Step 8

Firstly, make sure the egg box is very wet and saturated, by soaking in a tray of water.

Step 9

Using your trowel, dig a hole in the container you are transferring to.

Step 10

Carefully, tear off one of the carton cups, place the whole thing into the soil and cover over. Water your seedling every day to help them grow. Remember to refer to the seed packet for instructions on how to care for your plants and handy tips to ensure you get a good crop.