— VOA Learning English — Health & Lifestyle Source: Voice of America Learning English (https://learningenglish.voanews.com/) Licence: Public domain (work of the U.S. federal government, 17 U.S.C. §105) Audio is served by the publisher; Budi does not host or modify it.
0:01If you are planning to start growing seeds indoors this season, you probably know what you need – soil, seeds, water, light and containers. Gardening expert for the Associated Press, Jessica Damiano, suggests saving money on the containers. Why buy them when you can use objects that are already in your kitchen? The creative reuse of simple things around the home is called upcycling. The goal is to save money and cut down on waste. Damiano said, If you have a coffee maker that uses plastic pods, they are the right size for starting seedlings. Just remove the paper covering and wash out the coffee grounds. Other small plastic food containers, such as yogurt cups, are good for starting seeds. Egg cartons work well too.
1:15Whatever container you upcycle, make holes in the bottom to let water drain out. You can even make containers for seedlings from sheets of newspaper. Today's newsprint uses soy-based ink. It is considered safe for starting plants that you will eat. Here is how to make a newspaper container. Fold a newspaper page in half lengthwise, then fold it a second time to make a long strip. Next place a small can, like a tomato paste can, along one edge of the newspaper about 5 centimeters from the bottom. Then roll the newspaper tightly around the can to form a cylinder. Fold the extra newspaper in at the bottom of the can. If necessary, use a small piece of tape at the bottom, remove the can and you have a starter
2:28container for your seedlings. Watering the usual way will make the newspaper too The starter containers are only used for the first part of growing seedlings. When they outgrow those first pots, it is time to move them into larger containers. Be careful when moving seeds from small to larger containers – repotting can shock plants. However, if you used newspaper or some other biodegradable material, just plant the small container into the larger one. You might be asking why not just grow the seeds in a big pot? Damiano said the larger pots require a larger amount of potting mix, or soil, which would hold more water than a seedling's young roots can use. That extra water could place seedlings at risk of root rot.
3:46is a common way young plants die. Damiano adds that using smaller containers saves money on special soil. Sterile seed starting mix, which she said is the best choice for seedlings, is more costly than regular potting mix. You will use much less in a smaller container. When repotting young plants, you can use ordinary potting mix in their larger containers. However, Damiano warns to never use ordinary garden soil. It is too dense. Also, it may have pests or germs that could kill or hurt seedlings. I'm Ana Mateo.
This transcript was generated automatically from the recording, so it will contain mistakes — especially around names and places.