I make about two hundred seed starter pots for under five dollars! I'd like to share my method of starting seeds using an item that most people throw out, it's so quick and easy everyone should try it. The only purchased item I use is a bag of vermiculite. Other materials needed are a foil cake/pie pan or plasticware container and empty paper rolls from paper towels and t.p.
Press down on the tubes, smashing them flat, then cut them in strips roughly 2" wide (creating rings about 2" tall). After cutting all of the rolls fold them flat on the opposite side, turning the circle shaped bands into squares. And fill your container with the squares.
Pour your potting soil or dirt in the square pots. I use vermiculite, a lightweight non-nutritive potting agent that when kept warm and moist is a great substrate for undersoil germination. Then, just level the verm or soil off level so you can see the square dividers. Lay out your seeds two per pot and top each off with another sprinkle of earth. Since I ended up with 40 squares in my pan I chose to plant 8 pots each of 5 different plants. Be sure you frequently mist or gently water well and keep in a warm place for a few days, and covering with plastic wrap or foil will help to keep moisture in. I kept mine on a shelf above the water heater.
Its been about five days now, I didn't expect much yet but the Mugwort and Indian Tobacco have sprouted up! This weekend I'm going to start veggies in the same manner. When the plants are ready and the weather is stable I will be transplanting directly into prepared hay bales, I'm working on a tek detailing that process to share with you when the time comes. As always, I took my own photos. Thanks for sharing your day with me, see you again.