Upcycle Food Containers As Little Greenhouses

Next time you have food containers from fresh berries or even cookies, don’t toss them out. You can upcycle food containers as little greenhouses. They work really well!

Upcycle Food Containers As Little Greenhouses

There are so many types of different plastic food containers that work for little greenhouses. No need to toss them in the trash or to buy special seed starter trays.

Here are a few types of food containers you could use as greenhouses.

• Fresh Strawberry Containers
• Blackberry Containers 
• Fresh Blueberry Containers
• Bakery Cookie Packaging
• Plastic Rotisserie Chicken Container Package
• Cupcake Packaging
• Bakery Cake Packaging
• Dispabolse Pie Pans With Lids
• Take Out Packaging With Clear Lids

The list of ideas is really endless. Those are just a few options to get you started. You can pretty much use any type of container that can hold soil and has a clear lid to go over the top.

This is such a great way to jump-start your seeds in the spring when it is still to cold to plant. You can give them a nice head start and not have to have a greenhouse garden or take up space in the house with grow lights.

How To Use Food Containers As Greenhouses:

First thing you need to do is remove the stickers/labels from the packaging. They could be left on, but they do reduce the light that is let in so it is better to remove them.

Most will peel right off. But if they don’t, you can use things like natural glue remover to get the remaining part of the sticker/adhesive off.

After you have the labels all removed, the next step will depend on the container you are using. If you are using something like a fresh berry container you don’t need to do anything as they already have little slights in the plastic.

However, if you are using something like cookie packaging or anything that is solid with no slits, you need to make a few. Simply take some scissors or utility knife and make a few holes/slits along the bottom sides.

They don’t need to be huge, just enough to allow the excess water to drain out.

Adding Dirt & Seeds:

Now you can move on to adding your dirt or soil medium to the containers. Simply fill the container up with your soil. For things like cookie packaging, you may need to flip it over so you are filling whichever is the deepest side with dirt.

After you have your soil in, make small dimples in the dirt with your finger and then place your seeds in the dimple. Plant at the recommended depth of your package.

Cover the seeds with soil and wet the soil with water. Then close the lid and place in a sunny area. Check every few days to make sure the soil is still moist. If not, give it another light watering.

Depending on the seed you planted, you should see them start to pop through the soil in just a few days.

Opening The Top & Transplanting:

After your seedlings have popped through the soil, keep a close eye on them. Just before they touch the top of the plastic, that is when it is time to open the container.

If you leave them too long and allow them to touch the plastic top, it can burn your seedlings. 

Continue to water them and keep them in the container until they are about four inches tall or so. You do need to make sure you keep the soil moist in this critical growing period. If you don’t, they can experience shock and die off.

After that, you can carefully divide them out of the container and plant them in pots or the garden just as you would any other plants.

Reuse The Containers More Than One Time:

Depending on the type of container or plastic it is made of, you can reuse it over and over. Some plastics to start to break down after a little while in the sun, so those you may have to trash/recycle if that starts to happen.

However, most of them will work for at least a few times as a greenhouse. That way you can get as much use out of it as you can.

If you like this idea, be sure to check out my page for Ways To Reuse Everyday Items.