Recycle your toilet and kitchen roll cardboard tubes by turning them into biodegradable plant cells to raise seeds.
Gardeners are conscious of the amount of plastic pots and propagation trays they use and being a thrifty bunch, this method not only reduces our cost and plastic use but recycles general household waste.
They are also handy to store as they can pack flat until needed. However, make sure to keep them indoors or in a solid container to avoid giving mice free nest building material!
We have used these cardboard cells to start our peas and beetroot seeds.
Each toilet roll tube has been cut in half to make two smaller tubes. These are then filled with moist but not soggy compost, firming it gently against the palm of the hand to stop it falling out of the base.
Our seed tray holds about 21 of these tubes and we are growing our peas and beetroot by multi sowing in each module. About two pea seeds and three beetroot seeds to each.
After about ten to fifteen days, the young plants will be large enough to plant out into their final positions by just planting the whole cardboard tube. It will naturally biodegrade into the soil as the plants mature.
More details about multi sowing can be found in Charles Dowding video below.