Why Egg Cartons Are A Smart Addition To Your Flowerpots And Planters

There are many smart ways to use empty egg cartons around your home. If you look outside, you'll find there are also various upcycling ideas for container gardens, flowerpots, and planters. The next time you purchase a carton of eggs in a cardboard or recycled paper container, don't toss it away. Instead, use the biodegradable material to the fullest by repurposing it to boost a container garden's well-being.

Keep in mind that this hack is based on using pulp-based cartons, such as those made of compostable cardboard and paper. Other materials aren't as practical, and should be avoided when filling large plant pots. Plastic doesn't break down for centuries, and Styrofoam can get waterlogged and overwater plants. These materials also contain no nutrients. 

As long as you have the right filler material, like a paper-based egg carton, lining a flowerpot or planter is very straightforward. Cut up the material with a pair of shears or boxcutter, or rip it up by hand if it's weak enough. Soak the pieces in some water, and use them to line the bottom of a plant pot. Once this layer is placed, pile the soil and plant on top. When made entirely of biodegradable material, they take between a few weeks to around six months to decompose. This timeline is perfect for supporting young annual plants, which go through their entire lifecycle in just one year.

As paper-based egg trays break down, they release carbon, an important macronutrient. This element is useful throughout a plant's life, especially when It comes to improving water retention and preserving nutrients in soil. Carbon also promotes microbial activity and improves crop resistance to environmental factors. This is ideal for keeping flowering annuals hearty and healthy, allowing them to bloom with gorgeous flowers when the time comes.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when container gardening is over or under watering. Egg cartons help alleviate this risk in ways aside from boosting carbon levels. The physical egg carton serves as another drainage layer in a pot. It allows excess water to filter out, but keeps soil from falling with it. This directly improves water retention and reduces soil erosion. Proper drainage is essential to ensuring plants get enough water and oxygen, while allowing them to form strong root systems.

Egg trays are ideal for annual plants specifically, because of the one-year growing cycle. Fortunately, there are many great annual plants for container gardens that will benefit from this hack. The carton material should break down within an annual plant's early life, though the exact timeline depends on a number of factors, including the local climate, watering routine, and how small the pieces are. If they have any additional dye, wax, or plastic coatings, this will also cause a delay in the decay.

A compostable egg carton won't take up too much space in pots as they deteriorate and make room for maturing plant roots. This makes it perfect for annuals in starter pots and larger planters. Once the plant has matured and the egg carton has decomposed, it's the perfect time to pot a new young plant, potentially above a freshly chopped egg carton.