And it’ll get even cheaper…..

Yes, it will be cheaper if you use what comes with your take out food: containers, cups, chopsticks, knives, spoons, extra napkins.  You can calculate the cost saving yourself.

Cups:  I love them.  They are perfect for protecting your small plants from cutworms and slugs once you cut the bottoms off and use them as collars around your seedlings.  The birds won’t pick on your seedlings and the doves won’t sit and sunbathe on them either.  If you know that the place you’re getting food from offers plastic cups, ask for them extras- one or two at a time would suffice.  The one with ridges from the bottom up is even better; you will know exactly where to cut the bottom off.

I usually cut an inch and a half off and use the bottom as shallow cups to keep seeds dry and organized or to soak when starting them.  Stick the cut off upper part of the cup in the ground, bottom down, with your seedling in the middle.  They generally last for only one season since weathering will naturally break them down.  Paper cups will also work well.

Chopsticks:  Most Asian food vendors offer chopsticks with your order.   This extra usage of chopsticks is only if you are good with them.  If you’re a novice you may want to practice before using them with your seedlings (you don’t want to crush the seedling, think writers cramp).   Try picking up a grain of rice.  When you can do that easily you’ve graduated.   You can use one stick to make a hole in the ground to drop a seed in.  Mark you stick with Sharpie at 1” and  1.5”…  so you know the depth of the hole.

I start some of my seedlings between damp sheets of paper towels.  When I see  a little root protruding, I transfer them to the soil.  In the past I just dropped them in the soil with my fingers, and many times the roots would stick up in the air instead of down in the ground.  I had to take time to adjust it to the right position.  With chopsticks, I no longer have to do that.  I can easily place my seedings in the right position.  Saves me a lot of time and doesn’t bruise the seedlings.

Chopsticks are also good for thinning the seedlings.  I used to get on my hands and knees, with tweezers, to pull them out.   Now, I sit comfortably and use the chopsticks to pull them out….and many times I’ll pop it right into my mouth, ..but only the green leafy part.

These are just a couple of practical usages of what comes with a take out order and it’s economical too. More to come on food containers.