Keep An Old Plastic Egg Carton To DIY A Clever Plant Propagation Station

The more people get into gardening, the more they realize that it involves some science and experimentation. Thankfully, the stakes are low when it comes to the trial-and-error nature of gardening, and the exploration can be quite rewarding, too. The next time you try your green thumb at propagation, ditch the traditional pot and tuck cuttings into a plastic egg carton instead. The individual wells for holding eggs keep everything contained and tidy, and are perfect for nurturing each potential new plant.

If you've never tried propagating a plant, you're in for a fun ride. The process involves taking a part of a plant — typically a leaf, stem, or root — and using that to grow a new one. Some plants only need a little bit of water to propagate, while others may require soil. Succulents are among the easiest houseplants to propagate, requiring only a single leaf.

There are some basic rules to follow when cutting a plant. One of the most important tips is to make sure you are working with clean and disinfected gardening tools. This ensures that you're not transferring any diseases from one plant to another.  Also, always cut right below a leaf node, typically where a leaf is growing from a stem. You can also identify a node by looking for a tiny nub, the widening of a stem, or an aerial root, depending on the plant. It's essential for your cutting to contain a node because that's where new roots will emerge. 

To grow a cutting in water, poke holes into the top half of the carton, directly over each individual well. This gives the plant room to grow, as seen in a TikTok video posted by @bellewang167, who grew green onions in an egg carton. You can also use this technique on houseplants like pothos (Epipremnum aureum), spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), and inch plants (Tradescantia), among others. Fill the bottom half of the carton with water, top off the water level, and change out the water every three to five days.

@bellewang167

Don't throw away your egg cartons anymore. You can have an endless supply of green onions. #fyp #lifehacks #eggcarton #keeprecycling♻️

♬ Anxiety – Doechii

A plastic egg carton acts as a mini greenhouse, which is great for plant cuttings that need humidity. To boost this effect, loosely wrap the carton in a plastic bag, but keep the foliage from touching the plastic. Give the cuttings at least four to six hours of bright, indirect light. 

The egg carton is also an ideal station for propagating succulents — whether single leaves or 2- to 3-inch cuttings. Use a similar method to the one used to grow green onions, but this time placing the succulents into soil once the cuttings have callused over. If you're working with succulent leaves, no medium is necessary until roots appear. Simply place the leaves into the carton and wait for roots to grow. Don't close the carton, since succulent leaves don't need humidity. Once roots appear, fill the wells with moist soil and lay the leaves horizontally on top so that the roots can take hold as new plants form.