How To Make a Super-Cool Citrus Planter

One of the best ways to tend to your garden and give back to the earth is to re-purpose existing plants after they’ve died. One way to do this is through composting (leaving dead plant materials to decompose and transfer their nutrients to the soil), but this can be rather boring to watch.

A better way to see the process of giving back to the earth in action is to start new seeds within plants that have already expired. All you need is a fruit with a sturdy rind – a citrus fruit such as an orange or lemon, perhaps, or even an avocado – as well as the seeds you wish to grow. By using the rind as the outside rim of a teeny-tiny “planter”, you can create a little home for the next generation of sprouts, replenished by the nutrients from the citrus peel. Once the sprouts outgrow their humble abodes, just drop them in your garden or raised bed so that they can grow even larger.

Materials

• 1 Medium-to-large hand fruit (lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, avocado, etc)
• 1 Knife
• 1 Spoon
• 1 Pencil

Method

1. Gather your fruit and choose the size based on your intended seeds, which should fall in proportion to the size of the fruit (a pineapple peel will be too large for a tiny basil seed, for instance, while a watermelon seed might be too huge for a lemon).
2. Cut the fruit in half horizontally, and hollow it out with a spoon, scoop, or knife (make sure not to get citrus juice in your eyes!)
3. Poke a hole on the bottom of the container with a knife or pencil. This will provide a means for water to drain.
4. When the sprouts are mature and robust, it’s time to replant them – just bury your little parcel in the ground.

Remember: This is just a temporary home for your new plants! Even the tiniest of specimens need plenty of room in which to spread their their roots and prosper. In the meantime, there’s no better way to enjoy the early stages of your garden’s life than with a bright, cute little fruit planter.