From the page: A PET bottle holds more value than it seems
Idea 3
Cut plastic spoon
Cutting plastic spoons and utensils to handle substrate is an old trick of nursery growers and urban gardeners, who have always improvised tools with what they had around. It works because plastic is lightweight, doesn't rot, and has the ideal concave shape for dosing soil without compacting it.
What you need
- Rigid plastic spoons (or a PET bottle cut into a scoop shape)
- Strong scissors or craft knife
- Fine sandpaper or a matchbox edge to smooth the edges
- Permanent marker to mark the cut
How to make it
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1
With the marker, draw the desired shape on the spoon: shallower for picking up seeds, deeper for dosing soil. Rigid plastic cuts cleanly if you mark it first.
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2
Cut with scissors or the craft knife following the marking, rotating the piece so the cut is even on both sides.
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3
Smooth the cut edges with sandpaper — a smooth edge prevents harming fine roots and your hands during transplanting.
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4
Make a few sizes: a small spoon for fine seeds (like lettuce) and a larger one for filling cups with substrate.
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5
Test dosing soil into a cup: the advantage of the spoon is getting the right amount without breaking up the clumps that protect the roots.
Finishing touches
Write the seed names on the handle with a permanent marker to use the spoon as a buried bed marker. If you want a bigger shovel, cut the same shape from the shoulder of the PET bottle, where the plastic is thicker.
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