AeroGarden growing kits have been popular for some time now. The complete kit offers you access to seed pods, growing tools, and much more. However, not everyone can afford expensive kits.
AeroGarden products may also be unavailable in some regions. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about it. This is because you can easily make seed pods at home and enjoy growing various plants. But, how to make seed pods?
You might wonder how many seeds you should put in your AeroGarden pods, here is an article I wrote that answers this question for you.
Keep reading on to find out how to make your own seed pods at home.
How To Make Seed Pods (DIY AeroGarden Seed Pods)?
Let’s explore how you can do it yourself and make seed pods. You will save and help protect the environment by learning to make your seed pods.
Here are the steps to making seed pods at home. Here is an excellent YouTube video tutorial on how to make seed pods at home.
1- Prepare All The Supplies
You will require various items to make seed pods similar to the ones you will encounter in an AeroGarden kit. Remember that many of the actual seed pod parts are reusable, including the grow baskets and the grow domes.
Here are the supplies you will require:
Material Needed To Make Seed Pods:
You could reuse the seed pod caps of your older kit if you bought one. If you don’t have that, you can use whatever item is suitable for you.
Aluminum trays are small in size and essential for baking. You can easily find various options on Amazon. The other materials are most likely to be present in your home already.
2- Cut The Trays
Cutting aluminum trays to the right size is essential for making seed pods. You should cut long pieces so that you can form a circular shape from them. Typically, you need to create a structure similar to store-bought seed pods.
You must also decide the foil side on which you will cut the holes. This is because the other side will become sharp. So you will not be able to reverse the process and may end up wasting the foil.
Typically, you should make tiny slits at the bottom to allow easy folding. It is advisable to fold the piece where the rib is bent. Form the circular shape carefully when rolling because the foil will be sharp.
Finally, you should fold the tips down the area you made the cuts. Fold it all the way but ensure some space is left. This will help with putting down the aluminum foil.
3- Cut The Aluminum Cylinders With A Knife
Now you must use a knife to form slits on your rolled aluminum cylinders. This step is essential if you want to water your seed pods easily. Make the slit from the top to the seed pod’s bottom.
Once the hole is formed, you can curl and push it downwards. Be sure to do this smoothly and avoid bending the edges. Otherwise, you will have to make a high effort, and the holes will not be correct. With this step, all the risky work will finish.
4- Add The Sponge To The Seed Pod
One regular sponge will give you at least four small sponges after cutting the item. You should do this with every standard piece and add the small sponges to your seed pod. The size of every piece should be three-quarters after cutting.
You will also have to make a few more holes in the sponge before adding it to the pod. The first one will be the primary one that you must make on the top for seeds. You can use a screwdriver to make the hole and reach halfway in.
After the primary hole, you must poke the sides to make secondary holes. These are necessary for the roots to ensure they can spread without any issue. Be sure to reach the main hole when poking from the sides and work on a hard surface to avoid hurting yourself.
5- Check If The Sponge Fits
When you are done making holes, you must check if the sponge will fit the pod. You may have to push the item a bit if you have cut the correct size. However, if the sponge is too large, you must trim it using scissors or a knife.
If you don’t forcibly insert a large sponge into the pod, you will not be able to take it out without damaging the pod. This is why it is essential to trim in this step only instead of waiting.
You should also add seeds to the sponge before inserting. This will make the next steps easier.
6- Expand The Holes
The slits or holes must be widened after adding the sponge to the pod. This technique will allow nutrients and water to reach the seeds easily. You must also keep the bottom part open.
This will enable excess water to drip down instead of accumulating. So you can avoid overwatering the seeds.
7- Make Covers For The Pod
Now you must use aluminum foil to create a cover for your seed pod. You can do this by cutting a large square. The piece should be suitable for covering the pod’s top completely.
After covering, you must fold the foil edges to ensure the piece stays in place. Then, make a hole in the middle of your cover on the top side. This will enable the seeds to grow upwards in a stable position.
8- Cover The Pod With Caps
This is the final step in the how-to-make seed pods process. You should take the seed pod caps and use them to cover the pod. If you’re using pieces from your previous kit, they will fit accurately.
However, the size may be too big if you make new caps at home. You can avoid the issue by bending the pieces until they fit. The best part about thin foil is that it does not break easily, making it a good material for homemade seed caps.
See also: Top 12 Advantages And Drawbacks Of Using Oasis Cubes.
An Easier Option is To Buy the Already Grow Anything Kit Aerogarden
Making your own seeds pod might be time-consuming, and if you are short on time you go for an already made grow anything kit made by Aerogarden.
Aerogarden sells a “Grow Anything Kit” with sponges, plastic cages, dome covers, and plant food. Aerogarden generally germinates quicker than regular seedling trays under traditional grow lights.
Remember that generally, vegetables germinate faster and healthier, including jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, habanero peppers, and scotch bonnet peppers.
How To Make Seed Pods Easily?
Replicating the AeroGarden seed pods with the earlier process can be time-consuming. If you don’t have specific needs, you can use this easy method to make seed pods within a few minutes:
- Create fertile soil using shredded napkin pieces.
- Add the pieces to a bowl and pour water on the pulp
- Allow the napkin mixture to soak and strain the liquid
- Make sure to choose moist condition when straining and not wet
- Add the moist mixture to cupcake trays in small quantities to form discs
- You should also sprinkle seeds of your preference when the disc is still moist to form the pod
- Let the pod air dry.
After drying, you can set the pods in your different flower pots with soil. Watering the discs will allow the seeds to sprout and help you grow new plants.
Seed pods are an excellent idea for both grownups and kids to learn how to garden. Watch the video below to learn how to make seed pods.
Final Thoughts
This is your complete guide on how to make seed pods. The comprehensive method is mainly suitable for those with AeroGarden needs. It will help you save money because the process does not require buying expensive materials.
So you don’t have to worry if you cannot afford an AeroGarden kit. The method will offer the same results. Carefully following the instructions outlined in this blog post will increase your chance of success.
You can also go with an AeroGarden kit as it is less time-consuming and does not require much effort. However, you will just need to meet your plant requirements.
