Earth Month Day 16: Free Tree on Earth Day from Lowe's!

Planting a tree is one of the best things you can do on Earth Day and Lowe's is making this even easier by offering a FREE TREE on Earth Day, April 23 for their "This Tree is One in a Million" program.  All you have to do is stop by your local Lowe's that day and pick up your tree - then take it home and plant it!
For more details and to find the Lowe's nearest you, go to Lowe's Website

*~ Sprout ~*

Earth Month Day 15: Eco Friendly Seed Starting Project

Last weekend we started some of our vegetable seeds and instead of buying the little seed-starting pots, we decided to reuse our egg cartons, since they are the perfect size.  It's super easy to get your seeds started AND be eco-friendly!This is a GREAT project for kids!  First, get some organic potting soil and organic seeds so you know there will be no chemicals in your veggies.  If you can't get them at your local plant store or nursery, you can get them through Amazon.com at great prices and have them shipped in just a few days (2-days if you have Amazon Prime Membership - click the highlighted text for more info). 

I like to start my tomatoes, peppers, peas and carrots early to give them a boost towards their harvest dates and I also got my herbs and radishes started early. Radishes can grow in cooler temps so they are a perfect early spring seed!  Radishes and Basil both sprout quickly so they are great for impatient kids!! (and adults!)

To get your "recycled" seed starter ready, simply cut the top of the egg carton off to allow light to get into the seeds.  Fill the egg holders with soil all the way to the top - soil will condense when you tap down the planting and add water.  Next poke a shallow planting hole with your finger in the center of each dirt area - the depth should be according to planting instructions on the see packets - usually it's about 1/8" - 1/4" for most veggies.

Next - sprinkle a few seeds into each depression.  Usually 3 - 5 seeds is plenty to ensure that you have at least a few sprouts per planter but too many will overcrowd the planters and will require more water and quicker transplanting.  If you plant more than one type of seed in each egg carton, you can label the pots with a sharpie marker or make mini-plant labels with cardboard and toothpicks!

Next - sprinkle some soil on top of the seeds just to cover lightly, then tap down lightly to firm up the soil.  Then it's time to water!  Go lightly with water at first, just to allow the water to absorb into the fresh soil.  We use a water spray bottle and spray at a distance so as not to disturb the freshly planted seeds.  You can add more water in a few minutes after it has soaked in, making sure the soil is consistently moist.  Moisture and temperature are very important for seeds to sprout!

Finally, close the egg carton and cover entire thing with plastic - to make this totally recycled, we reused our veggie bags from Whole Foods, which are the perfect size and opacity, and slide the entire egg carton into the bag - allowing for some air to circulate.  Place in a bright window sill and check on them every day, spritzing them with more water to keep them moist.  The plastic will help to keep the soil and seeds moist but make sure there is some air movement so mold doesn't form.  When the seedlings are about and inch tall, you can carefully transplant them into the garden (if it is warm enough) or into larger containers to encourage good root growth before transplanting into the garden.

Happy Planting!

*~ Sprout ~*

PS - Don't forget to enter the Earth Day Giveaway!!  Low entries still...

http://sprout5.blogspot.com/2011/04/earth-month-day-8-seventh-generation.html

Earth Month Day 14: Why Go Green By the Numbers

I recently read an article on Treehugger's website that I thought I would share - this will really make you think about the impacts we are having on our planet and why going green really does matter!


Source: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/how-to-green-why-to-go-green.php


Why to Go Green: By the Numbers


•1 pound per hour: the amount of carbon dioxide that is saved from entering the atmosphere for every kilowatt-hour of renewable energy produced.

•60 percent: the reduction in developmental problems in children in China who were born after a coal-burning power plant closed in 2006.

•35 percent: the amount of coal's energy that is actually converted to electricity in a coal-burning power plant. The other two-thirds is lost to heat.

•2.5 percent: the percentage of humans' carbon dioxide emission produced by air travel now, still making it the largest transportation-related greenhouse gas emitter.

•5 percent: the percentage of the world's carbon dioxide emissions expected to be produced by air travel by the year 2050.

•1.5 acres: the amount of rainforest lost every second to land development and deforestation, with tremendous losses to habitat and biodiversity.

•137: the number of plant, animal and insect species lost every day to rainforest deforestation, equating to roughly 50,000 species per year.

•4 pounds, 6 ounces: the amount of cosmetics that can be absorbed through the skin of a woman who wears makeup every day, over the period of one year.

•61 percent: the percentage of women's lipstick, out of the 33 tested, found to contain lead in a test by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

•36: the number of U.S. states that are anticipating local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013.

•1 out of 100: the number of U.S. households that would need to be retrofitted with water-efficient appliances to realize annual savings of 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 80,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

•3 trillion: the number of gallons of water, along with $18 billion, the U.S. would save each year if every household invested in water-saving appliances.

•64 million tons: the amount of material prevented from going to landfill or incineration thanks to recycling and composting in 1999.

•95 percent: the amount of energy saved by recycling an aluminum can versus creating the can from virgin aluminum. That means you can make 20 cans out of recycled material with the same amount of energy it takes to make one can out of new material. Energy savings in one year alone are enough to light a city the size of Pittsburgh for six years.

•113,204: the number, on average, of aluminum cans recycled each minute of each day.

•3: the number of hours a television set can run on the energy saved from recycling just one aluminum can.

•40 percent: the percentage of energy saved by recycling newsprint over producing it from virgin materials.

Sources: Consumer Reports, Environmental Health Perspectives, Raintree Nutrition, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and EPA Water and EPA Recycling, Worldwatch Institute, Energy Information Administration, Ready, Set, Green, Earth911.org, The Telegraph, Yahoo! News

Earth Month Day 13: Whole Foods 30 Ways in 30 Days

Whole Foods is helping you to be more Eco Friendly this month with their 30 Ways in 30 Days month long celebration.  You can test your green knowledge with their trivia quizzes (even I have a few things to learn from these quizzes!), download their calendar packed with something green to do each day of the month, use their earth month shopping list to help you make better choices when grocery shopping, and learn more about their featured Green products.

Check out these goodies and more at: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/earthmonth/

Also, read their great Blog - The Whole Story - packed with great ideas!

*~ Sprout ~*

Earth Month: Day 12 - Simple recycling idea for plastic forks

Do you have plastic forks from take out/delivery food?  Here is a great idea to recycle them - use them for plant tags!  My kids and I planted seeds yesterday and made our own plant tags with recycled cardboard (from my Tazo Tea box).  My son wrote the names on the tags (he's 4 and just learning to write) and we set them inside of the fork tongs, stuck them into the pots and Voila!  Now we know what seeds we planted!
Note: you can do the same with the plastic spoons and knives too by writing the plant names on the plastic with a Sharpie marker.

Happy Recycling!
*~ Sprout ~*

Earth Month: Day 11 - More Eco-friendly Seed Starting Supplies

If you are getting antsy to start your outdoor gardens, make sure you have the right eco-friendly tools to Green Your Gardening Routine! Here are some great things to have (click on any of the items for more info or to buy):
eco friendly gardening

















Organic Seeds:













For the kids:














Don't forget about my Earth Day Giveaway!  Make sure to leave a comment to enter
http://sprout5.blogspot.com/2011/04/earth-month-day-8-seventh-generation.html

*~Sprout~*

Earth Month: Day 10 - Get Ready to Plant

Reuse household trash to start your spring sprouting!

A few nice warm sunny days in the early spring is all it takes for many people to start itching to plant or start seeds.  I got my herbs started several weeks ago as I am impatient to have fresh basil again!  If you have a sunny window it's easy to grow herbs and start many seeds indoors.  You don't even need to have fancy pots or specialty "seed starting" boxes or kits - there are many things you can reuse to start seeds - here is a short list:

• plastic jugs (like half-gallon milk jugs) - just cut the top off and pierce a few small holes at the bottom; you can also use the top part as a scoop for your dirt!  No waste here!
• yogurt cups/containers
• egg cartons - perfect for seedlings that you plan to transplant outdoors
• egg shells - when using eggs for cooking, gently break only the top part of the shell with a sharp knife to keep most of the shell in tact, wash it out well, let dry.  These are also perfect to start seeds then they can be planted - shell and all! into your outdoor garden
• cans - any cans like empty coffee cans, cleaned out food cans, even soda cans - just make sure to punch holes in the bottom for drainage
• take out coffee cups
• you can even create little seedling pouches by making soil balls using old shirts, cut into small circles or squares, then place dirt inside and enclose bundle by tying with string or twine.  Cut a small area out and plant seeds.
• To keep the soil moist to promote better seedlings, reuse your plastic bags or zip lock bags - I find that old zip lock bags (large or small) work really well to create a mini-greenhouse by fitting them over the top of planters
• You can also get creative and decorate your containers - get the kids involved - have fun!

Get some more ideas from Greenopolis: http://greenopolis.com/goblog/canarsiebk/5-household-items-you-can-reuse-start-seeds

*~Sprout~*

Earth Month Day 9: Pretty Little Reusable Shopping Bags!

So Much Prettier (and Friendlier) than any plastic bags!

Several years ago a friend brought me back a gift from Paris - a tiny nylon pouch that opened up into a beautiful orange reusable shopping bag.  I had switched to reusable bags (or bringing my own reused brown paper bags) but so often I would forget to bring them with me or didn't have one with me when I had to stop by the store.  So this nylon bag was the perfect solution!  It was just the right size for my typical urban grocery shopping trips (I don't have a car so I shop more often and only buy what I can carry!).  The best part is that it folded up into a wallet sized pouch - so there was no reason not to always carry it around in my purse or backpack!  Now it seems that this handy little reusable is all the rage and come in so many beautiful and fun designs so they are great for any style and even great gifts!  Check out a small sampling that I really like from Amazon:




























Happy Shopping!
PS - don't forget about my current Earth Day Giveaway - enter now!
*~Sprout~*