I grew 48 tomato plants in 4 egg cartons. I poked 3-4 holes in the bottom of each cell with a toothpick. Then I cut off the top and used it as a tray. You'll still need to buy planting mix. Outside soil is full of damping off fungi. Styrofoam worked far better than cardboard cartons.

If you look at every plastic food container that you throw away, you will begin to see potential planters everywhere.

Plastic baggies and paper towels work for me every time. Once the produce leaves etc. I plant in its permanent home. I do baby them a bit if it is cold to avoid hardening off. I also spray the plants with chamomile tea to avoid amping off etc.

There are all kinds of websites regarding this method. Some use coffee filters but this did not work for me at all. However, a paper towel always works. Also, I find where I place my baggies aids in the rapid germination of the seeds. Those baggies that I keep in a basket near my laptop seem to germinate faster due to the warmth of my laptop. - Best wishes

Cardboard cores from t-paper and paper towels make nice starter pots. Cut t-paper cores into two pots, paper towel cores into 3 or 4. I use dirt from container plants that have "played out" or died, or compost from my compost pile as starter soil. You can sterilize it in your oven if you are worried about pathogens it may harbor. Even if you buy potting soil, for less than $10 you should be able to get more than enough to fill 60 starter pots. For about $3 I buy disposal casserole pans...2 in a pack. These come with clear plastic lids that are as tall as the casserole so can be used to create a little greenhouse for your seedlings. I would guess a tray would hold about 15 pots each. The tray can be moved out into the shade and gradually into the sunnier areas of the garden to harden them up for transplanting. This time of year I have to worry about them wilting in the mid day sun, so have milk jugs with the bottom cut off and the caps removed to place over the transplants for a few days after being put in the ground. Buckets and plastic baskets can be used for the same purpose. That also keeps them safe from roaming bunnies who just LOVE those young, tender leaves.

Good luck!

I usually use really CHEAP or used paper or plastic cups with a hole punched in the bottom and potting soil, or whatever food containers have accumulated.

The plastic boxes that salad greens come in are marvelous small greenhouses for seed starting.

The problem with using egg cartons for many plants is that the plants get rootbound before they are very big and you end up damaging

I also use paper and plastic cups, just poke holes in the bottom and you can write on them. Just take the bottom off the paper cups and plant the rest out just like with peat pots, Much Cheaper. I also use the plastic containers that I get strawberries, blueberries and grape tomatoes in, they have holes in the bottom and the cover works like a mini greenhouse, keeping moisture in until the seeds germiinate, works really well for lettuce and other greens.

Good gardening, Mary

Yogurt containers with drainage holes cut. I have friends save them for me- some people eat yogurt every day.
-also any other container (water, sour cream, juice)

I haven't had too much of a damping off problem - if they're in a sunny/ warm spot, that should dry them out a bit. I've created a cardboard contraption (really just an old box) that angles the heat from a heat vent towards mine.

Peat pots are prone to drying out (as are paper products) if you don't watch them constantly.

I used to mix garden dirt, vermiculite and peat in a turkey roaster pan and bake it in the oven about 5 hours. It stank terribly, until I learned that if you get it really wet and soupy before you start it doesn't smell as much. I have also heard of using a charcoal grill to keep the smell outside. Now I used boughten starter, and then transplant the plants when a couple inches high into regular garden dirt in plastic cartons or other containers. Once the plants are a couple inches high, damping off isn't usually a problem. I have saved used large styrofoam or plastic cups from events, but with the H1N1, etc. I don't know if I would still do that, unless you knew all attendees were healthy! Poke drain holes in the bottoms. Gallon milk jugs cut down and with drain holes poked in the bottoms work well for 4 plants. I prefer that to trying to sterilize and reuse plastic pots. I only use peat pots for squash or melons, as they are harder to transplant. Northwoodswis

I started seeds in coffee filters then when they are big enough I plant them in the bottom portion of 2 liter soda bottles, then put them in the ground when big enough from there. I had a couple of friends a work bring me some of the soda bottles they didn't want :). the top portion of the bottle can be used as a mini greenhouse if needed.

I'm sure that the original poster has probably already started their garden, but I thought I would post this follow up in case other people read on the subject for ideas.
One way to start a garden using seedlings is to go to the Dollar Spot, or One Spot, at Target during Spring. They have spades and pots and shovels and such for $1, and bags of wildflowers for the same price. They also have tomatoes, basil, strawberries, and a few others. In additon, they have these packs of 3 expandable soil pellets, of a large size, for $1. I am sure you could start a very respectable garden for under $20 if you bought your stuff from there.

The problem with tools from the dollar store is that they are crap! They can't dig a hole in loose sand without bending.

You are better off scrounging the yard sales and thrift stores for some used ones from a good maker.