March is the ideal time to start seeds indoors for gardeners in most of the plant hardiness zones across North America. Starting seeds indoors can give your garden a huge head start for spring, allowing heat-loving plants like tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and annual flowers some extra time to grow before it’s warm enough to plant outside.

Starting seeds doesn’t have to be an expensive undertaking – and it can be super eco-friendly, too. Starting seeds inside is a GREAT educational opportunity for kids, so they can watch their tomato grow from seed to fruit, and it's much less expensive than buying already-grown plants at the nursery.

A basic seed-starting setup includes:

-organic seed starting mix

-planting containers

-growing lights

-seeds!

-Disposable plastic flats and peat pellets (optional) aren’t exactly the greenest option, and your seeds certainly don’t need them to grow.

Here are some green & cheap tips for getting started:

Use what you’ve got on hand. Seed starting containers can be as simple as toilet paper rolls, yogurt cups and cardboard egg cartons. Chances are, you’ve got all three sitting in your recycling bin at this very moment. Newspaper can easily be folded into little pots, and it’s biodegradable so you can plant the entire thing once your seedlings are ready to be transplanted. Another option is a reusable soil block maker, which compresses soil into perfect little blocks and will last virtually forever. Just place the containers on a Rubbermaid storage bin lid to keep water from overflowing onto your table.

Cover your pots with biodegradable plastic wrap once you’ve planted the seeds to keep moisture in. Place them on a flat surface – preferably a table or shelf – where they can be easily accessed. The ambient temperature in the spot you choose should be between 65 to 70 degrees. Once they’ve germinated, it’s time to make sure they’re getting 16 hours of direct bright light per day.

Expensive grow lights aren’t necessary – your plants will get all the light they need from a fluorescent shop light fixture fitted with energy-efficient full-spectrum bulbs. Hang the light fixture from chains so you can adjust the height as necessary – the bulbs should be no more than 4 inches away from the seedlings, and should be adjusted as they grow. Fluorescent tubes remain relatively cool to the touch, so you don’t have to worry about scorching the plants.

You can also make a cheap, easy DIY grow box if you’ve got some extra LED string lights left over from the holidays. This tutorial from The Cheap Vegetable Gardener will show you how to drill holes in the lid of a plastic storage bin, insert the bulbs of the string lights and place your plants inside for a compact grow box made primarily from things you already have on hand.

For more information including watering needs, thinning tips and how to time your planting, check out the Simple Seed Starting guide at OrganicGardening.com.

>> Check out " Can You Grow with No Garden?" for more green gardening tips!