14 April 2026 beds. Use leftover cardboard boxes along paths or between rows to create temporary weed-free paths - especially useful for raised garden beds. • COMPOST CARBON LAYER Our compost piles are slowly becoming nutrient rich over the winter, breaking down the food scraps and manure as we get closer to the growing season. This year, try tearing or shredding your cardboard boxes into pieces and mix it into your compost pile as a “brown” carbon source, which helps balance nitrogen-rich food scraps and manure. • ANIMAL BEDDING OR NESTING MATERIAL Our livestock deserves warm bedding as much as we do, and cardboard boxes are a good way to in- sulate animal bedding. Try shredding plain cardboard to mix with straw in nesting boxes or for small-animal bedding. Avoid coated or coloured boxes and remember to remove all adhesive tape and plastic labels as animals enjoy nibbling on bedding material. SEED PLANNING: WASTE LESS BEFORE YOU PLANT Winter may be the season of seed dreaming but there is no time like the present to review seeds you al- ready have and reduce potential redundant purchases. Thoughtful planning saves money and prevents unnecessary packaging, duplicate varieties, and forgotten packets from ending up in landfill. Ordering one too many seed packets, buying duplicates of varieties we already own, or rediscovering a stash of seeds years later and assuming they’re expired are all common for gardeners, no matter how organized they may be. Often, seeds are tossed because we’re unsure of their viability and don’t want to risk the entire crop with seeds that won’t germinate. This year, try a few simple ways to avoid that waste. • PLAN FOR SEED SAVING A sustainable way to lower gardening costs and minimize waste is to save your own seeds, but successful seed saving begins well before harvest time and involves thoughtful garden planning. Many vegetables cross-pollinate with related varieties, leading to unpredictable results the following season. To ensure your saved seeds will produce true to parent the following year, carefully plan out spacing distances for seed crops, or choose to grow only one variety of that species at the same time. Seed-saving also means allowing selected plants to remain in the garden longer than usual so they can reach full maturity, which can impact planning. When done thoughtfully, seed saving not only means less money spent unnecessarily, but also decreases packaging waste and preserves suc- cessful varieties for your specific growing environ- ment. • TEST OLD SEEDS INSTEAD OF TOSSING Before assuming last year’s packets are past their prime, do a quick germination test: • Place seeds on a damp paper towel • Fold it over and slip into loosely sealed bag or container • Place it somewhere warm. If most seeds sprout within a week, they’re still viable. Even if germination is low, you can simply sow more densely instead of throwing the seeds away. This will help save years’ worth of forgotten packets. • HOST OR JOIN A SEED SWAP Seed swaps help gardeners reduce excess seed waste while gaining new varieties (and making some new friends). Whether organized through a local garden club, library, Seedy Saturday, or group of neighbours, seed swaps can prevent multiple people from buying the same seeds, help distribute rare or regionally adapted varieties, reduce seed waste as half packets or saved seeds are welcome in most swaps, and these swaps can also help build community and share knowledge. • INVENTORY WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE One of the easiest ways to avoid waste is simply keeping track of your stash. Sort seeds by type, by planting month, or by age. A quick inventory list helps prevent accidents like buying your fourth packet of basil because you forgot about the other three. PINE NEEDLE TEA FEEDBACK We recently received reader feedback regarding our mention of pine needle tea in the Waste Not article (January/February 2026). Pine needle tea should only be made from Eastern White Pine or Red Pine; many similar-looking species are unsafe, so proper identification is essential. Due to ongoing debate around safe dosage, it’s recommended to avoid other pine species altogether. Pine needle tea is also not recommended for pregnant or nursing women. We regret the lack of clarity and thank our readers for helping us ensure accurate, safety-focused information.
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