My question is whether I can incorporate dryer lint into shredded paper pulp to create mats for growing microgreens or sprouting. I am going to try this soon, just wondered if anyone had tried it before.
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The short answer is yes it works.
The longer answer is I personally wouldn't use it for foods, but flowers definitely.
Dyes from fabric would worry me if it leached into my food. This is the same reason I never used shredded newspaper in the veggie garden. Ink and my food gives me an ick factor.
I am overly sensitive to chemicals and such. I am sure most people would not be bothered.
Happy planting! Hope you work it out!!
*** I would not use dryer lint especially if you use any kind of softener in your wash or dryer (or even vinegar in rinse water?).
I only know one person who does this type of gardening and she uses purchased mats or 1 inch organic potting soil and she says that each method costs about $1 per tray. Her greens always taste delicious.
She said she tried shredded paper and also shredded paper with coffee grounds (found "menu" online) but found the taste was not as great as with soil and that it was messy and sometimes had a bad odor.
Here is an excerpt from a university site:
"recommends buying plain, inexpensive potting soil. There's no need to buy an expensive potting soil because the plants will be ready for harvest in 10-14 days, which isn't long enough to take advantage of fertilizers or other additives that can drive up the price of store-bought soil. Only add a half inch of soil to the container."
For those who are not familiar with growing Microgreens here are a couple of links that might spark your interest.
www.bootstrapfarmer.com/
Dryer lint composed of natural fibers like cotton can be used. Avoid man-made materials.
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