PLANTING SUNFLOWERS
AND OTHER PRETTY CO2-REDUCERS
Not everyone has the opportunity to plant trees. Unless you own land or have permission. But you can grow other CO₂ absorbers: fast-growing, one-season plants like sunflowers or corn. Thanks to their large biomass and rapid growth, they absorb a surprising amount of carbon. Watching them rise from a single seed, and seeing how many tiny insects are drawn to them… it’s just beautiful.
In our Eco Club planting sessions, we bring quality seeds, soil from gardeners, and many collected plant pots – just ask around or check the cemetery service station, people often leave empty pots there. Gardeners and second-hand markets can be great budget-friendly sources too.
We’ve put together a packing list for a planting activity. You’ll find it below. We also share our tree planting experiences. And our experiences with digital tools that we’ve combined with a planting session in the Eco Club. But let’s start with some impressions and insights from our own planting sessions.
Sowing together is a great icebreaker for Eco Club participants. Everyone gets their hands in the soil, and conversations begin right away – about the plants, their needs, and more.
If you’re not experienced with sowing – no worries! Just ask around in your community. Many people do it as a quiet hobby and are happy to share their passion with a group. We also involve farmers and gardeners as experts.
If you have a larger group (10+ people), participants naturally form teams. Some will take care of the soil station, others handle the seeds or the plant markers.
After sowing, the participants can choose which plant pots they want to take home, and then the group cleans up the space to prepare for part two of the Eco Club afternoon.
After a month, the tiny plants need much more space. It’s time to prick out the seedlings into individual pots. And if their roots outgrew the pot, you need to repot the plant.
Of course, it’s always better to give plants a spot in a garden bed rather than in a pot.
The roots will be happy with more space, and the sunflower will grow taller. So maybe your participants will have the opportunity to plant their sunflowers in a garden or in small green spaces – like a garden bed at the local school. Both activities are perfect for Eco Club sessions. The group will discover the development of the roots and gives each plant a own pot.
So why do we use plant pots then? Because not everyone has a garden – balconies and windowsills deserve sunflowers too.
PREP & PACK LIST
FOR YOUR OWN ECO CLUB
SEEDS (organic quality, heirloom varieties)
SOIL (ideally seed-starting mix; easy to transport using large, sturdy shopping bags)
USED PLANT POTS
TINY SHOVEL
GLOVES to protect your hands while working with soil
PLANT MARKERS like small flags or labels
WAXED TABLECLOTH for protection and easy cleanup
SOWING INSTRUCTIONS (planting depth, care tips, and location requirements such as sun/shade)
DIGITAL TOOLS
In the second part of the Eco Club afternoon, we explore digital tools – from plant research to creative media, all with a focus on nature and participation. Tools like:
MOBILE PLANT RESEARCH
Look up plant facts and images online using your phone or tablet.
CHATGPT
Ask for tips on how to sow your seeds — including depth, sunlight needs, duration, and care.
PLANT ID APPS
Use plant identification apps to explore the plants around you and learn their names.
MESSENGER GROUPS
Share updates on your plant’s growth and blooming process with the group.
SMARTPHONE PHOTO WORKSHOP
Understand lighting, framing, angles
We also use the Eco Club plants to decorate community events and as sustainable prizes for raffles. In our experience, people of all ages love winning flowers. And a potted sunflower always makes a wonderful, sustainable gift.
PLANTING TREES
In southern Germany (Bavaria), we planted over 120 trees together with permaculture farmer Markus. There were 17 of us, so the work went really quickly.
It was well planned, and afterward, we enjoyed a warm pumpkin soup.
Two days earlier, we had marked the planting spots with sticks every 2 meters in a smaller group with Markus. This turned out to be very helpful because the area was on a sloped, uneven terrain, and the sticks gave us good orientation.
The saplings came from a local sustainable tree nursery. We received advice on which tree species are suitable for the slope: which ones thrive in drier areas, and which prefer the wetter low spots. So it’s important to know exactly where each tree will be planted. In Germany, the best time to plant trees is usually from late September to mid-December, though spring can also be an option. Depending on the region, protection against deer browsing should also be considered.
With Markus, we planted three-year-old saplings: Douglas firs, sequoias, oaks, beeches, and chestnuts. He guided us through the process:
Distribute the saplings so that there is one at each marked spot. The choice of species should naturally fit the location on the slope.
Clear the planting spot so the sapling fits well into the dug hole. Remove stones and loosen the soil if necessary to make it easier for the roots.
Place the tree in the hole, cover the roots with soil, press the soil gently around the stem, and finally cover it with moss for winter protection.
Checklist for your tree planting:
Location with planting permission
+ Tree advice / consultation
+ Saplings
+ Gloves
+ Sturdy shoes
+ Shovels
+ Hoes
+ Transport for saplings & tools
+ Tea and Coffee
+ Cookies and pumpkin soup 🙂
