Bonnie: It's always good to see what techniques others are using for their successes with their seed sowing and your description with pictures is great. I know I am always glad to see these"tutorials" on any subject as they are wonderful learning tools. Thanks for sharing your techniques with us all. Ross.

wow what an amazing idea. I am going have to try that one as I have tons and tons of newspapers.
Thanks for sharing that with us.
Patricia

I have done this before. Thanks for the great instructions and photos.

Thanks so much for the pictures and great instructions Bonnie.
I plan to make up some of these little pots this afternoon :)
I save my toilet paper rolls to use as well...but I never seem to remember to start saving them soon enough...and usually run short. Now I have a solution to that problem :)

Perfect timing, I bought some seeds today and was wondering what I could use as pots to keep the cost down. Thanks so much for sharing and the pics.

Val

What a great post. The pictures really make the difference. Thanks for the money-saving idea.

I bought a newspaper-pot-maker about 10 years ago, and I've put a lot of mileage on it. I'm not as nimble as Bonnie, and need a little bit of help. The one I bought was from Lee Valley, but I'm sure you can get them at any garden center. You get to the point where you just zip off a hundred pots while watching the evening news.

I'll include a link to "my" particular type. A little hint: when I tuck in the bottom, and before I "seal" (squish) it, I spray it with just plain water. It holds together beautifully.

Hope this helps someone.

- Merri

Here is a link that might be useful: The Lee Valley Pot Maker (1 type)

I save my toiletpaper rolls and cut them in half.
I have become quite addicted to saving them, I can't seems to stop. I just hang a bag in under the sink and throw them all in there. My problem is finding the trays to put them in.

mastiff, margarine bowls work pretty well, as do the plastic trays from bagged cookies (although they are getting flimsier and flimsier).

Mastiff: thanks for the TP roll idea. I usually save them to tuck electrical cords in (extension cords, messy computer cords, etc.), and I always feel guilty when I toss one out. Now I can slip in some newspaper for a quick "bottom" and...tah dah! Seedling homes!

VERY nice trick! :-)

Merricat, I have one of those potmakers. I keep a damp dishcloth in a bowl beside me to wet the folded bottom on. I just fold the bottom and then push it down on the cloth before inserting it in the base.

I came up with an idea awhile back, and that's to dip the newspaper in a flour/water mix like paper mache to help make the pot hold it's shape and the bottom stay folded. I also thought about mixing some water soluble fertilizer in with the flour and water to feed the plants when the roots get that far.

Any comments?

I made about 80 or so of these paper pots and the plants seemed to do well in getting started. Started Columbine, corn, cucs, melons, peppers, tomatoes, morning glories, and a number of annual flowers. What I did not do was to open the paper up when I planted and some things just did not seem to get roots out quickly through the paper so they were delayed flowering and/or producing. The corn did remarkably well though. We left a bit of the paper showing to thwart the cutworms but I would not do this again with corn as they ended up too shallowly planted. Longer paper tubes probably would do the trick. I think I will find a taller bottle to use as a form. See this link from my blog on making the pots.

Here is a link that might be useful: Paper pots

I have another great recycling idea. I start my plants in paper to go coffee or drink cups. I have had amazing results. I too shun the peat cups, they seem to suck the moisture out of the soil and I dont find them to break down at all. good idea with the toilet paper roll..however my child always steal those for crafts lol

The problem I have with any of these methods is dealing with molds and some molds do kill the seedling. I find with paper that things get slimy on the sides despite that I have used fans to circulate air around the plants. So for indoor growing, these is not a method I would employ for risk of getting mold in the house.

I do like peat pots though for plants that do not take long to grow and will easily transport outside. I use thin peat pots that will easily break down and once i am ready to plant outdoors, I woul simply rip off part of the peat pot and plant them deep so pot doesn't show. In time the pot becomes part of the soil outdoors.