3 replies to this topic

[Hysssss-teria]

When it’s time to start your seeds, you may have so many of them that you dread spending lots of money to purchase starting pots. You can quickly and easily make your own organic biodegradable newspaper planting containers for starting seeds or transplanting seedlings on the cheap.

You’ll need old newspapers and a clean empty soup can. Some folks use a little masking tape, but it really isn’t necessary.

Lay a half newspaper sheet out in front of you lengthwise to give you a wide rectangle.

Fold one-third of the sheet upward and crease it sharply. Fold the top one-third down so that its edge is even with the bottom of the rectangle. Crease it sharply so that you now have a wide, narrow rectangular strip.

Turn the strip perpendicular to you. Set a clean, empty soup can horizontally on the end of the strip closest to you. Position the can so that about 1 inch of its open top clears the paper.

Hold the bottom edge of the paper strip against the side of the can and roll them upward together loosely, away from you. Roll the newspaper completely around the can. Don’t roll too tightly or you won’t be able to remove the paper pot easily from the can when you’re finished.

Secure the side seam with a tiny piece of masking tape, if you wish, but it probably isn’t necessary. The newspaper will tend to hold the cylindrical shape you roll it into.

Fold the extending edge of the paper inward and over the bottom of the can. Make 3 or 4 flaps with the paper edge. Secure with a tiny piece of masking tape, if you wish.

Flip the can over with the folded newspaper flaps up. Slide the soup can out of the newspaper planting pot.
　
TIPS
Use bigger cans and wider newspaper strips to make bigger pots.

Cover the entire newspaper pot with garden soil when you plant your seedlings out. Don’t leave any of the paper sticking out of the ground. This will prevent the paper from acting like a wick to pull moisture away from the plant’s roots.

There’s even stuff on YouTube demonstrating this easy craft.
YouTube; Make seed starting pots out of newspaper; stepherz76; April 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlMDecwuj8U&feature=related
　
　

[Sarah C.]

What a terrific idea! I love that it will biodegrade, and you will be left with just the plant in the ground! You can make a lot of these with the Sunday paper we have! lol Thanks for the link to the video too!

[Nanatracyann]

Thank you so very much for this one! And speaking of newspapers, if you are having trouble in your garden, and the trouble is Earwigs; and they are causing your young plants dying or vanishing overnight. Try dampening newspaper, roll it into a tight cylinder, then place it near the scene of the crime! It should be full of earwigs the next morning when you unroll it. Burn it up or bag it well. Continue to do this until the newspaper is empty when you check it in the morning...

[dconklin]

Great idea for starting the seedlings! I never really thought to use the newspaper for the plants.

Do Earwigs only attack the young plants?