Newspaper transplant pots
 

Way too cold to do anything outside... think I'll make a couple hundred newspaper pots today. I'm using a soup can for the form.

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I get two paper pots and shove one into the other to save space.

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When it comes time to plant, 30 of them will fit in a standard plastic tray.


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I use a wine bottle as a form :P

I like to use newspaper pots for cukes and melons that don't appreciate being un-potted (having their roots disturbed) when planting out, so I'm able to plant the whole thing (burying all the newspaper so there is none left to wick away any moisture).

Unfortunately, I find that my tomato seedlings do much better in plastic containers because they don't dry out as fast. So much for recycling :(.

Linda

I have good luck with them growing tomatoes and peppers I just add water to the trays and let the paper pots wick the water. I've always direct seeded cukes and melons but this year I'm going to try these.
I'm storing them in my favorite Christmas present a CleverMade CleverCrate, anybody use/see these before?

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They fold up when not in use, would be great for market growers!


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That's a nice project for a cold day. I'm in a heat wave over here, it's 43 already and I'm feeling the need to fire up the tiller or something after all this cold weather we've been having.

I tried newspaper pots once, but they got moldy in my environment here. Paper party cups don't work for me either for the same reason.:bummer:

Weatherman is on showing pics of snow in Florida today. :? Rajun you will warm up pretty well by running a tiller up and down the fields. :yes::lol:
My cold day project: better window covers. Made a frame for some vinyl in my south window so I can let some daylight in and move my rosemary upstairs. More and extra coverings for windows and doors too! Basement and greenhouse doors got weatherstripped etc last winter but it just isn't enough. Hung blankets over them, much better.... winter is certainly here.

Is the plastic tape necessary? Seems like quite a job to remove all the tape at planting time. Wouldn't the newspaper stick to itself when it is wet and filled with soil? That would mean, on the other hand, that you can't finish the bottoms before sowing time.
... just thinking out loud because I like the idea but want to use it without tape ...

I tear the newspaper and tape off when I plant, I have found the paper restricts root growth if left on, especially on peppers.
There are paper pot makers sold online made from wood that makes pots with no tape.

I saw my wife make an origami cup once. Maybe that would work. I like the idea of recycling newspaper, but also skeptical. Between the bleaching , glue and the ink I have my reservations. But then again who knows what's in a jiffypot . I think I'll give it a try for a few seeds. Thanks and stay warm y'all.

Our local newspaper isn't big enough to make one.
Worth

I don't use the colored grocery store flyers, just the black and white newspaper supposedly printed with soy based ink.

[QUOTE=bower;676574]I tried newspaper pots once, but they got moldy in my environment here. Paper party cups don't work for me either for the same reason.:bummer:

Weatherman is on showing pics of snow in Florida today. :? Rajun you will warm up pretty well by running a tiller up and down the fields. :yes::lol:
My cold day project: better window covers. Made a frame for some vinyl in my south window so I can let some daylight in and move my rosemary upstairs. More and extra coverings for windows and doors too! Basement and greenhouse doors got weatherstripped etc last winter but it just isn't enough. Hung blankets over them, much better.... winter is certainly here.[/QUOTE]

My wooden pot makes holds the paper on the bottom as advertised. I experienced the mold issue with the paper pots as well as with paper dixie cups. The trick must be to keep it in the paper pot for a very short time. This was with a very rich seed start mix (Fox Farms) . Perhaps a coir mix that dries faster would resist the mold. If there is a way to avoid the mold I would like to know.

I like the idea of using a giant can for making paper melon pots. I would use a large plastic pot as the mold and grow them in the pot and slide the paper out out transplant. This works in theory at least :)

- Lisa

When I travel, I "collect" hotel coffee cups that seem to be an ideal size for seedlings. Occasionally, I notice a good bit of mold on the cups. But the type of mold that grows, never seems to affect the seedling.

Does it for others? Or, does it just look bad?

Jeff

The mold that I had was a light blue/green and was probably due top overwatering or keeping too wet. I've tried a cheap peat and a good rich potting mix. It does spread very quickly to other pots. I overcompensated for the paper pots drying out faster than plastic. I don't know if it was the mold or overwatering that caused a decline in my tray but the plants were not happy and got tossed. What was your medium, Jeff?

- Lisa

All my seedlings were started in Miracle Gro. Then they get transplanted into a cheaper potting mix amended with vermiculite. The mold was just on the surface of the cups.

I ran out of people to give my extra plants to. So I threw them into the compost pile. I got them out 2 weeks later to replace some storm damaged tomatoes - they did great!

--Jeff

I fill with MG potting soil, no mold issues just have to clean a bunch of sticks out of the mix.