Biodegradable Seedling Pots
 

Just received an e-mail notification that Johnny's selected seeds are carrying in addition to CowPots another biodegradable pot called the DOT Pot. The DOT Pot is made of 80% wood fiber and 20% peat. They come in several sizes including the 4" round and also a 3 7/8" square by 7 1/8" high which caught my eye. They also have the CowPots at what seems to be a more affordable price but not as cheap as the DOT's. Worried about transplant shock, with these you won't have that problem. Here's a link. Ami

[URL]http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/subcategory.aspx?category=292&subcategory=731[/URL]

Hello,

I don't know about transplant shock, but I have had absolutely terrible luck with peat pots. Granted I had such terrible luck I haven't tried any of the newer varieties.

In my experience they do NOT break down, you end up with a nice rootbound plant in your buried peat pot. Also, the peat seems to soak up a lot of the moisture when you water the seedlings. So it seems like they are continuously drying out unnecessarily.

If someone knows of something that DOES work and isn't terribly expensive, please let me know.

Just my 10 cents. [inflation and all ;)]

C ya,
Uncle Chad

Well Uncle Chad,

I found out that if you put the peat pots in a solid tray with plenty of water daily they don't dry out; and the roots grow way out of the peat pots. The thing is to NOT put them out in the sun. When the seedlings start to show; take a scissor and cut the cells apart, making sure you get them at least one inch apart in the watering tray. Make sure your lights are as close as possible for the seedlings to grow.

These CowPots, are made of 100% composted [COLOR=Red]manure[/COLOR]! A "[COLOR=Red]manure pot[/COLOR]" is just that..... [COLOR=Red]Manure[/COLOR] (fertilizer!) NOT made of "peat."[COLOR=Black] [U][I][B][COLOR=Red]Cow Manure![/COLOR][/B][/I][/U][COLOR=Red][COLOR=Black]

Ever heard of "Cow Pies?" Dictionary: [/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]A small rounded pile of cow excrement.

The boys used to throw them around the place by flinging them like frisbees.

Charge: $0.02, a pie!

Oh! I forgot to tell you the cow pies are excellent for Athlete's Foot!
[COLOR=Black][U][I][B][COLOR=Red][COLOR=Black]
[/COLOR][/COLOR][/B][/I][/U][COLOR=Red][COLOR=Black]~* Robin[/COLOR][/COLOR][U][I][B][COLOR=Red][COLOR=Black]
[/COLOR][/COLOR][/B][/I][/U][/COLOR]

Well, peat pots are just that, Peat. Dot pots are 80% wood fiber and only 20% peat. They should have no problem breaking down. When I pulled my plants last year there was no sign of the CowPots I had planted my plants in.
Robin, don't forget about fresh Camel Dung. Fixes what ails you. Ami

I purchased plants last year in these biodegradable pots last year and didn't have any problems. I'm using them this year to transplant my seedlings to before they go into the ground. Of the ones I've planted, I tore a side or two off the pot so that just-in-case" the pot doesn't degrade, one or two sides will be open to the soil.

Yup, that's the thing to do if you're not sure!

~* Robin

Thanks for the link!

I ordered 160 of the 2.3" diameter DOT pots, along with some interesting looking seed. Anxious to see how they fare compared to the peat ones (which I stopped using years ago because I found they caused too many problems).

..and the price is great! 160 of the pots for only $10.80.. works out to less than 7 cents per pot! :)

I'm still rolling my newspaper pots in front of the television (mostly digital replay) at 0,00 eurocents per pot ;-) No chance in the (three layers of) newspaper drying out the seedlings, no rootbound roots and hardly any damage to the roots when you would decide to unpeel the rolls at (trans)planting (as I do - I'm very confident the newspaper will be broken down in the soil rapidly but I like the unwrapping actually ;-) ), they come in any size (you make yourself), are easily watered from beneath and when they feel dry themselves the soil will probably need watering... (don't handle when wet because than they can be fragile, but to avoid that I have them in baskets so that I handle the baskets (with for instance about a 100 5cm diameter rolls) not the individual rolls until they get (trans)planted...

nothing more biodegradable than newspaper (waste) ;-)

[URL="http://www.selfsufficientish.com/newspaperpots.htm"]Making seedling pots from Newspaper[/URL]

~* Robin

[newspaper pots]

I don't cut a seperate piece for the bottom, I just fold it
so that there is a flap sticking out past the end of the can
when I roll it up. I use a piece of tape on the side after
rolling it up around a can, tip the can upside down, fold
the flap down to make a bottom, and stick another piece
of tape on the bottom.

Masking tape tends to not stay stuck. I have used duct tape,
and that works, but I found dollar store packaging tape to be
more convenient, cheaper, and it stays stuck well despite the
moisture that the paper soaks up when watering the seedling.

Edit:
I start with a single sheet, one page wide, inside a double sheet
two pages wide, using the same fold along the spine of it that
the newspaper itself uses. Layed out flat, that is 3 pages thick.

Then I fold that almost in half the long way before rolling it around
the can. My newspaper pots end up with walls that are six sheets
thick. The bottoms are fairly lumpy with all of that paper folded up
under them, and they lean this way and that until they have sat
full of wet soil for awhile and flattened out the bottoms, but they
are quite sturdy.

Try this pot.
[URL]http://www.geocities.com/newspaperpots/[/URL]
Ed:yes:

I have tried them in the past Ed, but too much of a hassle for me compared to the newspaper rolls (and too much newspaper material to make a single pot as well). Everyone has some cylindric items at home, anyone can them with any cylinder available (a simple glass for instance), just guesstimate the newspaper strip (too much is not necessary, when it is filled with soil it will exceed every expectation of its strength) and you're nearly there...

yes, the last tutorial has open base pots which I don't like that much.

Just let the newspaper 'overlap' the edge of the cylinder you use, more than half the diameter (or you have a gap in the middle of the base) but less than the diameter (or you have to get rid of some of the excess paper, usually leading to unstable pots)

When you start to fold the base where the last sheet stopped, and tuck the rest in after that, the newspaper is quite secure without the need of tape, staples, ... hardly any tape would stick when you start bottom watering the pots so...

I usually take strips to about 9 times the diameter long (worth three layers, 3 times pi times diameter); For the bigger pot(s) I sometimes have to fold a single strip double to have enough 'length'.

Less is more, too many layers will make sturdier pots but also to much excess in the bottom (unstable) and is not really necessary... 3 layers will do mostly in my case, they seem flimsy when empty but are good pots when filled.

I found this one on Youtube: [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8qPAV-LDnM&feature=related"]Gardening: Making Paper Pots[/URL]

LOL! It's Dave; from Dave's Garden! ;):lol::))

~* Robin

If any of you out there have any apprehensions concerning the use of news print in the garden this should set your mind at ease. Ami

[URL]http://www.hubergroup.info/lang/en/tipdf/49102E.PDF[/URL]