Loo Rolls

[Jeanied]

I've tried the funnel trick and the funnel clogs in next to no time - the best tip so far was to fold the tube into a square and then they fit closer together. Maybe with an elastic band round the group?

[bubblewrap]

Never done anything to the loo rolls and never had a problem.
PS he's still a good singer.

[pipscariad]

Anyone got any good typs for the filling of said loo rollls,I seem to get more in the tray than the roll.Thought about cutting off a milk bottle (plastic) for a sort of funnel. All suggestions gratefully received

I've tried the funnel trick and the funnel clogs in next to no time - the best tip so far was to fold the tube into a square and then they fit closer together. Maybe with an elastic band round the group?

I use the top half of a 2 litre plastic milk bottle, and an old teaspoon to shove the compost through the spout, as yes, it does clog up! Oh, and this year for the first time I have followed Zazens trick and folded my tubes into square shapes. Have yet to use them though, so watch this space...

[Two_Sheds]

Anyone got any good typs for the filling of said loo rollls,I seem to get more in the tray than the roll.

Hold loo roll in your hand while you fill it using a spoon. Use the spoon to gently press the compost down.
Put filled roll in your seed tray. Et voila !

[sarraceniac]

I'm sending mine to Two Sheds to fill. If she can voila them like that then she deserves all the fun.

[Glutton4...]

I nuked all mine last year, but still had little mushers growing, so won't bother this year. It took ages too!

As for filling them; I tried the milk-bottle funnel, but in the end I just scooped with the tube in my right hand and rammed the compost in with my left hand until it was full. It worked for me.

[Shadylane]

Hold loo roll in your hand while you fill it using a spoon. Use the spoon to gently press the compost down.
Put filled roll in your seed tray. Et voila !

Yeah but that would take a while if you had shed loads. I've tried all manner of ways and I still end up with an aching back from spending too much time hunched over a too low table filling pots to put peas in that are all destined to die in the harsh winter weather anyway.

I've found the quickest way is to to put the loo roll into the bag of compost and shovel it in with your other hand. That way it doesn't go all over the floor. The garage looks like an allotment at the moment.

[Bren In Pots]

I use a spoon think its a desert sized one seems to work OK, saw on someone's blog they used a jam funnel.

[Two_Sheds]

Yeah but that would take a while if you had shed loads.

Yes, it takes ages: I sit on a low stool with a bucket of compost, and radio 4 on

[Alison]

Don't use loo rolls much as we don't get through many - only 2 bottoms in our house and we're not in much - but when I do I've never put them near the microwave or had any major problems with mould. Have used them mainly for sunflowers or beans but do prefer root trainers if I have any that I'm not already using.

Re filling - like somebody above mentioned, I put the whole roll into the compost bag and fill, support the bottom with my hand and put in tray - very little spillage and much quicker than using a spoon

[zazen999]

I fold mine, so that instead of being round they are square; and hence a tray full at a time; just fill like normal modules [scoop it on and level off by hand].

[Bigmallly]

Pretty much the same, square tubes filled with plastic spoon. The only thing I do is sieve the compost for the tubes & add a bit of sand. It is really fine. Bonus this year, I've had no mould.

[gillian62]

I like the square idea, and will try that. Thank you.
I have got a bit into the recycling too - toilet rolls, mcdonalds hot drinks cups & drinks holder trays for gardening.
Veg peelings, left over pasta,cooked veg, apple cores for the chickens.
Teabags, coffee grounds, egg shells, chicken droppings, straw, sawdust and shredded paper for the composter.
Hopefully we will be filling up less waste bins!!

[Ja9]

how funny...didn't know you were supposed to microwave them.Just planted some peas out that I had grown in some toilet rolls and they had great roots on them. wasn't sure if I was supposed to remove the tube or not (I did) as the cardboard might take some time to rot?

[Two_Sheds]

the main point of using loo rolls instead of plastic pots is so that you can plant the whole thing in the ground, without disturbing the roots
cardboard rots down really quickly once in the soil