Paperpots - what do you start in them?

[SunnyU]

Hi All - I've got one of those paper potters to make little paperpots out of newspaper to start my seeds off but I've also come across some folding instructions for some square little paperpots which, although a little bit more effort, I do prefer.

Anyway, I was basically just going to start anything of it them as I don't need to disturb any roots then etc - where the seed is big enough I'll just pop in one seed per pot, otherwise I'll put a few in and then just pull out the weaker ones (if I can bring myself to do that actually...) HOWEVER, my OH laughed at me when I said I would use this method also for my carrots and little gems etc and he said I couldn't grow carrots in paperpots as they have long roots. Sureley a carrot will be able to push through a bit of newspaper??

Anyway - now I'm all and would appreciate a little feedback. Do you use paperpots from newspaper and what do you start off in them and works well for you??

Thanks all!

[perkin]

Hi Sunny,
I've used paper pots for tomatoes, chillies, sweet peppers and celeriac so far.Lettuce would be fine I would say - not sure about carrots though. Your OH may be right - the tap root would likely hit the bottom of the paper pot when still a little delicate root (the roots of veg such as carrots and parsnips grow at a much faster rate than their seeding leaves above ground) and would probably not be able to push through.
You could try using loo roll or kitchen roll innards instead? At least these would give you more root depth. I've used lo rolls very successfully for all sorts of beans and peas.

[tamsin]

With carrots I'd go for bottomless paper pots and plant out as soon as they germinate. Might just be better to sow direct for them though really. Last year I did sweetcorn, peas and beans in long paper pots about the size of toilet rolls. Then I sowed loads of flowers in little square ones. I made them the same way just used a square box to wrap them around instead of a round tube.

[oldie]

Most folks reckon that carrots should be sown direct. They don't like root disturbance and would not grow through the paper. I lined a bed with newspaper 2 years ago and then did not put enough soil/compost on top of it and the carrots came out "U" shaped. A long bottomless pot might work but why bother when you can sow direct.

[SunnyU]

Thanks everyone! I guess I better go and tell the OH he was right...

[Two_Sheds]

I've started carrots in loo rolls before, it worked well. Paper pots should be OK too: wet the bottom well when you plant out, so it rots quicker and doesn't distort the carrot.

[rustylady]

You can start most things in paper pots. The trick is planting them out at the right time.

[Alison]

I used one of those little pot formers and sow all my peppers, chillies, aubergines, toms, cucs and tomatillos in them. Have also sown some alpine strawberries in them this year also. Would work well for potatoes but I tend to use modules. Have made about 200 of them so far this year!