using loo roll tubes

[Dave & Kate N Wales]

Hi all,
i've noticed that quite a few people on here are starting seeds off in loo roll and kitchen roll tubes and have a couple or 4!! questions please:
1. What seeds do you use them for?
2. do you just fill a seed tray with compost then put the tubes in or do yu fil the tubes to their full height with compost
3. When you transplant the seedlings do you plant the whole tube in the ground, if so does it breakdown in the ground and disintegrate so that things like parsnips can get fatter. ( i have a gift wrap tube which i could cut down but the middle is thinner than the kitchen roll tubes.)
4. How do you water them? Last year we tried a few seeds off in loo rolls but they just went mouldy and we lost most things so don't want to make the same mistakes again this year.
We also tried some peat pots but had no joy, they seemed to dry out constantly or went mouldy if i watered them any more and nothing we put in them survived.
Thanks
Katie

[Two_Sheds]

1. What seeds do you use them for?

Mostly things that don't like having their roots disturbed, or things that have long roots: carrots, parsnips, peas and beans

2. do you just fill a seed tray with compost then put the tubes in or do yu fil the tubes to their full height with compost

Put tubes in a tray (else they fall over). Fill tubes with compost. Sow seeds into compost

3. When you transplant the seedlings do you plant the whole tube in the ground,

Yes. It's cardboard, it rots away

4. How do you water them?

sparingly, and from the top (unlike most things). If you water from below, they get too wet and go mouldy

[zazen999]

I fold them, so that instead of circular they are square and then
a - no compost falls down in between
b - they can be tied with a piece of string or wedged in so that they don't fall over.

I use them for things that won't be in there for long; so quick growers like beans and peas and sweet corn; the later sowings not the earlier ones.

[greasyfire]

ive seen people use loo rool tubes for starting of sweet potato slips

[binley100]

Mostly things that don't like having their roots disturbed, or things that have long roots: carrots, parsnips, peas and beans


Put tubes in a tray (else they fall over). Fill tubes with compost. Sow seeds into compost


Yes. It's cardboard, it rots away



sparingly, and from the top (unlike most things). If you water from below, they get too wet and go mouldy

Wot she said.
I start just about everything off in loo rolls some I cut in half first if they're not things that need long roots. I use them as modules then if need be as in tomatoes prick the seedlings out into individual pots and finished loo rolls then go in the compost bin.

[Bren In Pots]

I fold them, so that instead of circular they are square and then
a - no compost falls down in between
b - they can be tied with a piece of string or wedged in so that they don't fall over..

I make mine square shaped as well, and if i've got a spare one of those 24 cell Propagator inserts i stand the rolls in that instead of taping them all together.

[Jimmy]

Just a caution about "unknown" materials.
I did a post a year or so ago about my home made pots.
I used to make pots from old A4 sheets from work, wrap them round a coke can and staple. I used to grow my early beans and tomatoes etc in them.
However one year my beans and tomatoes looked decidedly sick. The only thing I could think of was work had recently changed from black and white ink to colour ink. I re-potted and they recovered but were never perfect.
Jimmy

[piskieinboots]

I fold them, so that instead of circular they are square

I have to ask how you make a round into a square

[zazen999]

Flatten them, then flatten them the other way. Viola [as Raymond Blanc would say].

[Florence Fennel]

Now this might sound silly, but are some thicker loo rolls a disadvantage, i.e. don't break down as easily? I didn't have much success last Spring, but I wonder if that is because I use Andrex quilts?!!

[Scunny Zeb]

but I wonder if that is because I use Andrex quilts?!!

Now your just being posh and showing off...

I have to make do with the local free newspaper torn into squares

[Florence Fennel]

What for the plant pots? I knew someone was going to tell me I was showing off - my grandchildren say they love coming to my house because I have posh loo roll. It's only because I too remember the newspaper squares SZ!

[stella]

The problem I had was giving the seedling enough water to stay alive but not so much that the roll went soggy and sort of listed to one side

[HeyWayne]

Also, if you use kitchen roll centres you can cut them in half and they are about the same length as most toilet rolls. Two in one kinda thing.

Another trick I learned from zazen is that if you fold the loo roll tubes you can store about 5-6 inside an unfolded loo roll tube. Saves so much space.

[piskieinboots]

I've just tried squishing and squaring up á la Zazen but it keeps falling over clearly I'm not cut out for the Blue Peter bit - I'll stick with rootrainers which I totally adore