Paper coffee cups, are they good as peat based pots?

[CimaDirapa]

My local Coffee shop (famous brand starts with C) has lots of paper cups in their rubbish bins and they are happy for me to take as much as I like, can I grow any veg in those as in bog rolls or the expensive peat pots?

[Two_Sheds]

I don't think peat pots are any good, myself. Give the cups a go, see what you think.

[singleseeder]

I struggle with peat pots too. To get the roots through the pot, they have to be kept wet, which isn't always good for the seedling in the compost it holds.

Loo rolls are ok for some things, but are open at the bottom; I have 1cm of compost in the tray that the loo rolls stand in and pack the loo rolls tightly together before filling with compost. Why not try this with the coffee cups (with most of the bottome cut out) if you want to plant the lot out? Remember to soak the coffee cup before planting out and bury it completely to keep it from acting llike a wick. I use coffee cups, scavenged from the bins in meeting rooms at work, but the plants are tapped out when planted out.

[Bigmallly]

I picked up some C cups from work, they have currently got sweetcorn in. I'm just gonna plant the lot as they are some kind of cardboard.

[zazen999]

We go through so many [esp when it's raining at this time of year as nothing can go out yet and things need to be potted on] that I make these. These are strong enough to hold the root ball for a few weeks yet will break down really easily once in the ground. You can even make a little box to keep them in until you are ready to use them...and I've blogged how to fold them [this is my 4th design and works best for people who find it hard to do fiddly things].

The Linear Legume: Washout - paper pots

ps - I hate peat pots too - far too thick and a complete waste of your money.

[yekim_4321]

Thats a very cool idea will defo have to give it a go thanks for sharing that

[singleseeder]

Zaz, that is brill'. I have one of those wooden paper potter thingies, but there is something satisfying about square containers fitting together with no gaps.

Could you make smaller ones from A5 paper or would they be too shallow?

[zazen999]

Zaz, that is brill'. I have one of those wooden paper potter thingies, but there is something satisfying about square containers fitting together with no gaps.

Could you make smaller ones from A5 paper or would they be too shallow?

Last week one of my students made Russian Doll Paper Pots - A4, A5, A6, A7 and a teeny tiny A8 one which was perhaps a little too small to be recognisable as a pot! The A6 ones would be good for a pinch of onion seeds. The A4 ones are good to put 4 beans in, one into each corner.

[singleseeder]

Last week one of my students made Russian Doll Paper Pots - A4, A5, A6, A7 and a teeny tiny A8 one which was perhaps a little too small to be recognisable as a pot! The A6 ones would be good for a pinch of onion seeds. The A4 ones are good to put 4 beans in, one into each corner.

I think this would be a great idea as an activity at a school fair, allotment show etc 'Make a pot and sow some seeds' .

How about putting your post and instructions on the school board, or the DIY or a recycling thread. This is too good to be lost.

[flowertot]

What a clever idea! I'm well impressed. I used the peat pots for the first time this year for my auberines. they germinated and they spent a good couple of weeks doing absolutely nothing. Decided to transplant them into plastic pots last week in a last bid attempt to save them and they are happy little seedlings now with true leaves! Wont be using the peat pots again - will have a go with the paper thingies tho!

[Snadger]

I picked up some C cups from work, they have currently got sweetcorn in. I'm just gonna plant the lot as they are some kind of cardboard.

You grow sweetcorn in bra's?

[veggiechicken]

It just had to be done! Here you are. BigM!

[lottie dolly]

i like the colour VC,

[growyourowngrub]

We go through so many [esp when it's raining at this time of year as nothing can go out yet and things need to be potted on] that I make these. These are strong enough to hold the root ball for a few weeks yet will break down really easily once in the ground. You can even make a little box to keep them in until you are ready to use them...and I've blogged how to fold them [this is my 4th design and works best for people who find it hard to do fiddly things].

The Linear Legume: Washout - paper pots

ps - I hate peat pots too - far too thick and a complete waste of your money.

These are absolutly superb i posted this on my twitter yesterday, awesome way of using up the mountains of work scrap paper!

[lottie dolly]

so easy zaz,when you know how,even i made 1so will fill it later on at the plot,thanks for that,