The Potta System

[Muddy_Boots]

Just wondered if you have used this system for growing seeds, I have last year and had great success.

Don't know if it was a GYO or a Kitchen Garden competition but, I was expecting some plants through the post last year and came home from work to find the usual red card through the door from the postman stating it was too big for the letterbox.

Went to the sorting office to collect it and he gave me a very large jiffy bag which was rigid and thought 'what the heck is this'. When I got home and opened it there was these green plastic frames in a hessian bag with instructions called The Potta System, I guess I had won it from a free competition.

Its brilliant to use, here is a video about it:

and the website here, its explains it all but its better than using toilet rolls.

the potta system · welcome

Just thought I'd pass this on to you all.

[Guest]

Quite a few grapes sow in loo rolls or make paper pots. The potta system is a similar take but I have never heard of it before. When filling with compost use an empty milk bottle with the bottom chopped off and the lid off - it works as a scoop and a funnel

[Penellype]

Mmmm, interesting. I always struggle with growing things in modules, or rather I can grow things but getting them out of the modules is difficult. I usually end up with at least one of the plants falling out when I don't mean it to and breaking. So this idea appeals.

I have some turnips to sow soon and I was looking for a different method from the modules I used last year which were not very successful. Sowing direct is not an option just now as the ground is far too wet (it has worked well in the past). I think I will give this a try, using the square grid on a shelf from a blowaway greenhouse as a template rather than buying something at this point.

[Greenleaves]

I use loo roll centres and employ the idea from MartinH, place them in a tray and create a bamboo frame to keep them upright.

[Bren In Pots]

I use loo rolls for beans, and sweet peas, guttering for peas then newspaper pots for nearly everything else, I don't have much space so sowing in modules means I don't have any planting gaps in my beds.

[sparrow100]

I use loo rolls for beans, sweetcorn and sweet peas. I use my jam funnel for filling them - don't tell Him Indoors!

[Alison]

I've been growing all my toms, chillies, peppers and other small tender seeds in newspaper pots for donkeys years. Works really well. Use bigger plastic pots, root trainers or guttering for other things. Works really well.

[Bigmallly]

I think it's just another gimmick based on previous ideas. I really need to start using the rootrainers I bought several years ago.

[KevinM67]

I think I will give this a try, using the square grid on a shelf from a blowaway greenhouse as a template rather than buying something at this point.

That's a cracking wee tip - cheers.

[KittyColdNose]

I never had much luck with loo rolls, the best thing that grew in them was mushrooms! Don't know how they got there but they took over
I'm going to give it a try again this year and hope I have better luck... just have to remember to water them...

[Alison]

I don't use enough loo rolls to make the empties a viable option (only two bottoms in this house and we're out at work full time) and to be honest when I did use them I found newspaper much easier

[veggiechicken]

I don't use enough loo rolls to make the empties a viable option (only two bottoms in this house and we're out at work full time) and to be honest when I did use them I found newspaper much easier

My Nana always used newspaper too! Torn into squares and hung on a string in the outside toilet.

............I'm sure that's not what you meant, Alison - but Thanks for the memory

[Jungle Jane]

I can grow things but getting them out of the modules is difficult. I usually end up with at least one of the plants falling out when I don't mean it to and breaking.

Try using a teaspoon & scooping down one side of the module,you can then just place it straight in the pot & you only need to touch the tip of the leaf to keep it balanced.

Nice gift through the post! I made some newspaper pots once,they were good pots. They were in the kitchen,had runner bean seedlings in,but I was having a look at them one day,they were growing fungi & rotting down & noticed a slug within the paper,I'd used compost & can't think how that happened but it put me off,I just reuse my module trays & pots. If my paper pots could've been planted out sooner (the weather was a problem) it would've worked a lot better.

[Scoot]

I used loo roles last year for some of my parsnips and carrots, but without having a dibber, it became a right bugger to plant them all in my garden and a lot of them got chucked and i started again lol.

[Penellype]

I'm in the "don't use enough loo rolls" department, but the paper is a good idea. I tried using the grid from the shelf and it certainly held the paper rolls in place until I had filled them. They are now in the propagator complete with turnip seeds and I'll have to wait and see how well they do.