Making your own pot (that's seed pots)

[Damian Jay]

Thank you for all your replies and sharing your experiences.

As this is my first year attempting to grow anything I think I'm going to try both the conventional way and use the plastic seed trays AND start a few of each crop off in paper pots.

That way, if I fail at one version I'll still have the others :-) I'll be taking plenty of photos along the way.

I'm hoping to make a blog up shortly (another 1st for me). As soon as I've finished my work website
I'll be starting on the Lottie Blog. I think a blog is a great way to document and keep records of what I'm doing. Plus I've had great fun and learnt a lot from reading a few or the Grape's blogs.

[Kristen]

I guess I thought the roots can find their way out into the soil more easily. But the roots are always spreading around the bottom of the seed tray with them in by the time I plant them, I guess it's the same if the pot has a bottom.

I'm a "detail person" and spend far too much time contemplating such things! so FWIW here are my thoughts:

When I come to plant mine out the bottoms are soggy, sometimes disintegrating. Stands to reason I suppose, they are at the bottom and get / stand in the most water so deteriorate the fastest (conversely the bit at the top which gets damp occasionally and then dries out in the sun is like cardboard!). So any roots growing downwards should have an easy journey.

When I plant out I usually (unless the soil is already very moist) water the planting holes , and allow to drain, before planting. My thinking is that water under the plant will encourage roots downwards, in search of that water, and that that will improve drought tolerance later on. Hadn't considered it before, but it should also ensure that the pot-bottom remains moist / disintegrating and easy for the roots to grow though.

My take is that having a bottom to the pot makes it easier to fill (well, not just to fill but also to move onto a gravel tray or whatever - I do try to not move them again after sowing, until planting, by keeping them in a tray of some sort, but sometimes I need to rearrange them).

I'm leaning more towards the rolling the paper round something as it looks easier and quicker than the origami method.

I tried the origami method. Took ages, and I didn't see that they were any better. I make about 100 for Sweetpeas, 2 lots of 100 for Sweetcorn, and 50 for Parsnips. Speed / Time is somewhat of the essence. I don't make them before as they are a bit of a pain to store - bulky and they don't "Nest" - so as I am making just-in-time I don't want to spend too long at it, seed sowing is a busy time of year anyway!

I'm leaning towards making the paper pots for starting my ... peas ...

You need a LOT of Pea plants for a row. Not sure that paper pots are viable for that? I did them for Carrots one year (my Carrots always fork and peeling a glove-shapped Carrot is a pain!), but one-pot-per-carrot turned out to be way too much Faff, even for me a very high-faff gardener!!

Could I use the paper pots also for Broad Beans, Brussel Sprouts, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Leeks, Cabbage and Cauliflower ?

Yes, not really suitable for Leeks though, they are better grown as a crowd, reasonably thinly sown, and then transplanted into final position.

However, none of those mine being transplanted, so you could grow them in conventional modules or pots. Newspaper pots are on the verge of falling to bits by planting time, so present a few problems of their own. Thus I only use them for things that dislike root disturbance at planting, or want a deep-but-narrow pot (2" diameter 5" deep pots are very hard to buy; I'm not a fan of Root-trainers, but they would probably do fine as an alternative)

[Nicos]

Good here innit?

[Kristen]

I got put off when the leggy fungi appeared. But if that doesn't matter, then it doesn't matter...

I think they come about because of the glue in the loo rolls.

I have used loo rolls but, for what I use newspaper pots for, loo rolls are not tall enough. Kitchen paper tubes obviously fine, cut up into suitable lengths.

I use my Loo Rolls over Leeks as a secondary blanch later in the season.

They can be a bit bulky to store, here's how I do it - apologies to the person who suggested it to me, I've long forgotten who they were

also folded over about half a centimetre at the top to reinforce it.

I used to do that, partly because it stopped the "join" fraying apart. Decided that it was an extra time step and in practice I found I didn't need it, and also it robbed! 1/2" of height from my pots.

By the by, I tear off the top "ring" of paper when when I plant out, so that there is no paper above-ground, otherwise I found it acted as a wick and dried out the paper underground too, which presumably made it harder for the roots to grow through.

[Kristen]

Good here innit?

I ought to TAG my rambling posts so non-detail folk can filter them out!

[NatalieCooke]

Like Kristen, I do my sweet peas in newspaper cylinders. I make mine a bit thinner though. Here's how I do it: https://haddersm.wordpress.com/2014/...oon-be-spring/

That was three months ago and they haven't disintegrated yet. In fact they normally stay intact until planted out around Easter.

We too used newspaper pots for sweetpeas last yesr. Will used them again this year. Yes they do take a while to make but when your sitting in the garden with the sun warming you up it doesn't really seem like a chore.

[Veggielot]

I use toillet rolls, especially any that have long roots. I have used paper pots in the past, not so much now as I have built up a stock of pots but can be useful as you can make different sizes to suit and you can plant direct. They both rot but not before you have them planted when that is an advantage.

[Bacchus]

but i still use loo roll centres for beans.

I always start of my broad beans this way. I'll post a picture of the mound of them I have waiting when I get a chance. Other beans I plant in reusable trays and transplant when appropriate.

[Damian Jay]

Kristen,

Thank you for so much info, I had to look up a couple of methods and terms you mentioned.

thanks to everyone for your input as well. Lots to ponder on.

[Bigmallly]

Re Loo Rolls::::: Squash them longways, open them up, put the creases together & squash them again. You end up with a square loo roll.......................at one end of the roll, cut half inch slits up each crease. You can then fold them in as you would a cardboard box thereby giving you a closed bottom.

[Martin H]

I sowed some more sweet peas today and refined my method slightly to put bottoms onto the newspaper tubes as suggested by Kristen. Like this:



I'm worried that my October batch has grown too well and will suffer from being held back for another two months, so I've sown four more of each of my 8 types. I want to show off the results of my Ch1stm@s present, a label-printer gadget, so here they are all waiting to germinate:

[Kristen]

I sowed some more sweet peas today and refined my method slightly to put bottoms onto the newspaper tubes as suggested by Kristen

Be interested to hear any Pros/Cons you might have (when making/sowing, and/or when planting out). Ta.