This year my seeds aren't going to know what hit them. I usually wintersow my seeds because I fail miserably haven't found my sweet spot with sowing seeds the conventional route. Plus, I am a dirt cheap gardener.
However, this year I'm attempting to start my seeds in little homemade pots inside my wintersowing container. Naturally, I was on the search for the frugalist (yup, made up that word) pots possible. Enter the toilet paper roll pot. Talk about the ultimate upcycling! And everybody has these around. (And if you don't, I don't even want to know why)
Here's how to make 2 seed starting pots out of an empty toilet paper roll:
Here's how to make 2 seed starting pots out of an empty toilet paper roll:
- Foll/smash the roll in half lengthwise
- Fold/smash it in half lengthwise the other way (the end will look like a rounded square)
- Cut the roll in half, so you have two pieces
- On one end of the roll, make a 1/2 inch cut on each fold (4 cuts total)
- Tuck in the edges just like you would a box
- Fill with seed starting medium, and plants ahoy!
Another very popular way to make seed starting pots is out of newspaper. I don't even know how many pots you could make out of one newspaper, but it has got to be a LOT.
Here's how to make a seed starting pot from a newspaper:
- Fold a double sheet of newspaper in half lengthwise
- Fold it in half lengthwise again (sorry, the pictures don't show this very well)
- Find something round and about the size that you want your pots to be. I used a large spice container, but pop cans/glass jars/cups also work well. Make sure you leave a little space at the end.
- Roll the newspaper all the way around your container
- Smash the ends of the newspaper in as best you can
- Fill with seed starting medium, and plants ahoy!
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You can plant seeds in egg cartons, in clean, rinsed egg shells, in yogurt cups, in small disposable cups, etc. & etc. So go on an eggs & yogurt binge while reading the newspaper and collecting toilet paper rolls from all your neighbors, and you will be set to start one amazing garden from seed!
Have you started seed in any of these or any other around-the-house container? How did it work for you?
I am all for dirt cheap gardening! For my birthday last year, daughter #1 bought me a nifty gadget that made pots out of newspaper. It works well and saves having to repot seedlings etc as it decomposes in the ground.
ReplyDeleteI love your toilet paper roll seed-starting pots. Great recycling idea that I had never heard before. Welcome to Blotanical. CarolynsShade
ReplyDeleteWow, some great ideas. I like your practical approach!
ReplyDeleteI use loo roll middles a lot, though normally as cheap (free!) root trainers, hadn't thought of using them cut in half like that, must give it a go. Not so sure about the newspaper pots, I water from underneath using capillary matting, and am imagining them falling apart spewing compost everywhere... Great prompt to be resourceful though!
ReplyDeleteA very nice piece of instruction on how to make dirt cheap pots. I tried the loo roll on sweet peas in the past but they went mouldy. The newspaper looks a better option and a good way to recycle. May your seedlings thrive!
ReplyDeleteLaura
@ronnie- Wow! I had no idea they made gadgets to make newspaper pots FOR you. Neat idea!
ReplyDelete@Carolyn- Thank you for the welcome! I am really enjoying Blotanical so far.
@PlantPostings- Thank you! Practical tends to be my middle name.
@Plantaliscious- I'm not sure about the watering either. I remember making a ton of newspaper pots, but I can't remember what I planted in them or how I watered them!
@Laura- I've never tried the TP rolls myself - but I just heard of the idea and wanted to share. You'll have to try the newspaper & I'll have to try the rolls! :)
Dear Hanni, I always enjoy reading practical and useful advice for gardeners and I fully intend to show your posting to J, my gardener/handyman.
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased to have discovered your weblog and have added it as one of my Favourites on Blotanical as well as signing up as a Follower. i look forward to keeping in touch.
I love love your toilet paper roll idea! I also noted the cute visual aid of the paper flower for us more visually challenged types.
ReplyDeleteI'm making these tonight, just for the phone of it. Now... what shall I start...
Toilet paper roll looks rather cute.. Tried newspaper pot a few times...
ReplyDelete~bangchik
Malaysia.
Definately going to try the toilet roll idea. Thanks for great inspration!
ReplyDelete@Edith - thanks so very much! Hope that J will enjoy the post as well.
ReplyDelete@lifeshighway - Visually challenged? Whatever makes you think that? (LOL!)
@Bangchik- The toilet paper pot is *amazingly* easy to do. Really, 1-2-3 and you're done.
@Two Gardeners- So welcome! Hope that they work well for you!
Great idea! I am glad to see that your blog is up and running with blotannical. I am looking forward to getting to exploring your posts and getting to know you better!
ReplyDeleteLike your step by step on how to make pots.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried this, maybe because we start too many plants from seed but it sure is a money saver.
Now that's my kind of frugal... use and re-use. Never would have thought of that, but they are great ideas!
ReplyDelete@debsgarden- Oh, so am I. Thank you for the welcome. :)
ReplyDelete@Patsi- I have only in the past few years begun starting from seed...it is so much cheaper & it is very rewarding. Though I do cave at the garden center...
@Carolyn- hee hee, use and re-use indeed!
I have heard of the newspaper pots but not using tp rolls-sounds like it should work. I want to start some seeds-usually mid march here. I plant them in plastic meat trays from Wal-Mart with holes punched in the bottom. I add the dampened soil, seeds and put them in large plastic bags and put them on the porch-they get morning sun. My version of Winter Sowing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for leaving a comment on my blog! Appreciated.
Hanni this is wonderful..thx for sharing
ReplyDelete@Bev - yup, I'd say that's wintersowing! I don't do my veggies or annuals until march, either.
ReplyDelete@Donna- you are so welcome!
I had seen the newspaper pot before but the tissue roll is great. Finally a use for them! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGreat and cheap ideas to make seed pots Hanni, thanks also for the step by step instructions! At the moment Im using egg cartons.
ReplyDeleteI use all sorts of small plastic trays from meat, vegetables and so on. It's food-grade plastic so should be perfectly safe to grow veg seedlings in, and most have a good size to start up around 20 seedlings (depending on what tray you use, of course).
ReplyDeleteAlso, hi! Look forward to following your blog here and on Blotanical.
CUTE POTS!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this simple yet effective money saver. I'm going to start my new planters tomorrow :-)
ReplyDelete