Make your own seed pots...its easy!

Rita · #21 04/03/12, 09:31 AM

I used styrofoam cups and other cups and found them unstable when I was moving the tray. They would fall over and dirt fall out etc. With the paper cups they stay put. I don't move the individual pots until planting time so haven't had any problem with the paper breaking.

am1too · #22 04/03/12, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4nTN

I`ve heard of this but never tried it.I do think it`s a great idea.Would the ink hurt the plants do yah think?If you buried the whole newspaper pot would the ink be bad for the soil?

Probably a dumb question but I`m one of those old tree hugging hippie types,I can`t seem to help myself

Not so much these days. The ink has a different base. There are people here using newspaper as a mulch.

am1too · #23 04/03/12, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TxMex

I did this for a long time and it is very time consuming. Last year I bought a soil blocker from Soil Blockers, Soil Block Makers, Gardening-How-to Make Soil Blocks and I have been thrilled with it. Good germination, no waste, simply plunk the whole block into your planting hole. No transplant shock or being root bound. Well built...should last a lifetime.

The price of the blocker is your last expense and mine has already paid for itself. I got the one that makes 2 inch blocks.

I think this is what fishhead was referring to.

Essentially all that does is form a tightly packed block. So I'm wondering why one couldn't use anything to pack the material making a block. I guess that the soil block maker is a way to keep your hands clean.

I don't think one could move the blocks very easily without crumbling. Now all I need is plenty plastic coated paper conainters.

TheMartianChick · #24 04/03/12, 11:34 AM

We tend to save yogurt cups for starting seeds. Like others have mentioned, the newspaper pots sometimes fall over or don't hold up well until the plant is ready to be transplanted. Last year, I got a great deal on Cowpots. They look like peat pots but are made from composted cow manure. They were supposed to disentegrate once you planted them in the ground, but I found that it seemed to take awhile. I ended up breaking the pots up a bit when I buried the plant roots. I can't imagine paying for anything like that again, since I probably won't be able to get packs of them on clearance.

The toilet paper roll idea seems like a good one, but we save all of ours to make firestarters for the fireplace. I'm thinking that wrapping paper rolls (saved at Christmas time) might be a better idea because they are often a bit thicker/stronger.

EasyDay · #25 04/03/12, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TNHermit

I just cut toilet paper rolls in half on the bandsaw. 4 -3/4 cuts 90 from each other fold in a fill with a little potting spoil If you have a tray you don't even have to make the cuts. Just set them in the tray and fill with a little soil 1.99 for a 40lb bag . Everythig will bind as the plant grows. KISS

Paper towel rolls or anything like that. Cut'em as short or long as you want. Don't have a band saw get a cheap coping saw and one child of reasonable aged. OR a sharp drywall knife

I use TP rolls, too. I don't make bottoms. I just put them in a tray.
I use the clear plastic Strawberry boxes w/lids (like you buy berries in at grocery store) as mini greenhouses for my TP seed pots.

o&itw · #26 04/03/12, 04:54 PM

Newsprint ink is now made from soybeans.

Laura Zone 10 · #27 04/03/12, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnn2501

That would mean I would have to buy a newspaper.

Paper cups and cut off soda bottles work great.

If you have a hotel close by, they throw away all their news papers at the end of the day. If you call them and ask them to save them for you, you'd have 200 copies of the daily paper!!

moeh1 · #28 04/03/12, 06:50 PM

There is a description (link) on the site TxMex posted for a DIY soil blocker. Looks pretty simple - Thanks for sharing.

TxMex · #29 04/03/12, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by am1too

Essentially all that does is form a tightly packed block. So I'm wondering why one couldn't use anything to pack the material making a block. I guess that the soil block maker is a way to keep your hands clean.

I don't think one could move the blocks very easily without crumbling. Now all I need is plenty plastic coated paper conainters.

Nope, it doesn't keep your hands clean. If you properly compress the blocks they are amazingly sturdy....if you use the correct material. It makes 4 blocks at a time quickly. My time is pretty valuable and anything that saves me time is a good investment.

am1too · #30 04/03/12, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TxMex

Nope, it doesn't keep your hands clean. If you properly compress the blocks they are amazingly sturdy....if you use the correct material. It makes 4 blocks at a time quickly. My time is pretty valuable and anything that saves me time is a good investment.

Darn it. It rained all day. I'm really happy about that though. Just that can't do much while it rains unless you want to get wet.

So with all that water in my wheel barrow I throw in some screened compost. squished out the excess watter and put it in a seed pot pressed it and dumped it upside down on a plank. I'll see how well it holds up in a couple days. I might have started something new for me. Got a couple pick upi loads of the good stuff. Working on more. I get mine for the cost of hauling it home. Just to good to pass up. And I get all I can afford to buy gas to haul.

fishhead · #31 04/04/12, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TxMex

I did this for a long time and it is very time consuming. Last year I bought a soil blocker from Soil Blockers, Soil Block Makers, Gardening-How-to Make Soil Blocks and I have been thrilled with it. Good germination, no waste, simply plunk the whole block into your planting hole. No transplant shock or being root bound. Well built...should last a lifetime.

The price of the blocker is your last expense and mine has already paid for itself. I got the one that makes 2 inch blocks.

I think this is what fishhead was referring to.

Yep that looks like it.