Hi Everyone! I am excited and a bit slow at getting started on my seedlings this year. I read a bit in a newsletter about starting your seeds in homemade newspaper containers, but they gave no information on how to do this. Does anyone know how? The article stated this was more frugal as well as good for the plants roots and environment friendly. Money is really tight for us right now and even saving a few dollars means alot. If I could get by with just the cost of the seeds and the germinating mix, I would be thrilled! Thanks! Misty
Here you go, Misty: http://www.geocities.com/dyanito/pots.htm http://search.gardenweb.com/search/?sp-a=00040229-sp00000000&sp-p=all&sp-q=newspaper+seed+pots http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/ho....htmhttp://www.geocities.com/dyanito/pots.htm âI had excellent results using cheap paper lunch sacks to hold potting mix and seedlings for transplant. A pack of 100 sacks for a dollar at Dollar Tree.â -- Jay Blair in N. AL in â02 I love the archives: http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/homestead/Countryside/Wc54e55bac0bc9.htm
I finally broke down and purchased an N Viro Potter on ebay this year. Before, I used a pint canning jar to form my paper pots, and held them in place with a strip of masking tape. I just pulled the tape off when I planted them. I've been using paper pots for the last 4 or 5 years. They usually break down by the time I'm ready to put them in the garden, but by then there is a pretty good root ball. I just scoop up the dirt and root ball and plant them.
I know of people that don't use any individual seedling containers. They plant in the cold frame or large tubs until the seedling is ready for transplant. Larger starts like tomaters need to be replanted at least once or more before its time for them to go out. I start with small plastic cups. I use a long drill bit to put a hole through a whole stack of them. When the tap root comes out the bottom I transplant to a larger plastic cup. I re-use these each year. I just clean them and soak them in chlorox water.
Wow! Great ideas everyone! I am going to try newspaper pots, the paper bags, and just some containers. Will let everyone know how well each one works. Thanks! Misty
There's also an article with directions you can print out at the Backwoods Home site. I'll warn you now - this method is only frugal if A) you already have a newspaper subscription or B) have access to folks who do. If you have to get a subscription for it, its just as cheap to go to Wally World and buy reusable (providing you don't mind washing them out) plastic. I have a true suburbanite set of parents.... They save me everything from tin veggie and dog food cans, to the little plastic containers their store-bought coffee cakes come in. That is what I'm using this year. I am also doing a goodly number of the paper pots, because my folks get two paper subscriptions, so all I have to do is go to their house and pick it all up for free. FREE IS GOOD!!!!! Enlist your kids (milk containers from school is what my Gram's used - I got laughed at quite a bit), your neighbors and anyone else you can think of. Sue
