Paper Towel Roll "Peat" Pots

 By: Jessica S. Herwick

                                                                               This is a great trick that gardeners have been passing down for generations.  Don’t buy tons of peat pots, or biodegradable seed pots that claim you can bury them in the garden when transplanting.
Repurposing your empty paper towel rolls (or toilet paper rolls) to make seed starting pots is a quick and easy task that requires nothing more than a pair of scissors, a little water, and some fine motor skills.  An added bonus - just like the big name biodegradable seed pots, this seed starting method is one-stop-planting.  You start the seed in your homemade paper pot, and when the time comes to transplant the seedlings, you can plant                
                                                                                    the whole thing directly in the ground.  Try it out!

How To Make the Paper Pot ~

If using paper towel rolls, start by cutting them in half.
Toilet paper rolls are the perfect size already.
Make four 1/2 inch cuts to create 4 flaps at the bottom of the roll.
Make sure the flaps reach each other across the bottom.  You might have to make
the cuts longer than 1/2 inch to create a secure bottom for your paper towel pot.

Make four additional cuts, 1/4 inch long, one in the center of each flap.
Fold the opposing flaps into each other and secure in the center using the 1/4" slits.

Complete the bottom of your pot by folding the remaining flaps into each other and
securing them in place using the 1/4" slits.

Run the newly formed paper pot under the faucet to dampen the flaps at the
bottom. While the cardboard is still wet, sit the bottoms on a flat surface and use
a spoon to push the inside flaps down.  As the cardboard dries, the wet paper
will stick to itself and create a sturdy bottom for your paper pot. Allow to
air dry for 12 hours, or until all dampness has gone from the paper.

How To Start Your Seeds ~

Use a spoon to fill your paper pot with your preferred seed starting medium.  Check
the instructions on your seed packets for sowing depth if you're not sure how
much medium to put into the pot. Do not over pack the soil! It should be fluffy with
lots of room for the roots and stalk of the plants to do their thing!

Add your seed (one to a pot is best) and push down into the medium.  Note your seed
pack for depth!  Cover with a small sprinkling of medium and push down gently.
Do not over pack!  It should be fluffy with lots of room for the roots
and stalk of the plants to do their thing as they germinate.

Wet the medium so the water slightly dampens the cardboard of the paper pot.
Note that some water will drain from the bottom of the pot upon watering!
Note also that the paper pots are less sturdy from the bottom when they are wet.  I
recommend using a small plastic or terra cotta container (or clean yogurt cup!) to
prop and support the pots when planting.

Transfer planted pots into freezer bags with zip tops and label.
Seal top to create a warm, moise environment for your seed to germinate.
Note that three paper pots fit well into a sandwich bag.
Set above the fridge or in a quiet, sunny corner to germinate your seeds.
Open bag when seedlings emerge.
Hint: If writing directly on the plastic bag to label, do this before you
fill the bags.  It makes things much easier, and is the one step I often forget!

This Method Is Especially Effective With ~

* Pole Beans

* Bush Beans

* Any variety of Pea

* Tomato

* Cucumbers 

    (Transplanting is super easy - make your mound, dig a central space for the cylinder pots, and insert!)

For more information and ideas for repurposing your recycled goods to benefit your garden ~
http://philadelphiacountymastergardeners.blogspot.com/2012/03/starting-seeds-with-repurposed.html

Starting Seeds with Repurposed Recycling

By:  Jessica S. Herwick

With March in full swing, and April just around the corner, the time has come to prepare for this year’s garden!  Hooray!  This means starting the seeds you have spent the last few months collecting, drying, researching, and/or purchasing… if you haven’t done so already.  This also means that you will begin to see all sorts of fancy seed starting kits in your local nurseries and hardware stores.  Many big-name companies sell a variety of pricey, pre-packaged seed starting materials that claim to get the best results from your seed packages, but I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to spend that money!  

Budget the cash you would set aside for starter kits and buy more seeds. Instead, repurpose your recycling!  Discarded toilet paper and paper towel rolls, egg cartons, newspaper, yogurt cups, milk cartons, soda bottles and even your old newspapers can be used as fabulous seed starting containers!  You will be amazed with how many containers you throw away every week that simulate the very same properties as big-name growing kits on the market.  I encourage everyone out there to tilt your heads slightly to the left, and examine your recycling in a different way.  Look at the containers you already have available and think creatively about how to use them.  Included below are a few "how-to" ideas to get you started. Each week, a new set of instructions will be posted below to provide you with a new method you can experiment with every week throughout April. A new link will appear below on the days marked in blue. Note the dates, and stay tuned! 

March 30 ---- Paper Towel Rolls  One Step Planting!  

Great for starting beans, peas, nasturtiums and potatoes (from quartered starters).
LINK -> Paper Towel Roll "Peat" Pots - HOW TO

April 6  ------  Seed Tape   One Step Planting!

Most effective when used to prepare carrots, leafy lettuces, spinach, radishes and onions.  Many annual flower seeds are tiny and work well using seed tape as well.  The tiny seeds of most herbs also thrive when planted using this method.  

LINK-> Super Easy, Super Thrifty Seed Tape - HOW TO

April 13 ----- Gallon Milk Containers and Soda Bottles 

I prefer using these for tomatoes, since the tops can be laid back onto the container to create a greenhouse effect.

If you are concerned about cleaning your plastics, see Why Sanitize for quick tips on how to soak and sanitize plastic properly.  Click on the link below.
http://philadelphiacountymastergardeners.blogspot.com/2012/02/why-sanitize-spring-cleaning-your.html?spref=fb

April 13 ---- Egg Cartons

Perfect for starting herbs.  This is the only way I plant my herbs.  Lettuce also likes to germinate in egg cartons, from my experience.   You do have to thin the seedlings when using this method, but the number of plants it produces make it well worth the effort.

April 20 ---- Newspaper   One Step Planting!

Great for potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and other squash/melons.  You can fold the edges high and fill with a low soil line to support the vines as the plant grows.  Another benefit to the newspaper method is the easy transplanting.  If you dampen the newspaper, and loosely rip the bottom, you can plant the whole thing in the garden.  No need to remove from the starter pot!