How to Create Seed-Starting Pots From Newspapers

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Summary: Instead of buying expensive peat pots to plant your seeds in, make these spiffy planting pots by rolling recycled newspaper around a glass or jar. The finished pots are sturdy and will break down quickly once they've been planted in the soil.

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By Willi Galloway
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Willi Evans Galloway loves to read, write, talk about, and teach people how to garden organically and grow their own food. For the past five years, she has worked as the West Coast...read more

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Lay a full sheet of black and white newspaper flat. Don't use shiny, colored paper as it may contain heavy metals.

  2. Step 2

    Fold the paper in half lengthwise twice to form a long, narrow strip of folded newspaper.

  3. Step 3

    Lay the glass on its side and place it on one end of the strip of paper. Roll the newspaper around the glass. The glass is used only as a form to roll the paper. About 1/2 of the strip of paper should overlap the open end of the glass.

  4. Step 4

    Push the ends of the paper into the open end of the glass. This step doesn't have to be neat and tidy; just stuff the overlapping newspaper into the glass.

  5. Step 5

    Pull the jar out of the newspaper pocket so you have the newspaper pot in your hand.

  6. Step 6

    Push the bottom of the jar into the newspaper cup, squashing the folded bottom to flatten. This step will seal the bottom of your pot. Once the pot has been filled with soil, the bottom will be secure.

  7. Step 7

    Pull the jar out and you have a finished paper pot.

Comments  

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tuffle said

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on 1/29/2010 Thanks very much for the instructions this will be far preferable to plastic waste!

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on 6/19/2009 Good idea I have some seeds to try this with 5*recc

miki999 said

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on 4/24/2009 Making small pots out of folded newspaper was inovative, but I wanted something a little bigger for squash and cucumber plants. I found the plastic can icing comes in to be the right size. Following your instructions, wrapping the newspaper around the outside of the can, setting it in a tray with just a little water, the larger pots support each other and stand up. I figure these seeds won't take long to emerge so the pots do not have to be real sturdy. I filled each paper pot half full with potting soil, a few seeds, another scoup of soil, a little more water in the tray. Do not water the top of the pots, just the tray. So far so good.

darlkay52 said

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on 4/16/2009 I love this idea! Will definitely try it! 5*

opalpearl3 said

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on 4/12/2009 This is a great way to save money and recycle newspaper. 5*

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