Hi guys, hope you are all warm and surrounded by seed catalogs! I had an idea and I was wanting some feedback from you all. I never throw away cardboard tubes (paper towels, toilet paper) and have saved them for craft projects. I was thinking though, they are the perfect size for a transplant seedling to grow-it's about the same circumference of a little peat pot and will degrade in the soil. My idea was to cut them in half and then line the bottom half with a thick layer of newspaper, creating a bottom and then filling them with my seed starting mix. What do you think? Genius or bad idea? Thank you,
Tracy

I like to leave the toilet paper tubes whole, for long, deep root development...and you really don't need to line the bottom...the roots will air prune themselves that way, pretty well. Just make sure you have a nice watertight tray for them.

I use the entire toilet paper tube for artichokes which has a taproot that doesn't like to be disturbed. I also use them for carrots. I fill the toilet paper tubes with soil and place them in a deep container. My favorite container is the plastic ones 2-1/2 pounds of mushrooms come in at Costco. I can squeeze 18 toilet paper rolls in one container. I poke a few holes (very small) in the outter container for good drainage. I think I am going to use this technique for parsnips. Michelle

For certain crops I think it's a great way to get them started but I'd slide them off before I transplanted or they'll inhibit root growth. Sure the cardboard will degrade - as do peat pots - but both materials are quite strong and sturdy during the early part of the season when the roots are reaching out for open soil as fast as they can. Why bind them up?

A co-worker of mine suggested a cheaper idea for starting seedlings also. He suggested using a fish tank with it's own flourscent lighting instead of those expensive ones sold in the catalougues....what do you think guys?

By the time things go in the ground the rolls are starting to deteriorate so it is my opinion that it is better to leave the rolls on so it holds together better--also by that time they go in the ground some roots are poking through the rolls. Michelle

As an aside, the tubes make a pretty effective cutworm collar as well. I slit them lengthwise, then wrap them around the main stem of the plant I want to protect. I try to get it one end buried about 1/2 inch in the soil. A typical toilet paper tube is long enough to make 2 collars.

I think the fish tank lights are full spectrum and many gardeners use them. I think some even purchase old light set-ups

I think useing the rolls is a great idea, and as one of you said by the time you put them out side they will be parcially degraded from watering. I would think they fall apart easily. Even at that you could pull them apart when you plant outside to allow for the root spread.

Thanks for the idea. Great way to recycle and add to the garden.

Feather

Tracybelle,I did this last year and it worked out great.By the time the seedlings are ready to go into the ground the paper had already started to fall apart so I just peeled it off then. I used to have a lot more t/rolls when my 3g/daughters lived with me,bless there tiny bums I had hundreds. Now it's just DH and I ,but I have enough to start me off.Good luck with your plants.It's getting closer every day to the most exiting time of the year.You can keep Christmas give my seed planting time for the biggest buzz.
Good luck to you and yours
Mavis

Tracybelle,

It's a great idea. In fact it's one that's been brought up a time or two before, so know you are in great company when it comes to great ideas! ;\ Check our these links to past threads where it's been discussed. Lots of great info.

I personally have used TP rolls as well as making my own newspaper pots for the first time last year, and they didn't stop anything from growing. They may not be completely dissolved by the end of the growing season, but I'll bet that I won't even see a hint of the peices this spring.

http://forums.rodale.com/og/thread.jsp?forum=1&thread=7889

http://forums.rodale.com/og/thread.jsp?forum=1&thread=8166

http://forums.rodale.com/og/thread.jsp?forum=1&thread=7451

http://forums.rodale.com/og/thread.jsp?forum=1&thread=492

http://forums.rodale.com/og/thread.jsp?forum=10&thread=7229

Happy Reading
BG

DON'T STOP THERE MINIGREENHOUSE FROM PLASTIC MILK JUG ARIZONA ICED TEA LUMINARIES CUT THE TOP OF PUT TEALITES IN OR VOTIVE'S THEY DO GET A LITTLE HOT SO BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU DO IT EGG CARTONS ARE GOOD THE PAPER CARTONS NOT THE OIL CAN ONES .

About making pots out of newspaper, do you really need to but that $15 mold? I am sure it saves you money in the long run, but I am cheap. I can't bring myself to spend money on something to turn old newspaper into a little cup.

hi all i was making news paper pots today. i took news paper and riped it down the middle where the seam was folded, the half sheet was(23"*13"), i folded it into 1/3's the long way so i ended up with 23* 4" then i wraped it around a pill bottle took a little peice of tape to the edge folded the bottom 1 1/2 around the bottom them pressed it onto a table to flaten it put one small peice of tape on it. then slid it off the bottle. works really good i cant imagin it could be any better if you bought something speical to make it with. good luck

When I used TP rolls, I ended up with a lot of tiny fungus flies, and lost most of my carrots and onion seedlings (not sets). I prefer peat pucks myself (the expanding ones), even though they're about eight cents each -- they're tidier, and I don't end up yelling at my kids for turning the whole kitchen into a cess pit.

I have already started some "crazy" seeds in the juice cups I have saved from McDonald's. I just poke holes in the bottoms with a steak knife or a kebab skewer. My blue box programme doesn't take any plastics but 1 and 2, so they'd otherwise go into the garbage right away. My crazy seeds are the leftovers from seed packs given to me by people to whom they were given -- and no one has any idea how old the seeds are! That's perfect for the snow-bound gardener who's about to chew the baseboards off the walls....

I'm still eating the onions from last year's garden -- and I planted the smaller bulbs, that had already sprouted on my counter, in used disposable coffee cups. People think I'm strange when I hit them up for their empty coffee cup at Tim Horton's... Tsk. But I have fresh onion greens!

For drainage trays, I use those foam meat trays I can't recycle.