Making Paper Seedling Pots

bruce westfall
#1. May 28th, 2010, at 2:55 AM.

just a few video observations. you were almost 4 minutes into the video before starting to demonstrate. Then you put down the camera and blocked the view with your hand.

James Cameron has nothing to fear from you yet. Although Wormatar 3D would be cool.

thank you for not filling ALL the pots on video.

perhaps next time brief and succinct with a tripod would be really nice.

Keep them coming, though. I watch them all!

Paul from Winnipeg
#2. May 28th, 2010, at 2:56 AM.

This is a great post Bentley! I too am really focused on getting my garden in and this is a great alternative to peat pellets. I see you can really produce many in a short time as well. I’m off to go find the right sized container!

mike
#4. May 28th, 2010, at 3:37 AM.

You just saved me from spending 20$ on a tool from a garden magazine to make the same thing! My only concern is that the plants would get root bound until the newspaper disintergrates. I might cut out the bottom when transplanting. Great post!

Anna
#6. May 28th, 2010, at 11:28 AM.

Bentley, which gardening zone are you in? (Or is this too much information to divulge to the online world?).

One trick I read about in Organic Gardening this year is that you can add a little all-purpose flour to your potting mix. This will provide enough glue to hold your potting mix together if you need to take it out of the pot before putting it in the ground.

Good luck with your yard-long beans. Mine were a miserable failure when I tried them last year. Perhaps if you have success, I will try them again next year.

Don
#7. May 28th, 2010, at 12:53 PM.

as for concerns about getting root bound, you could just as easily pull out the plant and soil ball from the container just like you would do if the plant was seeded in a plastic container and transplant just the plant and soil. Then just toss the paper cups into your worm bin with no further muss.

Anita
#8. May 28th, 2010, at 1:10 PM.

Bentley,

I’ve made paper pots before. You need not worry about the seedlings getting root bound. Newpaper, when wet, is easy for the roots to break through. When you plant them they will have many many roots shooting out through the paper.

Last time I used a toilet paper tube to roll tall narrow pots in hopes of encouraging deeper roots at the get go. This year I purchased the “tool” for making them. You don’t need it, but it does speed things up.

Anita

Barb V.
#9. May 28th, 2010, at 2:28 PM.

Thanks for passing along a very frugal and useful garden tip. I make larger newspaper ‘pots’, for starting cuttings, using juice bottle as template. BTW .. I think that Bruce meant to give constructive help rather than a ‘thrashing’ … you were kidding, right? But however you do it, keep those videos coming. You don’t bore with music, as so many other of these u-tube videos do, who try to imitate Hollywood. And you get to the point quickly…much appreciated.

John Duffy
#11. May 29th, 2010, at 2:35 AM.

What a great idea! I think my grand kids would have a blast making these. I’m still trying to get enough compost added to my daughter’s garden to get the soil to resemble something less like concrete.
Thanks again, Bentley…Always look forward to your videos
Have a great weekend all you wormers!

Angelina
#12. May 31st, 2010, at 6:58 PM.

Thanks for taking the time to show us how to make pots. I tired this once and I think my newspaper was too thick. I will try it with the old phonebook next time.

I had to giggle seeing a spoon in your dirt mixture. I agree with you….try not to let your wife see this video. We women get upset seeing our flatware used for other means than eating purposes!