Paper Cups...

When it is time to move my seedlings out of the pellet pots, can I use paper or plastic cups? Are the cups big enough? What can I use without buying 72 pots?

Thank you. :)

Megan

I don't see why not. Be sure to poke holes for drainage. I've been busily making newspaper pots in the evenings while watching TV. Boring but free.

Okay thank you about poking holes in it. Great idea making them from newspaper, can you put them right into the soil that way?

Yeah, some of the plants I'm wintersowing don't like their roots disburbed so I'm sowing directly into the newspaper pots then planting pot and all. Never done it before but it seemed like a good idea.

how do you make them from newspaper?

This is where I got the original instructions. As I have sat doing this mind numbing task I've made a few shortcuts. Don't rip the paper in half, take single folded large sheet, fold again in half then in thirds length wise. Wrap, tuck and done. If I was too sloppy I tack it with a small piece of masking tape. Maybe you can think of more short cuts.

http://kasinhunter.tripod.com/howto/newspapersproutcups.html

i've used cups before. i used a drill to make the drainage holes, i just drilled through a stack of cups to save time.

Thanks Katie

I use the bottom from a pint size water bottle. I take a metal skewer (ice pick would work), heat it under a flame, and poke holes thru the plastic bottom of the bottle. It works great.

cups are great...best case, make sure that they have flat bottoms so that when you bottom water the water gets to the bottom of the cup. If the cup has a raised edge, sometimes folks don't put enough water in to let the soil soak up enough...then the excess just sits in the tray and is of no use.

I use plastic drinking cups with a flat bottom..poke about 4 or 5 holes in them and they're fine. (you can use a pick and do a bunch at once)

My tomatoe baskets are sometimes to long - anyway the piece I cut off goes into drill . The pieces make nice long drills

I use 7oz clear plastic cups. I grab a knife and cut (using a spinning motion) a hole. Right in the middle around 3/4 inch in diameter. I just that one hole for drainage. I love these clear cups because of the view it gives me of the soil and roots. Which informs me of when I should transplant.

I'm with Flaks. I use clear 9 oz. cups and they fill standard flats very well. Last winter I too made newspaper pots and what a lot of work. Sure, it passes the time, but not anymore.

Drill a few 3 or more drainage holes. Get an old board and do about 5 cups at a time or you can crack them to the point of ruined.

Dax

What about the dyes on the newspaper pages ?

Major newspapers use soy ink these days so no problem I'm told. I sure hope so 'cause I made a LOT of pots!

Soy ink is used in everything but the slick, glossy ads..you'll be fine with anything else.

I use the clear cups too...like to see those roots!

hi everyone i used paperpots that iv'e made from newspaper they work very well,put the pot right into the garden at planting time and have no transplant shock by the way there is a little gadget out there called potmaker made by Richters from goodwood ontario it is a wooden form that you wrap newspaper around i picked it up in gardeners supply catalog, or you can use any size small can the 8oz tomato paste can works well ,experiment with the size.....have fun

Hi cindilynn,

It's funny you mention the potmaker, because I was poking around on Burpee's website last night and they had one for sale there too. I didn't see it earlier this year, so I'm thinking it's something they added recently. I like the idea, but I'm not sure I would pay for one. The can is a great idea.

Megan