cheap peat pots?

What is a cheap source for small peat pots?

how long does it take for them to breakdown?

We used the coconut pots this year and I wasn't all that thrilled with them, even though they were cheap. I am going to stick to the plastic pots (we keep them every year from the annuals we buy) and reuse them for as many seasons as we can. Using peat is getting to be a no-no these days as everyone realizes its not as readily renewable as we all first thought.

what didn't you like about the coconut pots? I saw those at a Dollar General I think?

I haven't found the peat pots to be that easily degradable. Like, TMaple, I keep the ones from the nursery and reuse them. Works fine for me, and they were free. Once in a while, I have something that grew mold or whatever. These pots I just throw away including the potting soil in them, otherwise I don't have any problem reusing them and don't find it necessary to wash or sterilize them.

Karen

I use paper pots made out of newpaper. They work great. You can buy a paper pot maker on various garden sites or you can just use a soup can to wrap newspaper around. I usually use about 6 to 8 inches tall by the entire width of the newpaper , cut into strips. Then I wrap the base of the soup can leaving a few inches overhanging. To make the bottom of the pot, you fold the bottom overhanging paper over the bottom of the soup can. i cut about half inch strips all the way around, fold them inward and then secure with a small peice of tape, that you can remove at planting time. The paper degrades readily and it also helps keep the new plant roots moist once they are planted. Or you can remove the entire thing easily when you are ready to plant. Very cheap source for 2 inch pots.

I have seen the "paper pot" makers before, I think that's a great idea. The coconut pots would come unwoven as they got wet. Also, I had some seedlings in them for quite sometime and never had a root poke through them. Made me wonder how well the the roots would spread through them when they are transplanted. One more thing, I know they are supposed to be easily biodegradable but I have had some sitting in a pile of wet and dirt and stuff out in our yard and the are still pretty solid. If you use them I would recommend taking the plants out of them before transplanting and if you are going to compost them I would cut them up or shred them.

I usually just reuse pots that I seem to accumulate too. Always seems to be plenty of things that come in plastic containers that can be reused as pots too. Make sure to make holes in the bottom for drainage!
I like the idea of the newspaper pots too.

thanks for all the ideas guys, I got some peat pots from Home Depot last night but I think I'll return them and focus on the newspaper pots. Are they something that can be made with telephone book pages taped together? I don't get the paper but I do have about a dozen telephone books that have been on a shelf in my office. Or should I just shred the phone book pages for compost and start collecting newspaper to make pots on winter days that I can't be outside?

Phone books sometimes come in different sizes, but looking at mine I think the pages would be an ideal size for small paper pots.

I was unhappy with peat pots. After following the instructions to tear off the top edge and be sure that the pot was completely buried they still did not degrade properly. Many were still intact when I dug them up later after the plants died. The peat pots did not degrade enough that the roots were able to beyond the confines of the pots.

The pot makers, while cute, are rather pricey, I think, for what you are getting. Using a small juice can, soup can, or small tomato sauce can seems to work better anyway for most folks.

Good luck,

Karen

Making paper pots is a great thing to do when you can't be outside. I personally made mine (probably about 300) while watching Tivo'd episodes of the X-files. (haha) back in January and February.

I think the telephone book would work just fine. Experiment with it and see what works best for you. And I agree with glendalekid, the potmakers are about 16 bucks versus a tomato sauce can that is about 50 cents. Its basically the same width etc. So might as well go with the cost savings all around!

Good Luck,
Susan

I am watching every penny so $15.50 (plus being able to use the contents of the tomato can!) is important!

Now you mean the little tomato paste can, right?

I'm thinking you can use any size can you want. I personally would use a small tomato sauce can (vs. tomato paste can). I think that is about the same size as the potmaker.

I, too was thinking of the small tomato sauce can. It's 6 oz. or 4 oz., something like that. My daughter bought one of those pot makers several years ago, and it's just about the size of that small can. The can is, I think, maybe a quarter of an inch bigger in diameter, but it's really close. Just decide how big you want the paper pots to be and buy something in a can that size.

The pot maker is in two pieces. The part that you roll the newspaper strips around and then fold the ends across the bottom up has a handle-type knob on it. Then you jam this, with the newspaper strips around it, down into the other piece which forms the pot. Problem is I've read on DG where the bottom of the pot doesn't stay closed well without a piece of tape. So, you might as well roll it around an appropriate sized can, squash up the bottom, and tape it. The pot makers run from 16.25-19.00, plus shipping if you buy one on line.

The other thing is the kind of tape to use. Cellophane tape will have to be removed before you plant the pot. What about the old-fashioned paper mailing tape? Would that stay stuck when the bottom of the pot gets wet? If not, what about paper masking tape? That should biodegrade, and you wouldn't have to remove it. Just a thought.

Karen

We used to make the newspaper pots when I was a kid and every nickel counted. Easiest thing in the world to just use an inch of tape at the bottom to hold it together. Best of all, when it was time to transplant, it was already kind of degraded, so the plants had a VERY easy time sending out the roots.

I'd never heard of making pots out of newspaper and am really intrigued by the idea, but I was wondering--doesn't watering turn the paper to mush before the seedlings are ready to be transplanted?

I've not used them, but apparently it doesn't. Maybe it works because you're using several layers of newspaper.

Karen

Interesting subject. There is actually a video about making newspaper pots on this site! check it out here. http://davesgarden.com/guides/video/

im trying this with vining plants that dislike being transplanted. i hope it works because i want to me able to get some slightly earlier squash!

Andrew

The small peat pots must be cut through vertically about 3 times, evenly spaced around the pot, when you are ready to plant. I use a utility knife (box cutter). I also remove the peat bottom and make sure the roots are loosened to work into the soil. I don't know how long it takes for them to decompose. But many plants come in those little peat pots so I use them in those circumstances.

After watching the video (thanks, linux_guile) it seems to me to be even more likely that newspaper pots would dissolve in short order because he only uses a single layer of paper and--if I understand correctly--says that you should leave the pots sitting in water and add more as it is absorbed by the plant. I think I'll just try making and using some next spring and see what happens. Plenty of folks use them, so they obviously work satisfactorily. The idea of not having to transplant from plastic pots or buy peat pots sure is appealing.

When I made my paper pots this spring, they were just as durable as those seed starting jiffy pots. I'd guess after rolling the paper around the can several times it will have 3 to 4 layers of paper. I started about 300 plants of all kinds using these paper pots and since it was so easy to do, I plan on doing them again next year. I also used a small piece of tape on the side and on the bottom to secure it. I just removed the tape when I was ready to plant.
I also used these with a bottom watering system in my basement under some grow lights. They worked out great.
Hope this helps.

I use the paper pot maker also. You can buy one here for 12.95 at the time of this posting: http://www.seedandgarden.com/store/product/paper-potmaker-1030.cfm

This message was edited Jul 17, 2008 4:42 PM

I wish I would have read this serveral months ago.. This was my first year at starting a garden from seeds. Not knowing if I would be any good at it ... i WAY over planted ... i read up on thining but I could not do it... So i was left with over 300 little plants all growing and needing to be seperated (i put 10 seeds in each little popsicle thing) so after a couple weeks I was loosing my mind with what to do.. and having NO idea what was what because I did not lable anything either...i spent a small fortune on dixie plastic cups. Well i had 300 of them... I think it will always crack me up - I had room for 20 plants - and planted some 400 seeds... just hoping 1 or 2 would live. I did find homes for all my plants and did get a couple donations (LOL) but I will definatly make paper pots next year...
Thanks for the info!!

If anyone would like to see what over 300 plants in dixie cups looks like.... i have plenty of pictures... It will always be good for a laugh!!

Peat pots do not break down in time for the roots. I will never use them again.

Anyone use soil blockers?

http://www.groworganic.com/item_GP044_Soil_Blockers__2_Blocker_4_Block.html

Initial cost is high but I'm tempted to try them.

I Would think that this would also limit the roots. I mean you are compacting the soil to form a block. Of course i have seen weeds popping out of my asphalt! Let us know how it works for you. Next year I'm going back to deep cell plastic.

From what I read, the roots are what makes soil blocking work. Have to mist at first or the blocks will melt away. But once the roots get going, they hold the cubes together. When the roots reach the end of the block, rather than spiral, the air prunes them. Believe there are pots with holes in them that do roughly the same thing.

Before investing in the (expensive) soil block tool and risking a late start if they don't work, think I'll try a few homemade soil blocks this winter and see how it goes.

David_Paul

I was going to suggest you find a cheaper way to do the same thing -- then I see in your last post that you thought of it, too. A thrift store whiskey jigger or something similar came to my mind. For the depression in the top of the block you could glue a thick button or hex nut inside it.

If your seeds are slow starting types, you will be misting daily for a long time. For me at least, I know I would forget to do that -- and there goes the whole project. Hmmm, maybe putting a little "tent" over the whole tray would reduce the need for misting so often.

Karen

Karen....humidity domes should work. Good idea with the shot glass. Worth experimenting around. Spent a lot on plastic trays last year (and didn't take the good care of them so all would last another year I told myself I would).

I still don't believe it. What do you all use to start your seeds? I understand the benefit of root pruning and there are pots designed for this purpose. But these are for larger established trees and shrubs, Seedlings need a lose loamy soil, and to be up-potted on a regular basis. At least that is what I believe. Worst decision I ever made was planting in peat pots and expecting the roots to overcome.

Tomatoes certainly benefit from potting up. From "Root Development of Vegetable Crops":

Transplanting or potting of (tomato) seedlings tends to modify the natural taproot system into a more or less fibrous one, due to the injury to the taproot. The change in the root system is really very profound . . .

http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010137veg.roots/010137ch26.html

Read other plants do not benefit.