Seedlings in Paper Pots: A Pocketbook and Plant Friendly Transplant Method


By Kyndra Ferguson


It's that time of year again when every day promises spring and we all want to plant the garden. Trouble is that it's still a little too early and anything we plant will be in danger from a late frost.This doesn't mean that you can't start your garden though, you just have to find another method.

Starting seedlings inside is far from difficult. All you really need are seeds, dirt and some kind of pot to start them in. Of course if you are gardening because you want to save money or because you want vegetables that have been raised without the "benefit" of chemicals the job of starting seedlings is a little more difficult.

The traditional method of starting seedlings is to plant the seeds in little plastic pots in plastic trays,let the seeds sprout and grow to a certain size and then take them out of their pots and put them in the ground. This method has two problems; plastic pots are expensiveand often have to be replaced each year, and the tiny plants can go into shock when they are removed from their pots and replanted.The paper pot method eliminates both of these difficulties.

Paper pots are quite simple. They are made by cutting a sheet of newspaper into six inch strips, wrapping two or three layers of newspaper around a can, putting a small piece of tape on the side seam and another small piece across the folds that form the bottom of the pot. Four of these pots will fit nicely into the bottom half of a gallon milk jug. Fill the pots about two-thirds full of potting soil, plant your seeds and water well. Put the pots in a sunny window and cover with a piece of plastic wrap and a few sheets of newspaper. Turn the plastic every day, and keep the soil moist. Even the most difficult perennial seeds can be started by this method.

Once the seedlings have sprouted remove the plastic covering and water and feed as you normally would. You may find that you need to water less frequently since the paper pots themselves will help keep the soil moist. At transplanting time simply remove the tape from the bottom of the pot and plant the entire pot. The newspaper will disintegrate in a few weeks and your transplants will adapt to the outdoors much quicker since you did not disturb their roots by transplanting.

One additional benefit? In areas with a short growing season this method canbe used to start seedlings that can't normally be transplanted.

Get a jump on spring and start your garden today, with plant and pocketbook friendly paper pots!