This how to post will cover the creation of small pots out of newsprint, perfect for starting seeds. The photo above shows stout seedlings of Cynara scolymus ‘Violet de Provence’, free seeds that came with an issue of the British magazine Gardens Illustrated last year. Since our issues arrive a month late in the United States, it was too late to start these purple flowered artichokes then. We didn’t know that however and planted some outdoors in the ground. They never came up. These seeds were sown on heat mats in the greenhouse on January 17, 2010.
You will need to buy the wooden form to make the pots. Ours came from Thompson And Morgan Seeds online, but they are offered from other vendors and most are the same size and price, around $20. Note: I bought the form, it was not free and I have received no compensation from T&M. I provide no link, either, you might have noticed, but you can find them yourselves, I am sure.
There are instructions printed on the box that the form came in, but we thought them a little vague.
You will need a newpaper, measuring device with centimeters or inches, a pen and scissors. You may use any section of the paper that you wish. Most newspapers are printed with soy based inks, and there are color photos throughout the paper. It’s okay to use those pages with colored inks, she says with optimistic fervor. A table top helps make the job go faster, but you could do it on the floor or any other flat surface. A newspaper from top to bottom was approximately 57 centimeters, the length called for on the instructions on the box. That certainly makes life easier, doesn’t it? To measure the height, we used a seamstress tape measure, the only thing we had that showed centimeters, and found that 8 cm is the same as 3 and a smidge inches. Let’s call it 3 1/16 inches. Make a mark at that height at each edge of the paper then draw your cutting line across. Make all the lines before cutting. I used one section of newspaper, about five sheets folded to make ten layers total. Our small paper came out exactly to three strips and the top piece when unfolded was the same height. This should make thirty-five pots with no waste. Cut across the lines with scissors and you are ready to roll.
Here is where the directions on the box are not clear enough. When you begin to roll the paper on the form, leave a nice space as you begin, or you will not be able to get the paper pot off of the form easily and may tear it. Continue rolling loosely, keeping the paper evenly on the form. After rolling it completely, straighten the edge if necessary, fold the bottom over the end of the form, having the loose edge in the middle of the first fold. Keep the top edge of the roll nearly even to the top of the wooden cylinder, below the handle. There will be about an inch at the bottom that will be folded to secure the pot.
Continue folding the edges over until it looks like this. It will be sort of loose around the wooden form, important so that you can remove the paper pot from the form with ease. The folds at the bottom can be tight, but don’t have to be as tight as you can get them. The next step will take care of that.
Fit the folded bottom over the wooden base. Push down hard and go back and forth with your hand, smooshing the folded paper into the base. After six or seven twists, the bottom of the pot should hold the depression made from the wooden base. Push hard without hurting yourself, for this will be done over and over again. You will get into a rhythm after the first couple of pots and it will go quickly.
The finished product should be able to stand on its own.
Keep your finished pots someplace where they will not get crushed. I use a shoe box and keep them in the greenhouse where they will be used to start seeds. This size of pot fits nicely into the saved four packs that Mouse Creek Nursery uses for their annuals. The plastic packs are perfect for our seed starting endeavors.
The paper pots are filled with moist seed starting mix. The seeds are planted at whatever depth is recommended, a little vermiculite sprinkled on top to prevent damping off and they are placed in a tray on the heat mats with a clear plastic lid. Once germination occurs, the pots can be moved singly to the light stand. Since seeds rarely germinate at exactly the same time, this allows for each pot to be moved without disturbing the others. Seed starting cell packs, usually with many individual cells are not as convenient. Jiffy Pots made from peat are not as conducive for growth as the bagged seed starting mix that is used to fill the paper pots. Purchased peat pots are expensive and do not decompose as quickly as the newspaper pots, if at all. The peat pots also will keep the precious contents from getting adequate water if the pot edge is above ground level when planted outdoors, drying out too quickly. This has been our most successful year ever with the seeds. Of course they still have to make it outside into the ground. The first shot in this group is of gold and orange swiss chard, backed by the Dahlia ‘Bishop’s Children’ that were sown in the fall, in the paper pots. The above is a seedling of lettuce Brune D’Hiver.
We have learned from past mistakes, and will not put the babies outside before ALL danger of frost and cold weather is over, if that is what they need to thrive. Being able to handle each seedling individually will make a world of difference in providing the proper hardening off. The cost of the pots, prorated against the cost of the form makes these the next best thing to free. Above is a mass of Hyssop officinalis, in a flat without the cell pack dividers for better use of the limited space under the grow lights. The artichokes from the first photo of this post are at the end of the row. These paper pots were also used for the winter sowing in milk jugs that wait patiently out of doors for the right temperture to begin growing. They will be planted right into the ground, with the roots secured and unharmed, growing right through the newspaper. Some roots are already showing in the older seedlings inside, so spring, we are ready when you are.
For other How To posts written by Fairegarden, look for How To on the sidebar page listing or click here.
Frances
We wish to thank The Financier for helping with this post by snapping the shots of rolling the newspaper into pots. A first time for everything.
Dear Frances, This is an exceedingly useful posting and most apposite in these recessionary times. For an initial outlay of around £10, you are able to produce pots for seedlings for a lifetime. This has to make sense.
I am sure that many gardeners will wish to follow your very clear and informative instructions. Thank you for taking the time and trouble for passing on your experience.
This seems like a good way to proceed. I also make pots from toilet and paper towel rolls cut into 1.5 inch lengths.
Frances,
Thank you so much for sharing this. I have been eyeing these wooden forms, and think this a marvelous idea. I appreciate your detailed instructions, and sharing your experience. The lighting system I purchased came with large styrofoam packs. It is wonderful not having to transplant everything as they grow, but with newspaper one would not have to worry about disturbing the roots since it will decompose. Also, the smaller pots would make room for many more seedlings! 🙂
I have looked at these pot makers for years and always wondered if they realy do work. Once again, very clear instructions and another very good way to put newspapers to use in the garden.
Thanks Francis an interesting post. I don’t often make them these days because I find I have become the dumping ground for all my neighbours surplus pots as sometimes I get some real beauties I don’t like to say no but end up with far more small pots than I could ever use.
What a great how-to post, Frances! Excellent directions AND photos. Makes me want to dig in the dirt NOW..lol! I’ve learned from experience not to rush into my seed starting ’til after St. Patrick’s Day…but will definitely try out this method. Can’t wait to see those gorgeous artichokes at full glory in your garden! 🙂
This post is a tab bit late for me as I was just staring at my cell packs of seedlings wondering how am I going to get these out of there without destroying the roots, lol. My husband is an avid newspaper reader so I have plenty of that, what’s not used to smother grass that is. I will be trying this for sure. Your seedlings look wonderfully healthy. Thanks for the tip on vermiculite, could have used this tip a little earlier too. Stop laughing at me.. Oh I have 4 pretty good size Lilium Regale up that you sent with a nice layer of what looks like mold…..hmmm. What should I do? I run the ceiling fan over them several hours a day. Should I put them outside in the shade….I know, I know novice gardeners…:)
What a handy gizzmo. I can just see the antique collectors looking through your shed many years from now, finding this gadget and wondering what in the world it could be used for. Along these same lines, I have been saving toilet paper rolls for the same use.
Dear Frances,This would have been an excellent task while the weather has been so cold and the garden frozen. I love the gadget and echo what Lisa says. It already looks like a collectible. About yesterday~ I spent the day with Priscilla moving to the country…But today it’s gardening time or at least some cleanup! xoxogail
Frances, I use these paper pots as well but I haven’t started seed sowing yet. Light it my problem as I only have windowsills for my plants. It is the growing on where I run out of room. I will start sowing seeds next month. I have a new heated propagator this year, looking forward to seeing if it makes a difference.
Best wishes Sylvia (England)
That is fantastic. Great job. Matti
It’s good fun making newspaper pots. I’ve not seen the wooden form before ~ I’ve always used a shampoo bottle to wrap the newspaper around and then smoosh in at the bottom. Great pics!
I have seen this pot making device in catalogs. Glad to see it works so well. I marvel at the number of seedlings you start every year. Good for you.
Frances – a great tutorial! We don’t subscribe to any print newspapers, and I don’t think I can roll up my computer edition of the NY Times! 🙂
We just cleaned out a big downstairs closet after the Musician converted our pharmacy son’s old bedroom to a music room. We installed some big shelves that I think can be fitted with lights for seed starting.
The Musician rolled his eyes when I made that suggestion! Go figure!
Cameron
Frances, This is a great instructional post. I’ve seen these pot-makers for sale, but hadn’t given them much thought. I can tell they’re a great idea, if you’re going to start seedlings. I’ll have to bookmark this page for future reference. 🙂 Thanks!
great work
i like your way
am willing to try it
should i but them outside or its fine if i but them in my home?
Very cool, I have seen those in catalogs, its nice to see the pots that it makes. I am glad you showed the whole process!
Hi Frances, It’s neat to see those in action. I use a cheaper alternative, because, well, I’m cheap. I use an empty metal can as the rolling template, and the counter as the thing to push in the bottom edges. I then use a spray bottle to moisten the pot before adding soil, and that flattens out the bottom. The extra moisture is also helpful (esp. in winter sowing) because the newspaper pots tend to dry out faster.
What a great idea. Thanks!
What a wonderful idea and a perfect example of “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle”.
What a great post. I had heard of these paper pots but wasn’t sure how they were made. I’ve tried the peat pots and they’ve never decomposed at all, I can imagine the newspaper does fairly quickly. Great idea for trying them with winter sowing too. The Financier did a fantastic job with the photography 🙂
This is a great tutorial. I didn’t have much luck last year with the tp rolls I used, but I chalk that up to the fact that I was trying to winter sow some penstemons that have exacting requirements. Maybe I’ll have to get one of those pot makers. It looks fun. I have good luck with the peat pellets (indoors anyway), but I learned early on to ignore the instructions and take the netting off when I transplant!
I must confess that I have a similar contraption lurking in a cupboard somewhere. Was given to me as a birthday present. Not being the most practical of people I put it to one side I am ashamed to say. Your clear instructions might inspire me to give it a go. Thank you for the information and kudos to the Financier for his photographic work. My Garden Illustrated artichokes are now looking quite sad after this winter 😦
I like this method. At this time I still have a lot of plastic quart containers that other people have given me that I’ve been using and re-using, but they won’t last forever.
Yet another reason to pull for the survival of newspapers in print. I feel so smug as I use ours in the garden in many ways…and here’s another one to try. I think I will start with the shampoo bottle technique, but I do love having “gizmos” that are nice to look at.
A very informative post Frances. I had seen this gadget & wondered if it actually worked. Now that I know it will I may just have to purchase one.
Thanks for such an informative tutorial! I’ve been eyeing those pot makers too, wondering if they really work. BTW, I found one for $14.95 at bountifulgardens.org and superseeds.com (Pinetree)…FYI.
What a great idea, Frances! I’ve never heard of this form before, but I’m going to look into it. Newspapers are in abundance here, and I’m always trying to find ways to recycle them without hauling them all into town. Over time, I can see that the form will more than pay for itself. Still too early here to start seeds; every year another lesson is learned from mistakes:)
Frances, lids are always off the milk jugs from the time you set them outside. Indoor sowers use domes/lids to keep the plants moist by trapping water they add. In winter sowing, you get the moisture from the weather (rain, snow) so the lids have to be off forever. (I’m assuming you mean the cap lid that you would remove to pour the milk. Or do you mean when do you remove the tape and ventilate by pulling back the top half of the jug? That’s when you a) have a seedling and b) you’ve have a high of 50 during the day.)
What a useful post. Yet another reason for good blogs – clear instructional photos.
I have always wanted one of those pot makers, they look so handy.
My sister makes long narrow rolls of newspaper for her sweet pea seedlings. I might give that a try, since I can’t find the correct seed trays to do that.
Great post, and super clear instructions.
Jen
Your instructions are excellent. I used clear plastic produce containers from the grocer this year.
Now I am looking at my store of plastic pots and feeling quite guilty 🙂
Your instructions make it look so easy. I agree with you about peat pots – always drying out and rarely rotting down.
I like this.
You answered my question as I read along, how swiftly they decompose?
I used the supposed quick to break down ‘peat’ pots last year, I say peat though they maybe coir or similar these days, anyway, point is they’re just not quick enough to rot away. The roots can’t always get out quick enough.
I think you’re right about coloured ink on newsprint. I happily chuck colour newspaper on the compost heap and don’t have any problems, well not that I’m aware of anyway.
i’ve had one of those gizmo’s for a few years and have used it off and on and the pots work very well.i have just one little addition to your very good instructions.i fold my newspaper in two before wrapping around the form ;makes for a stronger pot with a neater edge.
Wonderful “how to” post! I use the paperboard egg cartons for seed starting indoors. I have looked at the newspaper pots and have thought they would be fun to make. You make it look easy.
Sherry
I really enjoyed reading this post Frances. Thank you. What a nice project for a cloudy winter day. I’ve ordered myself a Potmaker!
Hi Frances, What a clever post! I love your perfectly molded pots. A great way to recycle paper. Terrific!
This is really good to know i love the idea of re-using my news paper. This will be the first time i will ever be using these home made pots.
Good luck to me 🙂 lol
I’ve just read this again. I might have a crack at making them, not sure if I can source the form though, may have to adapt something.
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I had bought a potmaker at an amish store and throw the box out with directions so my lucky day was when I found your instructions online. Thank you a million times over. Getting ready to make the pots this week and hubby is putting up my grow lights right now. One question- do you need to put your pots into a bigger pot filled with potting soil after the plant gets so big but before time to put in the ground? I am starting annuals for our Herb Society so I would like the plants to be a nice size when we plant them the third week of May in zone 5. Thank you again so much.
Mary Margaret