The nice thing is that the roots grow through the paper very easily and make transplanting a sure thing. You actually have aabout three or four layers of paper. You can make it thicker if you want but completely unnecessasry. When making them you need to overlap at the base by about an inch and fold this over . The bought ones are designed to comprss the base and hold it more firmly. It is this size which I think will make ideal little post for growing a range of plants for baby leaf salads. They could easily be grown on a windowsill. I made a smaller one of broom handle thickness. It is possible to fit 140 of these into one of the blue mushroom trays. I grew my shallot seeds in these very successfully with very few losses. I did actually make a longer one, more in keeping with the loo roll size. They were good with the runner beans and the peas and sweet peas. Mine didn't actually costme anything except a bit of time to make them, but I do like the way the design compresses the base. I have now used them for allsorts of seed growing. Generally the bigger the seed the bigger the pot. I don't think it would be worth making them any bigger unless you had a lot of very big seeds.
Bigal

"Bigal" wrote in message
...



The nice thing is that the roots grow through the paper very easily
and make transplanting a sure thing. You actually have aabout three
or four layers of paper. You can make it thicker if you want but
completely unnecessasry. When making them you need to averlap by
about an inch and fold this over the base. The bought ones are
designed to comprss the base and hold it more firmly. It is this size
which I think will make ideal little post for growing a range of plants
for baby leaf salads. They could easily be grown on a windowsill.



Using an aerosol can (or similar) with overlapped paper for the bottom, and
made as I described originally keeps the base firm enough so that soil
doesn't collapse it. Honestly. Perhaps I'm just a cheapskate, but when I saw
the price of the bought ones (even online) my frugalness leapt in and sought
alternative solution. The alternative works just fine and is flexible
enought that you can make pots of different lengths from it so you can make
shallow pots for things such as cut-and-come-again salads, and deep pots for
things such as carrots (so no disturbance of seedlings when potting out)
beans, peas..

"Bigal" wrote in message
...
The nice thing is that the roots grow through the paper very easily
and make transplanting a sure thing. You actually have aabout three
or four layers of paper. You can make it thicker if you want but
completely unnecessasry. When making them you need to averlap by
about an inch and fold this over the base. The bought ones are
designed to comprss the base and hold it more firmly. It is this size
which I think will make ideal little post for growing a range of plants
for baby leaf salads. They could easily be grown on a windowsill.

Thank you for bringing this subject up, Bigal

How many layers do you typically use?

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...

Take one aerosol spray can (polish, fly spray, air freshener.. whatever
thay are about the same diameter).

If you are using say, old yellow pages, take two sheets of phone
directory. Fold lengthways, but not exactly in half - leave about 1.5
centimetres extending at one side.

Roll the folded sheets around the aerosol with the 1.5cm extending below
the base of the aerosol. I find it easiest if the paper is flat and I just
place the aerosol on it & roll that way.

Fold the 1.5cm paper extension tightly and up under the base of the
aerosol can. Tap this on to a firm surface and this is enough to form and
keep folded in what is the base of the pot. No pasting needed.

Slide paper pot off aerosol can and voila - little paper pot. Also this
size happens to be fortuitous as 24 of the pots fit neatly in a standard
seed tray.

Very useful for those of us who have failed at gardening in the past at
the stage where seedlings need to be pricked out and potted on due to
natural cack-handedness thus killing off many a seedling. Using the paper
pots means 1 -2 seeds to a pot and no pricking out - just put entire paper
pot and seedling into new pot, final site etc. The pot gradually rots
down.

Some pictures to illustrate mine:-

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s001270309.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s002270309.jpg


Thanks for that, I will give it a go.

I have been doing origami type newspaper pots this year. Instructions he

http://www.geocities.com/newspaperpots/

Tim w

"Tim W" wrote in message
om...


Thanks for that, I will give it a go.

I have been doing origami type newspaper pots this year. Instructions
he

http://www.geocities.com/newspaperpots/

Tim w


They look good. But I am useless at following origami instructions..

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...

"Tim W" wrote in message
om...


Thanks for that, I will give it a go.

I have been doing origami type newspaper pots this year. Instructions
he

http://www.geocities.com/newspaperpots/

Tim w


They look good. But I am useless at following origami instructions..

But if you had it videoed... I could follow that.

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...
| They look good. But I am useless at following origami instructions..
|
| But if you had it videoed... I could follow that.

If you search for newspaper pots on youtube there are loads of videos!

"Tim W" wrote in message
news:h0p%l.45498 I have been doing origami type newspaper pots this year.
Instructions he

http://www.geocities.com/newspaperpots/

Thank you for sharing, Tim!

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...

"Tim W" wrote in message
om...


Thanks for that, I will give it a go.

I have been doing origami type newspaper pots this year. Instructions
he

http://www.geocities.com/newspaperpots/

Tim w


They look good. But I am useless at following origami instructions..

As am I, but 'im indoors isn't too bad)

One sheet of newspaper (not the posh ones) will make about 8 pots using the bought maker, and will wrap around about about 2 - 3 times. If you make one of broom handle size then you can get 12 to a full sheet. That depends on how deep you want the pot. This size is definitely worth trying if you want to grow and get the seedlings out quickly. A major advantage over standard pots is that you don't have to turn them out and have problems with roots. If you have a small rooting system you do not have the soil falling off the roots. If the rooting is large, they do not get pot bound as the excess roots go through the wet paper very easily. You could lose some roots on that one. And they do not fall apart very easily. To be honest I wouldn't be without mine now.
Bigal

Bigal wrote:
'Ophelia[_4_ Wrote:
;852311']"Bigal" wrote in message
...-
The nice thing is that the roots grow through the paper very easily
and make transplanting a sure thing. You actually have aabout three
or four layers of paper. You can make it thicker if you want but
completely unnecessasry. When making them you need to averlap by
about an inch and fold this over the base. The bought ones are
designed to comprss the base and hold it more firmly. It is this
size
which I think will make ideal little post for growing a range of
plants
for baby leaf salads. They could easily be grown on a windowsill.-

Thank you for bringing this subject up, Bigal

How many layers do you typically use?

One sheet of newspaper (not the posh ones) will make about 8 pots
using the bought maker, and will wrap around about about 2 - 3 times.
If you make one of broom handle size then you can get 12 to a full
sheet. That depends on how deep you want the pot. This size is
definitely worth trying if you want to grow and get the seedlings out
quickly. A major advantage over standard pots is that you don't have
to turn them out and have problems with roots. If you have a small
rooting system you do not have the soil falling off the roots. If
the rooting is large, they do not get pot bound as the excess roots go
through the wet paper very easily. You could lose some roots on that
one. And they do not fall apart very easily. To be honest I
wouldn't be without mine now.

Thanks, Bigal!

saved )