How to Make Paper Pots for Seed Starting
Take that stack of old newspapers and turn it into DIY paper pots for seed starting!
If you’re looking for an easy and creative way to start your seeds for spring planting, and do some solid recycling in the process, then this project is perfect for you. Newspaper makes an excellent medium for seed-starting pots and they really couldn’t be easier to make. This project only requires a couple supplies and I can almost guarantee you already have everything you need lying around your house.
Check out our Paper Pot Tutorial on YouTube!
Advantages of Recycled DIY Paper Pots
Environmentally Friendly
This method will allow you to recycle newspaper that would otherwise end up in the trash or a landfill somewhere.
Easier Transplanting
It’s super easy to transplant your seedlings into your garden because you can bury the whole paper pot right in the soil. This will allow you to avoid having to remove your seedlings from the pot and potentially damage the root system. The paper will eventually break down and become part of the soil itself.
Adaptable For Other Size Pots
You can adjust this method of paper pot making to any size you’d like. If you plan to keep your seedlings growing in their pots for a little longer, you can simply make your pots bigger to allow more room for root growth. The technique is the exact same!
Inexpensive (or FREE)
I’d bet you have everything you need lying around your house to get up and make some paper pots right now! You don’t need any special equipment whatsoever. Just a little creativity and the desire to garden.
Supplies for DIY Paper Pots
Newspaper
Scissors
Shot glass (or something cylindrical of similar size)
How to make DIY Paper Pots for Seed Starting
You’re going to be amazed at just how easy it is to make these recycled paper pots. You could literally knock out a hundred of these in a matter of minutes.
Step 1- Cut Newspaper
Take your scissors and cut the newspaper into strips, roughly 3” wide and 10” long. Depending on what you’re using for your cylindrical object, the width of your strips may vary. The key is to make sure that the strips are about 1” wider than the height of your shot glass.
Step 2- Roll Newspaper Strips
After you’ve cut your newspaper strips, the rest is even easier. Take your shot glass and lay it down sideways, the lip even with one edge of the strip of paper. Now just roll the strip up around the shot glass.
Step 3- Fold & Lock the Bottom
Once your strip of paper is rolled up around the shot glass, now just fold the ends over around the bottom of the shot glass. Then, remove the shot glass and tuck the folds up through the bottom to lock them into place. This will secure the paper pot together nicely without the need for any tape, glue, or staples.
And that’s it, you’re done making your paper pot! Repeat the process as many time as you’d like and you’ll be all ready to go for seed-starting. Just for reference, I was able to fit about 40 of these paper pots onto one 1020 tray.
Step 4- Fill With Soil
The final step in prepping your paper pots for seed starting is to fill them with your soil mix of choice. I’m not an expert when it comes to seed starting mixes, so I’ll leave this one up to you.
I’m going to take the guesswork out of it by using an All-Purpose Pro-Mix designed specifically for seed starting, but I’m sure there are a ton of different mixes out there that will work just as well, so choose whichever one you’d like!
Conclusion
This method of creating paper pots for seed starting is fun, easy, environmentally friendly, and costs virtually nothing. You’ll be able to toss your seedlings right into the ground, pot and all, and the paper will break down into the soil nicely. So go ahead and give this project a try. You won’t regret it!
While you’re at it, make sure to check us out on Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest for more awesome farm and gardening content!
Happy Gardening,
Cody
Thistle Downs Farm
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