Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Growing FAQs and other Information => Topic started by: richyrich7 on January 07, 2008, 21:32

Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on January 07, 2008, 21:32
Making paper pots the easy way.

You need a sheet of news paper and an aerosol can with a concave bottom

1) tear your paper sheet in half down the middle.

(http://chat.allotment-garden.org/gallery/705-020720162349.jpeg)

2) fold in half top to bottom and again,depending on your newspaper you should find it’s about half the length of the can.

(http://chat.allotment-garden.org/gallery/705-020720162734.jpeg)

3) place the can on the paper so that approx 1/3 of the paper over hangs the bottom

(http://chat.allotment-garden.org/gallery/705-020720163220.jpeg)

4) roll the paper tightly around the can

(http://chat.allotment-garden.org/gallery/705-020720163729.jpeg)

5) crush the over hanging paper into the bottom of the can, I then crush it down onto a hard surface.

(http://chat.allotment-garden.org/gallery/705-020720164115.jpeg)

(http://chat.allotment-garden.org/gallery/705-020720164417.jpeg)

6) remove paper pot.

(http://chat.allotment-garden.org/gallery/705-020720164942.jpeg)

You can staple the flap if required and by playing around with the size of the paper you use you can alter the depth of the pot, change the size of the can and you change the diameter of your pot, easy !

Youtube video now added may be of help Paper pot making (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A3PRaa1_4o)
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on January 08, 2008, 22:34
Once they are full of potting medium they sit quite happily but I tend to put them in a tray next to each other anyway, they break up quickly on planting out  unlike peat pots. 

They don't go mushy, I use a cheap seed tray ( with holes ) or even better one of them blue plastic baskets that green grocers use or for loads how about a bread basket.

You can water as normal etc I have found they stand up to normal use esp if they are standing together in trays etc.
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Aunt Sally on March 08, 2008, 17:57
Well Rich,  I've made some of your newspaper tubes to grow some broad beans in to fill in the gaps in my over wintered ones.  I think a lot of them rotted in the very wet ground.

I made them nice and deep to give plenty of space for the beans very deep roots.

(http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff221/Aunt__Sally/Richysplanttubes.jpg)


I wrapped the outside of the paper pots with clingfilm once in the tray (right around the outside), to prevent them drying out too much.  An you can see the roots are coming through the newspaper.  It was so easy to dig a hole with a trowl and drop them into the ground newspaper and all.  Absolutly no root disturbance.

I'll be using this method for other deep rooted plants and things whch don't like root disturbance - Sweetcorn springs to mind.

Many thanks for your great idea Rich  :D
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: pedro on March 10, 2008, 23:03
if you fold in the top quarter inch or so it stops the flappy bit sticking out and make it a bit stiffer.
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: sharky on March 12, 2008, 22:16
Paper pots are a very good idea!

Out if interest, how do they stand up to watering and how long should they last before going into the ground?
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Aunt Sally on March 12, 2008, 22:20
They held together OK for my broad beans. and the roots were coming through the paper nicely  :D
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Stripey_cat on March 13, 2008, 14:17
Last time I tried this (it always worked fine for my Mum), the paper rotted and took the seedlings with it in the end.  There was this gross white slime over everything.  What did I do wrong (I think I had a double thickness of paper, for instance), or was I just unlucky?
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Aunt Sally on March 13, 2008, 14:18
Sounds like you kept them too wet to me.
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on March 16, 2008, 21:31
Quote from: "Aunt Sally"


I'll be using this method for other deep rooted plants and things whch don't like root disturbance - Sweetcorn springs to mind.



I'm tempted to give Parsnips ago, being notorious to germinate and they don't like transplanting, I reckon if you ripped open the bottom on planting it may work.
Title: paper pots
Post by: gus on March 19, 2008, 12:22
I just got the new yellow pages and as we can't put the old one in to the recycling box do you think i could use the paper to make pots?
Title: Re: paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on March 19, 2008, 13:58
Quote from: "gus"
I just got the new yellow pages and as we can't put the old one in to the recycling box do you think i could use the paper to make pots?


Yes I'd give it a go  :D
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: nipper31 on March 19, 2008, 15:00
Quote from: "compostqueen"
nowt wrong wi bog rolls  :roll:      :D


I've sown leeks and parsnips in loo roll tubes but they're going a bit mouldy now :cry:   Does the same thing happen to the paper-pots  :?:
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Bombers on April 17, 2008, 22:40
Quote

Aint this great!! we start off with an idea and people think about it & it gets better & better Cool

Yup.
Just planted out those parsnips mate. found out that if I watered the pots well
10-15 mins before planting, i could un-wrap the paper pot, and using a bulb planter to create the hole, I could just drop the contents, whole without any disturbance to the plant.... then push the soil around them to firm in. As you say it gets better and better. 8)
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on November 04, 2008, 21:52
Just rip the bottoms off them before planting.

These were started off in paper pots
(http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u111/richyrich66/DSC00010.jpg)
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Sweet Pea 2 on January 26, 2009, 12:54
gosh I am going to try these, excellent idea.  I take it you can use indoors and then plant outdoors.  Do you plant outside in the pots and let them disintergrate, or take them out?
Title: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on January 26, 2009, 16:14
Leave them in the pot's you can tear the bottoms off if you wish, but usually you'll find roots going through them anyway.  :)
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Limey153 on January 28, 2009, 10:55
Excellent idea this, will be giving it a go for sure.
I was just wondering though (dangerous I know  :D), if I sow my parsnips in these paper pots in the greenhouse and then later transplant them, is it worth sowing the parsnips a bit earlier than usual?
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on January 28, 2009, 11:16
Excellent idea this, will be giving it a go for sure.
I was just wondering though (dangerous I know  :D), if I sow my parsnips in these paper pots in the greenhouse and then later transplant them, is it worth sowing the parsnips a bit earlier than usual?

I'd not do them much earlier to be honest, when I did mine last year by the time it came to plant the tap root had come out of the bottom of the pot and was quite long, I guess they must develop their root pretty fast. You could always try a few to see what happens.
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Mr B on February 18, 2009, 13:19
Hi All,
   I do not buy a newspaper but I have found a use for all those A4 sized sheets of junk mail that comes through the door. 1 sheet makes a pot the size of Richy's and if you cut it into 4 you get 4 mini paper pots just about the size of halr a loo roll core.
Regards
Chris
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: vortex444 on February 20, 2009, 11:11
Sorry to be dumb but do you just plant them in the ground in the pots and do the roots come through ok :blink:
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Steve.P on February 20, 2009, 11:22
Yeah just plant straight into the ground. If the roots can get through my clay soil the will get through a couple of layers of paper.
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Yorkie on February 24, 2009, 11:15
People have tried this with other containers, e.g. toilet roll tubes - if you look through or do a search I'm sure you'll find them.

Whilst some people prefer the inner tubes method, others found that the glue or cardboard sprouted mushrooms.  You also need to store a lot of tubes in readiness, whereas you can make a lot of paper pots from one saturday paper
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: WebSiteEvo on March 04, 2009, 11:47
These pots are great, although I have started to get mold on mine, so spreading them out more to let the paper dry out. Seems to be a fine balance between watering enough and watering too much... hopefully it will not harm the broccoli I have planted which has sprouted nicely.

Any tips on removing the mold (organically). 
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on March 04, 2009, 19:55
I never bother removing any mould I get, but to be honest I get very little so it's not worth the bother. Not sure how you could organically get rid of it I'd use Cheshunt compound but I doubt that's organic.
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: jazzbyrd on March 05, 2009, 17:56
With regard to a more organic solution to the mold problem
I have read somewhere that if you spray with some chamomile tea it kills the fungus/mold.
I am trying it at the moment and it seems to be working.
I used 3 teabags to 1 pint of water, let it cool and poured it into a sprayer.
You should make a fresh solution each week.

Jazz
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on March 05, 2009, 20:11
I have mine squashed tightly together and don't get any mould.

Me too and rarely any mould, perhaps it's a ventilation/air movement thing.
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: tam on March 06, 2009, 01:25
My latest two are growing mushrooms, they're about 1/2" across and 1" tall! Same newspaper but different compost to the others, maybe that's the difference?
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on March 06, 2009, 11:21
My latest two are growing mushrooms, they're about 1/2" across and 1" tall! Same newspaper but different compost to the others, maybe that's the difference?

probably its the compost then.
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: jazzbyrd on March 06, 2009, 18:39
 I dont get mould on the paper pots but when I mentioned the chamomile tea treatment I was referring to the mould on toilet rolls!! :) The mould on toilet rolls can be really bad at times!

Jazz
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Stree on March 14, 2009, 22:29
A variation on pots, with toilet tubes instead

A link to the toilet roll suggestion, its a video rather than pics.

68WFvrmPy4c
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: cAnAry53 on March 24, 2009, 08:50
Because of my somewhat heavy allotment soil i now grow my carrots and parsnips in paper pots and get much better germination and of course no root disturbance on planting out.
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Kristen on April 13, 2009, 21:39
If I plant a 6" (say) paperpot of compost, into a bed of muck, is that going to make a carrot fork?
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on April 13, 2009, 21:41
No idea but at a guess probably  :unsure: nutrients are water soluble
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: slider on May 01, 2009, 16:00
ive got my sweetcorn chitting and me and the kids are making richys paper pots tommorow,this might be a daft question but how full sould i fill with compost full,3/4,1/2.sorry for daft question but i want to get i right.
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on May 01, 2009, 17:03
ive got my sweetcorn chitting and me and the kids are making richys paper pots tommorow,this might be a daft question but how full sould i fill with compost full,3/4,1/2.sorry for daft question but i want to get i right.

I fill mine to almost the top just like a pot, about 1/4"- 1/2" from the top.  :)
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on May 03, 2009, 22:25
I do mine in these things.
(http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u111/richyrich66/100_0537.jpg)

Picture shows spuds, but they are the same ones I use for the paper pots  :)
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on May 03, 2009, 23:10
I wonder where you get them from :) (the blue trays that is) :lol:

Greengrocers  ;)
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: oldbean on May 06, 2009, 23:50
Also farm shops. With pots made round an aerosol can, the trays hold 35.
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: richyrich7 on May 09, 2009, 16:00
If it helps I've put up a vid on youtube  :blush:

Paper pot making (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A3PRaa1_4o)
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: chili on August 29, 2009, 16:04
also find the 2lt ice cream tubs good for standing the paper pots in :) nice n snug in them
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: pumpkinpatch on November 14, 2009, 22:15
I was wondering the ink of the newspaper would that be of harm to the plant and or ground?
Thanks
PP
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: Paul Plots on November 15, 2009, 03:39
I know this is probably a stupid question tot be asking and i only ask this because i think it was yorkie who said that carpet lets bad chems into the soil i was wondering the ink of the newspaper would that be of harm to the plant and or ground?
Thanks
PP

It's not a stupid question at all - it has been asked by quite a few people before and the general feeling on here seems to be that the risk of any harm is very minimal if at all.

I'd guess it would depend on the type and concentration of ink - either way no one seems to be worried / overly concerned. I will continue to use paper-pots confidently as well as put some shredded paper into the compost heap unless someone convinces me otherwise.  ;)
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: parsley on March 27, 2013, 06:43
I potted on my windowsill seedlings into these and they worked really well. Seem to be really insulating too to keep the roots warm (father in law is too tight to get double glazing  ::) ) and there's plenty of room for roots whilst we wait for the Ice Age to finish this year
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: sowitgrowit on April 10, 2013, 12:08
Paper pots have been working well for me so far this year, as well.  Planted a few bits out at the weekend that were started in them.
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: DD. on April 10, 2013, 12:17
Bury the lot!
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: sowitgrowit on April 10, 2013, 12:26
Oh, I did.  I didn't mean I planted things out, outside of the pot.

The pots were ready to drop to pieces, but held on just long enough to be dropped in a hole and 'puddled' in.  Should be easy-peasy for the roots to get out.  Splendid.
Title: Re: Richy's paper pots
Post by: hasbean on April 14, 2013, 16:44
Great idea - going to try it with celery.