[spongebob]

cant remenber where i reading about using toilet rolls as pots
i was thinking of starting my peas and runner beans of in them so all i have to do is plant the lot in the ground when ready

will it be ok to use them as pots
and can i just plant the card rolls strait in the ground in march
will be ok to start them of now on a window sill them move them in to cold green house when seedlings popped up

on the packs it says i can sow seeds out doors in march
 

[Steve.P]

Hi Spongebob,

It would be ok to start runners off in these, although i prefer larger pots, as these get quite large before i plant them out. I think its to early to start them off yet, best wait until march, then plant out after risk of frost has gone, about mid may. I use these tubes for smaller plants, cabbage, sprouts, sweetcorn. I cut mine in half then fill with compost, put a seed in each, then plant the whole thing in the ground when ready. Just be carefull when watering. If the tubes sit in water mould will appear, although i dont think it does much harm.

[philskin]

When you eventually plant out your plants make sure the top of the toilet roll is below ground level or it tends to dry the plants out ,acts like a wick or so i am told 

[DD.]

How many peas are you thinking of? You'll need an awful lot for even, say a 10' row. (120+).

[Njal]

I've been saving up toilet roll tubes for the past few weeks.
Not sure what I'm going to plant in them but I was hoping to use them in the same way as modules.

[DD.]

Hi Spongebob,

It would be ok to start runners off in these, although i prefer larger pots, as these get quite large before i plant them out. I think its to early to start them off yet, best wait until march,

Even March is too early IMHO. I sow mid April, but even so, last year some of my plants got nipped by the late frost.

[themoog]

I tried this for the first time last year and it was a disaster  , although maybe it was because I have to grow all my seedlings indoors. They dried out quickly, so needed tons of water, which in turn led to slimy fungus on the tubes. That I could handle, the most annoying part was that I was led to believe that I could plat the tubes directly into the soil (like the paper pots) and they would quickly break down, but when my plants refused to get any bigger, I had to dig them up again and tear the rolls off, losing some of the plants in the process  .

Maybe I was using the wrong sort of loo rolls (Sainsbury's recycled dont 'cher know  )!

[nipper31]

I tried this for the first time last year and it was a disaster  , although maybe it was because I have to grow all my seedlings indoors. They dried out quickly, so needed tons of water, which in turn led to slimy fungus on the tubes. That I could handle, the most annoying part was that I was led to believe that I could plat the tubes directly into the soil (like the paper pots) and they would quickly break down, but when my plants refused to get any bigger, I had to dig them up again and tear the rolls off, losing some of the plants in the process  .

Maybe I was using the wrong sort of loo rolls (Sainsbury's recycled dont 'cher know  )!

I didn't have any luck with this method either, mine went very mouldy and a bit smelly so I had to throw a lot of my "seedlings" away and start again in plastic pots     
Mine were Asda's own brand ...?

[staffygirl]

 :nowink:no you got to use andrex  :nowink:they dont work neither go all mouldy.

[richyrich7]

Hi Spongebob,

It would be ok to start runners off in these, although i prefer larger pots, as these get quite large before i plant them out. I think its to early to start them off yet, best wait until march,

Even March is too early IMHO. I sow mid April, but even so, last year some of my plants got nipped by the late frost.

Listen to DD. it is too early for runners mid April's about right, your not too far from us. I wouldn't have thought the climate was overly different. Even mid April I end up with 3 footers by the time they go out, 1st week of June 

As for loo rolls a lot of them have been impregnated to retard the growth of fungi etc. I'd not take the risk. Paper pot's is the way IMHO 

[AndyRVTR]

The best thing to use loo roles for IMHO is to lengthen the white of leeks.. I have never used any as pots, a bit too faffy for my own taste, I'd rather sow in trays and prick out later...  

[DD.]

Tried loo rolls once.

Grew nice fungi and only about 20 of the 100 sweetcorn I planted germinated. 

[Stripey_cat]

I use newspaper pots - they're a nuisance to keep watered, but they don't grow mould and they break down in the soil.

Peas can go in now, or broad beans (both are pretty hardy plants), but especially for peas you want a lot of plants (about every two inches in a wide block the length of the row you want).  Why not use either a length of guttering, or those plastic punnets you can buy mushrooms in, and then take the end off and slide the whole lot out into your row?

[Stoatus]

Worked for me with parsnips last year. Watered from below and sprayed with copper fungicide when any mould appeared.

[cooperman]

I used them once - never again....nuff said