Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: JayG on March 04, 2010, 19:01
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Just thought I'd add my particular take on Richy's paper pot making:
The square section “template" is made from a piece of sheet aluminium (easier to bend than iron or steel), is glued together with araldite (because I wouldn't have a clue how to solder aluminium!) and measures 12.5cm X 4cm, which makes strong toilet roll tube-sized pots from standard "Yellow Pages" paper without any need for glueing or stapling.
1st pic shows a finished pot with the template placed on 2 sheets of yellow pages paper; note orientation of paper and position of template (also pic of finished pot).
Holding the edge of the paper against the template the double layer of paper is wrapped tightly around it.
What will become the bottom of the pot is tucked inside. (pic2)
At the other end four cuts are made down the middle of each side up to the edge of the template (pic3).
The cut flaps are tucked inside the template and the creases emphasised.
Congratulations! (Well, nearly, because your template is now trapped inside the pot!)
Lift the flaps to release the template, and tuck them back inside again using the creases to make a neat finish.
The more trouble you take with the corner creases after you have wrapped the paper round the template the squarer will be your finished pot, which makes them easier than toilet roll tubes for packing into trays etc. (although they are more “squishy” than TRT’s anyway, even when filled so pack together quite easily.)
I also find they don't get as "furry" on the outside as toilet roll tubes, probably because there is no glue in them, and also roots seem to be able to grow through them more easily.
The dye in the paper is harmless, although you could use "white pages" if you were concerned about it.
Obviously you can change the template and paper size to suit; these just happen to be the size which I find most useful!
Happy pot-making!