Monday, December 31, 2007

I am playing today...

sI pulled out some seeds today, and found several cardboard rolls from tissue and paper towels that I have saved. Do all gardeners save all kinds of stuff, or is it just me?

Anyway, I use these rolls to make little disposable pots for starting seeds or cuttings.Step one is to fold the cardboard roll flat, and cut a slit on each fold, a little over 1" long. Then match the slits you made, and fold it flat the opposite way. Cut a slit there, and it will look like...


THIS!!! Four slits on one end.











Then you fold it, opposite flaps together, to make the bottom, and tape it. I usually use masking tape or freezer tape, (is there a difference?) as it seems to last better with moisture.

I will use a big rubber band to bind them together, or place them in a 1 gallon pot like from the nursery, so they are nice and snug. This is especially effective if I am trying to start seeds of something like peppers, which like it hot to germinate. Seeds like tomatoes like the protection from the wind that the 1 gallon pot affords too.
You could cut the rolls from tissue in half to make nice short, fat pots, or cut the rolls from paper towels to the length you need. They are especially good for starting cuttings that have a long distance between nodes, and you want at least 2 nodes per cutting.
Just put some medium in the bottom of a long (deep?) pot, insert your prepared cutting, then fill in around the cutting to the top. Water to wash out air pockets.
These will last a long time! When time to plant the transplants, I just remove the tape and push the plug of soil out. Or, you can cut them.....
Easy!

2 comments:

Amy said...

Janie, I didn't know about this blog. I am so happy you have this to share! I don't know much about seeds and propagation. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Amy said...

I just noticed this was from
2007. Janie, I need some more posts JK :). However, i would like to start more from seed. It would be a lot cheaper and I think it would be fun.