PotMaker?

[ersatz_read]

Has anyone used a product like the PotMaker, to make plant pots out of newspapers

Comments

[manintheboat]

I start them in normal sized pots on the counter. The tiny things were too disruptive to the tomatoes.

[ersatz_read]

Yeah you're right; for tomatoes and peppers I don't use the jiffy plugs. I sometimes use them for things that need just a little bit of a head start.

[virginiadear]

I haven't used a commercial product like the PotMaker, although in my gardening past I have employed that principle, substituting various food cans (OJ concentrate, tomato paste for very small pots; soup cans for larger ones), and just pleating the portion of the newspaper that made the bottom in a kind of sunray pattern. For that to work out neatly you do need to position the paper so that the bottom edge of the sheet/s of paper will come to precisely the middle of the bottom of the can, but if it isn't neat and tidy it can still work

[ersatz_read]

I do origami, so why didn't I think of that? Good idea; then I can make them the right size for each situation.

[rhodielady_47]

You can also start your seeds in recycled two liter bottles.
For how to do this, look up "ghetto greenhouse" on the internet.
One major point in using something like this, is that the air around the seedling stays moist.
(Dry household air kills tiny seedlings.)
The ghetto greenhouse also helps protect seedlings from peat gnats laying their eggs in the soil around the seedlings. The peat gnat larvae then feast on the seedlings' roots.
:^}

[ersatz_read]

Yeah I've been thinking about just using the assortment of containers in the recycle bin, etc., to start the seeds. Putting the top on might not work for tomato seedlings - in my past experience I had trouble with damping off. I started watering with chamomile tea and that seemed to do the trick - but still the lid will block some light, and without enough light they would get leggy and fall over.

[rhodielady_47]

Getting enough light on those seedlings is a major necessity.
You can put a stop to a bit of that legginess by fanning the seedlings a bit several times a day. A daily bit of breeze is supposed to stimulate them into growing sturdier.
:^}

[virginiadear]

Have you tried this with plants which were etiolating, and had success with it?
I'm having a hard time getting my mind around the difference between stimulating the stem to develop more strongly, and providing the young seedlings with better light, the insufficiency of which as I've understood it for a couple of decades, now, is the cause of etiolation. So, I'm asking.

Somewhere, a while back, I came across the idea of brushing the tops of the seedlings gently, causing the stems to flex slightly, which will result in sturdier stems, but it won't remedy etiolation: you'll just get tall, sturdily leggy seedlings if they don't get enough light for their needs.

I've started seeds (in trays) in the south-facing window of a bathroom, which provides plenty of humidity although not too much, and the light wasn't bad, either! 8^>

[arwen_17]

I have used the PotMaker- I like it. I've had it for years. I do have difficulty making the pots the correct numbers of layers of newspaper though- thick enough to hold up, thin enough to allow roots to poke through.

[ersatz_read]

Roughly what thickness will still allow the roots to poke through?

[arwen_17]

I think 2-3 layers. We have really hard water here, so I think the calcification that happens on the pots as the water leaches and evaporates also hinders the roots' ability to penetrate.

[threegoldfish]

I use this folding method for newspaper pots. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dlGQP81yfo It seems to be the least fussy one I've come across. This is my first year trying these so I can't speak to the layer issue other people mentioned. Makes a nice sized pot though!