The More You Know...The More You Grow

I recently bought some peat pots for my seeds. It came with about 24 pots for around $4.00; which isn't a bad price. I loved them because I didn't have to transplant my seedlings from one container to the ground; which always causes a little "shock" to the plants. Once the seedlings grew a bit I was able to plant them directly into the ground. This was an added bonus since the dirt in my backyard is pretty dry, so the pot contained the plant well. Peat pots are a definite bonus in my eyes.

I stumbled upon a few articles on how to make your own peat pots from newspaper. Although the cost of the peat pots is minimal, in this economy every penny counts. Most newspapers are printed with soy ink, and is biodegradable. Many gardeners use newspapers for mulch, so why not as a peat pot.

What you need:
*Newspapers
*A glass, rolling pin, or soda can
*Fingers


1. Split the newspaper down the center either with your hands or scissors.



2. Take one half and split/cut in half again.



Basically you've taken the full paper and cut along all the folds.

3. Take the paper and fold it in half lengthwise to make a rectangle.



Make sure all your creases are tight.

4. On one of the long sides of the rectangle: fold over 1 inch to make a small flap.



5. Lay your glass/can/rolling pin over the paper so the the end without the flap is extending beyond the glass/can/rolling pin.



6. Wrap the newspaper around the canister so the paper overlaps. Turn upside down, keeping your fingers on the seem. Fold the ends of the paper over. This may take some practice with one hand. Just think of it like wrapping a gift.





7. Once all the edges have been folded over, flip over and remove the canister...remember to keep holding the seam so it doesn't fall apart.



8. To "seal" the pot, take the outside layer's flap and carefully lift it up and fold over the inside flap.





9. Fill pots with soil and seeds. I decided to use the seeds from seeded paper I made recently.



Happy Potting!