How to make seed pots using paper

[Adam_W]

Difficulty: Beginner

Paper seed pots are an easy and inexpensive way to grow seeds. The paper can be planted directly in the garden when the seedlings are ready, making it an eco-friendly alternative to plastic pots.

It’s also a great D.I.Y. project for kids to help grow their interest in gardening.

This simple guide shows you how to make paper seed pots from newspapers. Note that most newspapers use soy-based inks which is biodegradable and won’t harm your plants or the environment.

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Video Tutorial

Steps

Step 1

Create tubes using newspaper. 

Take a sheet of newspaper and fold it in half from top to bottom.

Position cardboard tube in line with the bottom edge and around 3cm in from the side edge. 

Now hold the tube firmly and roll the paper around the tube. 

Step 2

Fold the paper to make a pot.

Grip the rolled paper firmly and turn it upwards so the newspaper end faces you. Fold the end in towards the centre. You may need to make three or four folds to close the bottom and secure the paper.

You should now have a paper seed pot.

Carefully remove the cardboard tube and place your pot in the seedling tray. Repeat until you have enough pots. 

Step 3

Fill the pots with seed raising mix.

Use a trowel to fill seed raising mix into all the seed pots. Don't forget to wear gloves for this step. You should also wear a face mask if your mix is dusty.

Make sure you don't fill the pots completely. Leave a 2cm gap from the top.

Now lift the entire tray and tap it gently on the bench to settle the mix.

Top up the mix in any of the pots if you think too much has fallen out.

Step 4

Place seeds into your paper pots.

Gently place seeds into the mix. Now sprinkle more seed raising mix over the seeds to cover them.

Water the pot gently and thoroughly. Place the tray in a warm and sunny spot. Make sure to keep it moist so that the seeds can germinate and grow easily. 

Step 5

Plant your seed pots.

Once your plants have grown to a suitable size, you can plant them into the ground or transfer them to large pots or tubs.

Make sure the soil or potting mix you choose suits your plants. You can plant the entire paper pot as it will decompose naturally, adding organic matter to the soil. 

Materials

• Seed raising mix 

• Newspaper 

• A long cardboard tube (like those in a paper towel roll)

• Seedling or tube tray 

• Your preferred seeds.

Tools

• Hand trowel 

• Gloves 

• Face mask

• Watering can. 

Images