DIY Network

Gardening Basic: Growing from Seeds Tips on planting seeds and types of planting containers. Also, do-it-yourself paper pots and the "real dirt" on floral preservatives. From "Dirt On Gardening" episode DDOG-108

Do-it-yourself germinating pots made from newspaper

Springtime is the right time to start growing from seed. While there are dozens or even hundreds of seeds to choose from, there's also a variety of seed pots you can use--from the kind you buy at the nursery, to ordinary egg crates and even ones you make yourself from newspaper.

Do-it-yourself "pots" made from newspaper are easy to make, biodegradable and very inexpensive.

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Figure A

Plastic Seed Containers and Wooden Flats

Plastic trays with divider inserts (figure A) are available at low cost from your garden supplier and are easy to use, especially when it comes to watering. Add water to the lower tray. The dividers will then "steal" the water as it absorbs into the individual seed containers from below. In that way, the water it's available directly and immediately to the roots. When planting, simply sprinkle seeds over entire surface. Wait for the plants to grow and mature a little, then pull them out with a fork.

Note: Plastic pots and trays hold moisture. Make sure drainage is good so roots don't get soggy.

Peat Pots

These inexpensive "pots" (figures B and C) are probably the most popular containers for starting from seeds, partly because of their ease and high rate of success when transplanting the newly sprouted seedlings. They encourage the formation of a lot of hairy roots, and the entire "pot" can go into the ground. The container is bio-degradable and simply "dissolves" into the surrounding soil as the plant grows.

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Egg Crates

Ordinary egg crates (the kind made from paper pulp, not the plastic foam ones) make handy containers for starting seeds. They're porous and allow for water to flow through, but make sure you poke a hole in each compartment for improved drainage. Separate the compartments and, like the peat pots, you can simply "plant" the whole container in the ground since the paper pulp is biodegradable (figure D).

	Figure E
	Figure F

Do-It-Yourself Paper Pots

Finally here's a simple method for making your own biodegradable pots from one of society's most ubiquitous substances--newspaper. Here's how to do it:

• Fold a piece of newspaper that has non-toxic ink lengthwise twice.

  Note: Most newspapers now use non-toxic ink, but avoid using comics pages and other pages with lots of color ink. Also avoid using the slick-paper inserts and circulars. This type of paper is less porous.
  
  

• With the paper folded, use a jar or glass and roll the paper around cup so that half of the edge can be tucked into the opening of the glass (figure E).

• Remove glass and use the glass to stamp down bottom of paper cup (figure F).

• The stamping process seals the bottom and you're ready to plant your seed.

It's that simple.

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