Free Start Pots

I've been starting a LOT of seeds. I've needed a lot of start pots. More than I had. More than I could afford.

I found a GREAT new system. It involves making pots from last week's newspaper. Wrap them around the bottom of a beer bottle or Campbell's soup can.

Then fold the bottom under.

(Hey look! A shoe sale!)

They don't hold together very well until you fill them with dirt.

If I bought this many starts (at $3 each), that's $36 in starts! This is $1.79 in Ed Hume seeds and some old papers. I like it!

Another cool thing: they fit perfectly in the start trays that Home Depot throws away. The trays are free, and they hold the pots tight, keeping them from coming undone.

And once you add water, they stick together really well.

I make these out of 1/4 of a single sheet of newspaper. That means that the paper wraps around about 1 1/2 times: most of the pot is a single layer of newspaper.

So when it's time to plant them out in the outdoor garden, just put the whole pot in the ground. Or poke some holes first if that makes you feel better.

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Followup: Here's how they transplant: successfully. This is a good way to do these!