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    Home » Video » Gardening TV

    Cardboard Seed Starting Pots - DIY Video

    by Eric · This post may contain affiliate links, its one way we pay the bills. · 3 Comments

    These cardboard seed starting pots are made from paper towel tubes. Biodegradable plant pots made from stuff in your house. Watch this DIY video about how to make the seed starting pots and get more info below, plus links to our other seed starting videos.

    You can buy seed starting pots, but I like to make them with stuff I already have. Our neighbor, Priscilla, who we call 'The Egg Lady' because we get our eggs from her, has a huge garden. She grows many heirloom tomatoes, in addition to some stuff I have never heard of. Unique string beans, heirloom flowers, plus she has several apple orchard around the property. Priscilla is like me, always wanting to share cool stuff she has discovered or found or grown.

    Plus she has a menagerie of animals, horses, turkeys, guinea hens, cats, and dogs. You can hear Priscilla on GardenFork Radio here.

    I had been saving cardboard tubes for her and then one day she showed me what she was doing with all the tubes. So I wanted to share this all with you.

    Couple of important things to remember when using starting plants from seed:

    • Cardboard seed starting pots are not for long term use.
    • Take care not to over-water them. Too much water invites mold and fungus, as a result, bad things when you are starting plants.
    • Don't use potting soil to start seeds. Buy seed starting mix.
    • You can also use coir, which is shredded coconut fiber, mixed with vermiculite and perlite.
    • Do not add fertilizer to seed starting mixes.
    • Use a grow light rig. Learn how to build a DIY Grow Light here.

    The height of the seed starting pot depends on the plants you are growing. Taller plants need more root space, therefore, make those pots larger. Salad greens can be grown in a 2" high pot.

    Here are some of our hoop house cold frames for when its time to move the seedlings in to the garden:

    hoop house cold frame

    So there you go, let me know any improvements or suggestions and how you start seeds in the comments below.

    cardboard seed starting pots

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. jennifer

      March 23, 2015 at 2:45 pm

      hi-
      last year i did your paper roll seed starters - and everyone saved them for me this winter 🙂
      this year i am trying a merger of those pots with winter sowing.
      so basically i put 9-12 tubes in the milk jugs and planted the seeds and stuck them outside.....it looks like it coudl be the best of both worlds because the transplanting should be a cinch.
      love your ideas!!
      -jennifer

    2. Lois Fussi

      March 31, 2015 at 6:35 pm

      I enjoy homemade dog food recipes and any helpful hints for garden trelisis and raised garden
      beds.

    3. Trish Cheek

      February 07, 2017 at 2:50 pm

      I like these little pots! It's an easy to do, cost saving, fun project. Thanks!

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