PROJECT 18

NEWSPAPER SEED POT

My experience says that simply buying a can of “emergency” seeds and planning on creating a garden in the event of a disaster is not a good plan. Gardening is a skill that only comes from doing it year after year.

While it is easiest to start your garden education using seedlings, at some point you will want to learn to grow plants from seed.

While you can buy all manner of seed starting tools and gadgets, I find that handmade newspaper seed pots are easiest and provide the best value.

I started making seed pots using a little wooden tool that cost about $20, but after a couple of years I realized that a glass bottle works just as well, and is a lot cheaper.

To create the paper pot you simply wrap a newspaper strip around the wooden dowel, then fold the bottom of the paper inward. Next you place the newspaper wrapped pot maker in the stand that’s included with the kit and give it a little twist to seal the bottom of the pot.

Slide off, fill with soil, plant seed—entire pot is planted in garden so as not to disturb root ball.

That’s it—pretty simple.

I did tend to cut too wide of a strip—easily remedied by ripping off excess in a similar fashion to how some of us menfolk try to wrap Christmas gifts and cut away the excess paper around the edges (that might just be me).

I also like to really grind the base into the wooden mandrel; I don’t know if it made a better seal, but I felt like it did.

It felt a little awkward to pull the flimsy pot off of the wooded die, but once it was filled with dirt, I was very satisfied with the process. I think this is a great product, for what it is, and for what it would take to make one (for those of us without a wood lathe) is a good value and I wish I would have bought one several years ago.

Now all I have to hope for is that my seeds grow and I can harvest some vegetables this year because I don’t know how much more I can spend on gardening tools, seeds, and raised beds without showing some harvest . . .

The Materials (can on left, commercial pot maker on right)

Material:

•   Newspaper

•   Masking tape (optional)

Tools:

•   Scissors (or with practice you can rip newsprint by hand)

•   Can, glass jar, or a thick glass bottle

•   Hard surface to press against

Procedure:

1.     Cut a strip of newspaper 4–6 inches wide—I normally rip a sheet of newspaper into 3 sections lengthwise.

2.     Wrap the newspaper strips around the can or wooden mold, leaving enough overhanging the bottom of the can that is a little more than the radius of the bottle bottom.

3.     Tape the edge if desired (I normally don’t).

4.     Fold the edges of the overhanging paper similar to folding up a paper coin roll.

5.     Tape the bottom, if desired (again, I normally don’t).

6.     Firmly press the can bottom of glass bottle against a hard flat surface and rotate can to “smash” the roll shut.

7.     Gently slide the rolls off and fill with dirt.

Completed pots

Lesson Learned:

Growing plants from seeds is a common school experiment and opens the door to discussions on biology and ecology, but I like using this to talk about all the things that have to happen to create the food we eat. It fosters a sense of connectedness and an understanding of how complicated (and how simple) things are.