Make paper pots with no tools!

tinkerbell1978

wow thanks great site great idea thanks !!!!!

shelagh

Thanks
have made some and they are great for my tomato plants.

Dee140157

I have just read this for the first time. I am a very newbie gardener. I have tomato seedlings just starting to grow. When they are ready to transplant I assume I can transplant into these and then just put the whole thing into the big pots I intend to use later. I assue the paper will just rot away. Is this right?

CazW_2

Dee140157 - yes just pop the paper pot in the larger pot as it is.. as the newspaper pot gets moist and soggy the roots will easily poke through

I have made some of these and have used them for my sweetcorn... they are doing really well and as someone else said.. if you leave them in a tray of shallow water the newspaper soaks the water up from the bottom so the roots get a good drink.:T

Dragon_Lady_3

Idiophreak wrote: »

Wow, that's cool.

I also make another shaped box, normally with a4, but could scale up:

It's a little shallower, so might be good for seed trays etc.

(will be as clear as I can in words)

Start with the longest side of the paper toward you. (landscape)

1) fold both sides forwards, to divide paper into thirds.
You should now have a piece of paper 1/3 as wide as before, with both sides folded in. (one over the other)

2) fold each of the sides in half, back towards the edges.
The two sides should now come to meet in the middle before folding back to their edges.

3) Unfold the left side back over to the right.
You should now have the right side folded in the middle still, but this is now hidden by the left side covering it.

4) Fold left hand corners in to the middle (to make a 45 degree angle). Do the same with the top layer on the right.
You should now have a rectangle with the corners missing, but you should be able to see the remaining layers on the right still.

5) Fold the top layer from the right back over to the left. You should now see as step 2, but with the corners missing from the left.

6) Repeat 2-5 for the right hand side.
Should now be as step 2, but missing all corners.

7) Fold the triangle shapes at the top and bottom of the shape behind, so as to make a rectangle.

8) Fold back to step 6.

9) Now grab the two sides in the middle and pull - should pop up into little box. Pinch the corners to sharpen.

Anyone who gets a box from these instructions deserves a prize, sorry

What on earth am I doing wrong? I just get a piece of paper with loads of folds in it and no middle bit to pull

mocolo

Dragon_Lady wrote: »

What on earth am I doing wrong? I just get a piece of paper with loads of folds in it and no middle bit to pull

so do I! Any chance of a really dumb guide to this from anyone who has managed it?

Dragon_Lady_3

I now have two kittens playing with my attempts from last night. Well at least it's kept someone amused.

Gonna give it another try this afternoon, might even get the kids to try it.:rolleyes:

scrimperjan

I've done it! At step 6, where it says repeat steps 2-5, I think it should be steps 3-5. Also try leaving out step 7 & 8, just open it out after step 6 and crease into shape around the bottom. It does make a nice little box shape with A4 paper, which could be a mini seed tray, as Dragon Lady says!

mocolo

I have tried it again and have somehow ended upwith what looks closely like a tray but 2 of the sides have a sharp V in thus rendering them useless for the job! But i must say- it looks really pretty and is much better than myfirst attempt. Might try again.

Dragon_Lady_3

By George I think she's got it !!!!!!!!!!!! [me that is ]

Many thanks to Idiophreak for the idea and lots of thanks to scrimperjan for putting me straight :A

I now have a cute little tray and a newspaper box ready to be planted up.

Gonna make some more this evening for my spinach. My son wants to make some trays for his cress growing. After we cut and eat it, the whole thing can then go in the compost bin.