[mm-insert-title]
high summer preparation
free, easy mulching solutions for the busy gardener to replenish nutrients in their soil and protect their plants form the hot weather.
Give rubbish new life! Learn how to make an eco pot!
WHEN TO USE MILK CARTONS
Newspaper pots aren’t good for all plants. They disintegrate very fast so not for plants that need a lot of time in the nursery. They also tend to collapse when you make them too big so not for larger plants like pumpkins, zucchini and eggplants. For those guys you might as well use a nice sturdy milk carton pot.
WHEN TO USE NEWSPAPER POTS
But that ability to disintegrate is why they are so great for the fast growing, quick to transplant seedlings. There is virtually no transplant stress and unlike with the milk carton it will completely disintegrate into the soil.
Try: lettuce, spinach, tatsoi, mustard, dandelion, amaranth, silverbeet, coriander, mizuna
If it fruits then it’s bigger and prefers hot weather, if it leafs then it’s faster and newspaper’s the answer.
INGREDIENTS:
POT MAKER METHOD:
Blu-tack the smallest lid inside the biggest. This should leave a groove big enough for the middle lid to fit into loosely.
Tape these to the bottom of the jar with the bottom facing out.
NEWSPAPER POTS METHOD:
Take your sheet of newspaper. I find a double thickness 42x20cm rectangle to be optimal. That is a broadsheet folded in half and cut into thirds along the long edge, or two tabloid pages cut into thirds. I like to fold over the top edge to strengthen it.
- Roll the paper around the jar with 6cm extending over the bottom. Fold this into the centre.
Place the remaining jar lid on a stable surface bottom facing up. Then seal your pot by placing the jar on top and pressing down firmly. It’s that simple! No need to pay $20!
My pots end up being around 6cm diameter x 12cm high and can hold up 2 months before needing to be planted.
3 Comments
Just made one of these – thanks for the ‘how to’!
Keep up the good work!
x
Thanks Ashley! 🙂 Happy propagating!
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I don’t know who you are but definitely you’re going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!