How to Make Newspaper Planting Containers
There's more than one way to make newspaper planting containers. Perfect for seedlings, these biodegradable pots are much less expensive than the plastic or terra-cotta alternative. You can easily make them as small or as large as you see fit.
Things You'll Need:
- Newspaper
- Cylindrical shaped object
- Water
- Plastic flat to hold pots
- Potting soil or dirt
- Seeds
- Wrap a long strip of folded newspaper around a cylindrical shaped object such as a tall drinking glass or empty toilet paper roll. The paper needs to overlap the top of whatever you use by at least one inch. Continue wrapping until the newspaper is several layers thick.
- Crumple the excess newspaper tightly around the top of the glass or toilet paper roll to form the bottom of the pot. The tighter the paper is crumpled, the stronger the bottom will be.
- Slide the pot off of the glass or roll. To make each pot as strong as possible, soak it in water for several minutes. Gently squeeze out excess liquid. Reshape and allow to dry completely.
- Avoid the use of colored newspaper or glossy magazines, which typically contain metal and other toxic materials that can be transferred to the dirt and seeds.
- Fill each pot with your dirt of choice and plant seeds as directed. The little pots fit nicely into a standard plastic flat.
- Plant these seedlings just as you would any others. Since newspaper is biodegradable, you have the choice of planting the seedlings while still in the pot or removing them completely. The paper does not affect the growth of the plants.