Making my own pots for transplanting tomatoes.

My tomato starts were just getting too big for their little 3" peat pots. The lower leaves started turning yellow and the only thing I could think of was that they were too big for their space. So I went to the store in search of bigger pots, peat or plastic but inexpensive as I will eventually need lots. I couldn't find any. So home I went with an idea.


Long ago I had watched a garden show where they showed you how to make own seed starting pots out of newspaper. The ones they made were quite small but I needed bigger ones and thought I'd see what I could do. I gathered my supplies: newspaper (most newspaper ink -even colored-is made from a soy based ink and is non-toxic-but you don't want to use the shiny kind that most ads are made with), large peanut butter jar, seed starter and tomatoes.

First you take a sheet of newspaper. I used just a half of a full page but next time I think I'll use the whole page to make them even thicker. Fold the newspaper in half the long way. Lay the jar on the paper with the open end in the middle of the paper so that there is an overhang of paper.

Roll the paper all the way around the jar.

Tuck the overhang into the jar.

Carefully pull the jar off and put paper down on table. Reach in and fold paper sides down and smash into making a bottom.

In this case these were used for transplants. I had 3" peat pots that my tomatoes were in so I just broke up the peat pot a little bit and put the whole thing inside the new, bigger newspaper pot. Joseph helped me with this process.

For seed starting pots you can use a drinking glass and you'll have small little seed starting pots. I'll never buy peat pots again. This worked very well and was easy and the least inexpensive way. I was surprised how well they held together when full of dirt. I don't think one could go any bigger than this. I'll have to be ready to plant in the ground under a tent within a month I think.



On a side note: Look at our egg count!!!!!! It's exciting! I haven't had that number since late last summer. We did have even one more but I didn't count it because it was a soft shell and broken.

(Kelsey Anna took the three pics of me rolling the paper.)