Recycling Toilet Paper Rolls as Seed Starter Kits

I have just discovered the site “You Grow Girl” which is filled with some great ideas for your garden. I was especially intrigued with her idea for the toilet roll seed starter. In the past I’ve used peat pellets and the newspaper pots with mixed results. I had a lot of success with the peat pellets but they are more expensive. I liked the idea of using the newspaper pots and toilet paper rolls because they it involves recycling. My problem with the newpaper pots was that they were difficult to move once they had been wet and the bottoms would fall out. The toilet paper rolls like the newspaper pots eventually decompose with the soil. I thought I would try this method for all my fall seedlings.

Instructions:

First I collected an assortment of toilet paper rolls. This is especially difficult to do when you have a Golden Retriever in the household. Then I bought some seed starter mix at the local hardware store.

1. Cut the base of the toilet paper roll into strips.
2. Fold strips so they overlap and create a bottom.
3. Put moist potting mix into toilet paper roll.
4. Plant seeds.

I really prefer this method to the newspaper pots. The toilet paper rolls are a lot sturdier when you water them. I’ve successfully grown a few seedlings as well. They are still just babies but it should be interesting to see how well these pots transition to a larger pot or being planted in the ground.
Maya also enjoyed this little project she successfully ate one of the seedling pots when I wasn’t looking.