This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
silly question time
CluelessGardener
Posts: 878
in Talkback
I've been busy making news paper pot for a week or two. Ive made nearly four hundred with more to make on the cards. But while I was making them I suddenly thought what is the best way to water them. I have made them and placed them in seed trays.
I was going to place the seed trays onto a watering mat in side a grow bag tray and water from above. BUT would it be better to place the pots onto the watering mat in side the grow bag tray. while I'm worried about the paper breaking down im also worried about the pots and mould
Advice is clearly needed
Clueless
0
Posts
Sorry I haven't got a clue about watering, it should be me called clueless gardener really, but I was wondering the same thing the other day so will be interested to see the answers.
Well done on all the pot making....I better get started ????
Hi Clueless,
I would have thought as soon as water comes in contact with the paper, whichever way round you do it, your snookered, the paper will turn to mush. Are you treating these as fibre pots? If so why are you not planting them in their growing position? Why do you want lots of paper pots? If its a cost cutting exercise, because you have made a lot, you could put them in paper egg trays. You might try hotels, restaurants etc. anyone that has eggs delivered on a large scale. That type of paper/card might withstand water a bit more than newspaper. I'm just thinking out loud here.
just had another thought, hemp string, one end in the soil, the other end in a jar of water. The string absorbs the water travels up the string and moistens the soil?
Apparently, if you pack them all into a tray and tie a piece of string around them to keep them together and water into the tray, they don't disintegrate.
http://www.gardenersworld.com/blogs/gardeners-musings/making-plant-pots-from-old-newspaper/3112.html
I do the same with insides of loo rolls - but i don't need 400, or i would have to call in reinforcements
Busy-Lizzie
I have read the post/thread your link sent me to but no tips on watering where given from the bottom or top these are not a new invention some one should come along and point me in the right direction for their own experience
Clueless
Internet consensus seems to be little and often from the top. Got a paper pot maker for Christmas so would love to know how you get on Clueless
Clueless I brought my grandfather one of these a few years go. I'm sure it said little and often from the top to avoid an overly soggy bottom. Perhaps you coukd experiment with a water dropper verses using a spray bottle to create a mist?
400? Gosh sounds like you've got a busy year ahead of you! Do let us know how you get on I'd love to know if they're worthy as they suit my money tight credentials!
Thank you Panda
I'm not sure I will use all on them yet. But hay they can always go on the compost heap. I'm a little but confused about potting seedlings would some one help me.
do you
sow in plug trays and then transfer to
paper pots then
3" pots then plant out to their finial position or
5/7" pots then
plant out to their finial position In the past I've bought flowers in the larger plug pot the garden centers use and plant into there Finial position but it's always knocked the growing back three to four weeks
Clueless