Gratefulgardener.....Love your disclaimer! LOL!!!!

I am curious about tp rolls as well! I dump them in my compost bins but have never used them as pots.......

Thanks,

Annie

LOL to funny!
i use them. i cut them in half to make small pots. i use a clean meat tray or somthing with a solid bottom. line them up n fill with soil n seeds.
when the weather n seedlings are ready i plant the hole thing in the ground. :)

Chrizty...You cut them in half?????? Really? I did not think that would be deep enough...but what do I know...LOL! What kind of seeds do you plant in them???? I would think quickie annuals like Zinnias??? How long before you put them in the ground???

Thanks,

Annie

I usually use Tp rolls cut in half for collars against cut worms, but this year I think I will use them for starting Ws'd cool weather crops like broccoli, cauliflower if I have enough I may use them for onion seed.
We are so close to Spring and the sun is bright enough I may just cut in half for sowing seed

Smash it flat:
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Fold it in half again to make it somewhat square:
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Snip four little flaps in the creases:
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Fold the flaps inward like a box:
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In order to use these, what I do is line them up while empty into a deep pan and hold them in place while filling the edges of the pan with potting mix. This help keep them in place. Then once they are somewhat solidly in place, start filling the rolls.

They should end up looking like this in the pan:
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I have been saving TP rolls also!
I'm going to try starting my sweet peas in them-has anyone ever done this?
-B

Nancy, do you moisten the tp rolls before adding moist mix around them? If not, is there a problem with them sucking moisture out of the mix?

Have a bunch made and will try them tomorrow.

TIA

Is it ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to make a closed bottom in these? Couldn't I just place them in a clear storage container (that has holes in the bottom and top for drainage and ventilation) and fill them in and all around them with good soil and plant something like my tomato seeds in them. Then when they are ready to plant out, I could just use a spoon to dip each tp cup out with the seedling in it???? Thanks.

Try it stillwelljill. I did a bunch Nancy's way but like the sound of not closing the bottom. The only thing I can think of that might go wrong is if they try to fall out the bottom when lifting them out to plant. If you got them wet the night before they would probably stay together. Lets us know. I really like using these pots but didn't have enough saved to do lots this year. Got people saving them now.

I'm really happy that you found this useful!

I never tried doing an open bottom, although that would hold a bit more potting mix.

When I fill my tp rolls, I do it with dry mix and dry tp rolls. I'm afraid they might fall apart before getting them filled if I wet them ahead of time. Then, I spray them with the sprayer in my kitchen sink, getting them completely soaked, let it drain, then sow in them. One, two or maybe 3 seeds each at the most! I haven't noticed them wicking moisture away... although mine are in shade so that probably helps some.

Do you just cover the pan as you would for any other wintersowing? Has anyone done tomatoes this way? I HOS a lot of my flowers, but I've developed quite a list of folks that I provide with 'mater plants & this seems like it would be easier than seperating them. (OK, it's one part lazy & one part overwhelmed when I find out how very much I've overplanted!)

I have a cold frame on my patio so I don't cover everything individually. If I didn't have that, then yes I would cover it.

I always have more time in the winter, I actually started putting my "pots" together while I was at the pool last summer. I knew that during the spring I was going to be overwhelmed, I didn't want to have play around with separating seedlings.

Nancy, I wanna try this next winter since I have a hard time transplanting HOS. So I was wondering how did your plants do so far this year with the toilet paper roll method?

Gladys

HA! Someone told me that they wick the moisture and dry out fast. I used moisture control potting mix and sheesh! That was a mistake! With all the rain, I did have some seeds rot. When I went to dump a container, the bottom was soaking wet... and I KNOW I had good drainage.

The other problem was the condo hires the landscrapers to use a blow broom on all the patios, the seed got mixed up and now it's hard to tell what's what. The cold frame has to be wrapped up tighter.

Next year I will use them again, but only in milk jugs. Nine rolls fit nicely, and only one kind of seed per jug! They DO plant out very well, but you really have to have a light hand when sowing.

A lot of things are hard for me judge this year. The weather has just be so screwy!

I watched a reforestation project where trees had been started in rolls similar to toilet paper rolls. One person went up the mountainside digging holes, a second dropped the roll with the growing tree, a third filled the hole around the roll. The rolls had roots hanging out the bottom at the time of planting. I know nothing else about the entire operation.

I have tried using them for root crops--with Nancy's shaping method, thanks!--but the seedlings languish. I think the cardboard must draw nitrogen from the soil, or that there is some growth retardant in the cardboard. It happened when I made cardboard dividers in a larger pot, too. In both cases, the cardboard was completely surrounded with moist soil, so I don't believe drying out wast he problem. Sweet peas, on the other hand wouldn't necessarily be bothered by the nitrogen problem. I don't know if they are N producers in the seedling stage, though.

I used the tp rolls in ice cream pails in my ws'ing this past winter. I did perennials in them, (diathus), I was really happy how they turned out. Getting the first one out of the pail was a little bit of a trick, but the rest came out great. All nice and individual plants.
I was sure to fill with potting soil right up to the top of the rolls, that helps them from wicking moisture away from the soil.

I'm thinking it would be great for starting pansies or violas but cut in half. The box method looks neater and keeps the soil in better but might be too tall and can't make 2 out of one roll if you make flaps to fold in.

Guess I'll start saving tp rolls like I do KFC containers, like I do McD's salad trays, like I do Pepsi bottles, like I do milk jugs and a few other things. Oh dear, I must get rid of some of that. My breakfast room has become a potting shed.

Don't forget, other cardboard tubes work too. Like paper towel rolls and the wrapping paper rolls (I love those, you can get A LOT of "pots" from one of those).

Ohh DH is gonna LOVE this.... MORE "trash" to save lol.

Butt.. pun intended.. this my be JUST what I need to get my plant sale sowing done...

The great thing about saving tp rolls is that they take up very little room. I use a shoe box and that can hold a couple hundred when I flatten them out! I already have well over 150 saved so far for next year. I would have even more, butt I started taking Imodium...

Ok ontheteam your husband must be like mine, I have to hide what I want to save. One time he threw my fertilizing jug away (empty jug of cranapple juice, hey it holds a gallon and its easier to carry than the ice cream bucket)LOL

I did the tp rolls today, nancy thanks for the visual it gave me inspiration. I cant say hubby is thrilled he just rolled his eyes at me I reminded him it was free then he just shook his head. lol

Aliska, if you cut them in half, they won't be deep enough. I always use at least 3 inches of potting mix. The tp rolls are only 4 inches deep! Even if you don't make flaps, they won't be the recommended 3 inches.

Remember folks, buy the SINGLE rolls! You end up with twice as many rolls as those jumbo, double rolls. I buy Angel Soft single rolls at Walmart. The single rolls are getting harder to find these days!!

I just learned the tubes I mentioned above in the Jun 19 are called grotubes. Several manufactures. So professionals use something like toilet paper rolls.

Great info here! I am going to give this a try! Yup, hubby is gonna think I flipped my lid AGAIN, just like last year when I was begging everyone to save milk jugs for me.