Very interesting Sunni. I am getting into growing vegetables (having grown tomatoes, peppers, eggplants in the past), so your feedback is appreciated. If I need to start anything inside, I'll probably try this method first. For some reason, I did not have any germination from eggplant seeds even after more than two weeks. I did one set of seeds with paper towel and the roots did stick. Have not had that issue with coffee-filters, especially moist ones. Californian, I have noticed when I could not get to transplanting the sprout in time, the seed-leaves separated from the seed heads within the filter. I also tend to bury the sprouts almost completely with just the seeds head showing, when I transplant them and the seed heads separate nicely. I just leave the seed coat alone. So you should plant as soon as the seed has sprouted. If you go to the post linked with the first post, in the 3 or 4 the response, the poster shows images of the process. The last image would give you a good idea of when you can transplant.

The inks today are generally considered to be perfectly safe to add to piles. They are devoid of the heavy metals that used to be a concern for some packaging. I add huge amounts of paper and paper products to the pile. Note that these materials are almost pure carbon, but that they can, in fact, contribute to garden fertility. The reason is that the carbon acts as a base for bacteria which develop which fix atmospheric nitrogen. So, for a very carbon rich feedstock, you can end up with more nitrogen than you input in feedstock. For fastest decomposition, however, a bit of nitrogen material will really help. Renais

Use them for something. I keep a pile of "used but clean" paper towels under my sink. (Hubby thinks I'm nuts, but that's another story -- he's just not 'in' to composting the way I am!) By clean, I mean a paper towel I've used as a napkin for a meal but it didn't really get used, or one I used to dry my hands, or one I used to clean my eyeglasses ( I wash my glasses with Joy soap, rinse under the faucet and then dry with paper towels -- so no chemicals) -- you get the picture. Nothing smelly. Then when I do have something "smelly" for the compost, especially if it's a bit wet, I have the paper towels. I use them to wrap up the coffee grounds, to 'crunch up' egg shells so they break down more easily, to collect kitchen scraps, to wrap up leftovers for the compost -- you get the idea. Put those babies to work! Make them do double duty! And I promise you they won't be floating around your composter then! MacThayer

I like to use aluminum pie plates and paper cups for collecting & drying seed heads, but a friend told me about using small paper bags she collects from happy meals and the like. She places the seed heads in the bags, closes loosely, when the heads are dry she shakes the bags to loosen the seeds from the heads and then pours the seeds out. I haven't tried it yet but will for larger seeds.