Homemade Seedling Pots

By Idelle, March 30, 2009

Here’s an inexpensive way to plant your seeds this year – collect your discarded toilet paper rolls, and cut them in half and fill with soil for instant seedling “pots”. As they are tall and bottomless the roots develop nicely and they are the perfect starter pot for seedlings – plus they don’t cost a thing. I have found that I unwrap the roll from my seedlings before planting, as the toilet paper tends to dry out and be stiff, and in our hot dry climate, I always fear that it may take a little longer to decompose so the roots could be restricted.  Though I bet if you planted them with the rolls and mulched and kept the soil well watered they would decompose pretty quickly. I just unwrap them (they easily unwrap anyway), and then throw the used rolls into the compost bin.

Bonus: you can use a marker to label each seedling!

In the photo above, I am transplanting my Sandia Seed green chile seedlings that I started in my Aerogarden into the toilet paper pots so they can grow until after last frost (around May 15th in Denver). I then simply unravel the toilet paper rolls and plant the peppers in the ground after being acclimated outdoors for a week.