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How to Make Paper Plant Pots
How to Make Paper Plant Pots. Paper plant pots can be made at home from newspaper, allowing you to save money and recycle. The pots never have to be removed and will biodegrade in the ground. These pots are very easy to make and are also a lot of fun.
Paper plant pots can be made at home from newspaper, allowing you to save money and recycle. The pots never have to be removed and will biodegrade in the ground. These pots are very easy to make and are also a lot of fun.
Things You'll Need
Newspaper (black and white only)
Flat surface
Soda can
Plastic tray (for seedling containers)
Rip a strip of newspaper the long way that is 5 inches wide. Place the can at one end of the newspaper strip. The newspaper strip should stick out past the base of the can 2 inches.
Roll the can, holding the end of the newspaper to the can until the strip overlaps itself as you continue to roll the paper around the can. After the paper is completely wrapped around the can, hold the paper in place. Fold the paper that sticks out past the base toward the end of the can to form the base of your pot.
Slide the can out of the newspaper while continuing to hold the paper in position. At the rim of the pot (the side opposite the base) make two small tears into the newspaper. The tears should be about 1 centimeter deep, just before the end of the paper. Fold the newspaper flap between the tears inward. This should hold the paper in position until you set it into the tray.
Put soil into the pot and add your seed. Set the pot into the tray. Watering is done by adding water to the tray rather than directly to the plants. The capillary (wick-like) action of the paper will draw the water up the sides of the paper and saturate the soil.
When planting the pot into the ground (after the seedlings are mature enough), dig a hole and drop in the entire pot. You may want to tear the sides of the pot near the top once it is in the hole. After the top edge is torn, tuck it under the soil and cover the rest of the paper with a layer of dirt, then add a layer of mulch to prevent water loss through the capillary action of the newspaper.
Tips & Warnings
Use black and white newspaper only, since it is usually printed with soy-based ink.
Gloves will keep the newsprint from getting on your hands.
If you want to use glue for a more secure pot, choose a non-toxic, waterproof wood glue.
Colored ink may contain ingredients that are unsuitable for plant pots that can be taken up and concentrated by the plants to unhealthy concentrations.
Be careful not to cut yourself on the exposed edges of the soda can or to crush the can while rolling the paper.
