Make Your Own Paper Seedling Pots

By Colleen Smith:

You’ll need: paper grocery bags, scissors, tub or sink for soaking paper, glass jar to use as a form, smaller jar filled with coins or stones for weight, waterproof container to hold the paper pots.

Cut off bag bottom, then cut two long strips and soak in tub of warm water until paper is saturated and soft. Using the jar as a form, wrap wet paper around it to form a cylinder.

Dunk the wrapped jar then use your hands to compress the paper layers onto the glass. Turn jar upside down and fold bottom edges into a base against the jar. Dunk wrapped jar again and compress the bottom.

Remove jar and add pot to drying rack. Put smaller weighted jar inside paper pot so it compresses the base while you make your next pot.

A judicious spritz from a spray bottle will suffice for planted seeds and prevent paper from getting too soggy. When the time comes, loosen the bottom of pot to make way for roots to grow and bury the whole paper pot.

Colleen Smith is an award-winning author, journalist, and passionate gardener based in Denver.