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Yes, we have shared how to start seed on your windowsill, in old egg cartons, but using toilet paper rolls or cardboard rolls of any sort is just as simple. Once you figure out how to make one you will find yourself making a whole pile of toilet paper seed pots.
The best part about using old toilet paper rolls, is that once the seedlings are ready to move into the garden you can pop the entire paper pot into the soil. The paper will compost and disintegrate - which means you skipped using those little plastic seed pots. A great eco-friendly option. And, let's face it we all have toilet paper rolls laying around...right!?
The first step is to cut 4 slits in the end of the toilet paper roll. The slits should be about ¾ " to 1" in length. Cut the slits equally spaced around the tube.
Once the slits are cut, it is time to start folding. Fold the 4 flaps the same way you would fold the top of a box - overlapping the flaps all the way around the tube.
When you reach the last flap, tuck it in and press all the flaps inward, creating the bottom of the pot. Mine weren't always totally flat and that's okay. As long as you don't have a big hole in the middle your pots will be fine. A big hole means that your dirt will fall out the bottom of the toilet paper roll pot.
Now that the pots are made, time to fill them up with soil. Make sure that you are using a potting soil or a seed starting soil. These soils will have the correct balance of earth and peat, etc. Place the soil-filled pots on a waterproof tray. When the pots are filled it's time to plant some seeds.
We opted to use our toilet paper roll pots for larger seeds...our sugar snap peas and our sweet peas. After consulting the seed packets we knew how deep to plant the seeds. Loosely pile soil on top of the seeds.
When the seeds are planted, use a mister (we made ours from an old eye glass cleaner bottle) to soak the soil. Misting works best because it doesn't disturb the soil and the seeds. The force of a watering can would be too harsh for the seeds.
Cover the toilet paper pots with a sheet of plastic wrap. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the plastic wrap - this will allow the humid air to circulate and not create mold in the pots. Place the pots in a warm spot, we put ours on our seeds on the kitchen window sill.
Remember to mist the seeds every day or so (when the soil is dry) and wait patiently for the seedlings to grow. This is definitely the hardest part of gardening...the wait. In the end, the seedlings will pop out and after they have grown tall and strong you can transfer them to your garden or a larger container to continue to grow.
Fingers crossed in about a week or two we should see some sprouting action! Here are a few pictures of the toilet paper roll pots that we made in the past. You can see that they totally work. You can even see our egg carton planter, filled with seedlings, on the window sill.
What will you plant in your toilet paper roll pots?
Jen Farr is a mother living in Toronto, Canada. She has been sharing her DIY crafts, recipes, activities and parenting advice for over 15 years on her blog Kitchen Counter Chronicle. Jen is the mom of 2 lovely daughters. She believes in the power of taking small steps that can make big impacts on the world.
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