Recycled containers for seed starting and uppotting

[froggy]

Have any of you tried pop bottle propagators?

I found this when researching ficus cuttings....
http://www.insideurbangreen.org/2008/04/recycled-pop-bo.html

so i followed a few links to here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenscaper/sets/72157604735985648/

and here's how they are made:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenscaper/2519983658/

they look like a neat idea, only, i don't drink pop more than a few times a year... so i haven't had a chance to experiment with it since I found the instructions...

[froggy]

Just found his whole thread on propagation:

http://www.insideurbangreen.org/propagation/

Maybe that one's a bit more explanatory....

[Bobberman]

Just found his whole thread on propagation:

http://www.insideurbangreen.org/propagation/

Maybe that one's a bit more explanatory....

This is really nice thread. I hope more look at this and quit wasting good planting containers!!

[Bobberman]

That is a great idea since I go through 3 chip baga or more a week! The wrinkles in the bags disperse the light even better. Some baga have a white shiny inside which is also good. I will start collecting them! I will glue them on the back of a piece of old carpet or padding like 2 foot square for the wall or under the plant boxes! Cheap & SUPER!!

[Bobberman]

Here is another idea for the water or pop bottle. Clear is better! I took a water bottle and left the cap on but cut the top out like a boat! I filled it 1/3 with water and put my sweet potato in the container. Now I will see what happens with the two I have in seperate containers. Does the heat matter or the light? I put one above the ref.! The other in the window!

[applestar]

I tried making one out of a water bottle. This one is Desani and, to my surprise, had a pretty pressed pattern under the label. I planted a volunteer tomato plant that grew in a container along with some Holly Basil.


It grew quickly -- I believe the narrow neck of the upper bottle encourages the roots to grow down. I diverged from the original instructions and didn't put the cap on because I didn't think the soil would fall out. Look how the roots just grew right out of the opening even though I pushed the upper part down tight onto the bottom part


Here's the same plant 1 week later:

[sheeshshe]

wow, that grew fast!!!!

[applestar]

Well... I do want to draw everyone's attention to the fact that the ROOTS grew fast and right out of the bottom. The top growth on this plant would be considered "leggy" due to insufficient light and/or too much compost=nutrients in the soil mix. As usual, these early volunteers that are not part of my main intentional tomato starts don't get optimum attention/care.

[M.Clark]

I have started using paper towel and toilet paper roll tubes for starting seeds. I collect them all winter, and cut the toilet paper tubes into ½ and the paper towel as close to a normal size as I can.

[sheeshshe]

I have started using paper towel and toilet paper roll tubes for starting seeds. I collect them all winter, and cut the toilet paper tubes into ½ and the paper towel as close to a normal size as I can.

ROFL! I was JUST coming to this thread to post just that. this is what I want to do this year!

[F0od]

I don't have any pics yet, but a friend of mine wanted to have taquitos at his favorite restaurant. We ended up ordering to go, and heading over to a park nearby. We bought Dixie cups, and only used a few, so I took the rest home, and started Basil, Oregano, Cilantro, Marigolds, Lavender, and probably a few other things in them. Marigolds are looking fabulous, as is the cilantro, oregano, and marigolds. Only had one lavender come up, but I heard it's a bit tough to grow, so I'll take it as a success!!

[FistulinaHepatica]

This thread made me feel sooooo at home it's nice to know that are other gardeners out there using bottle-and-yogurt-pot-nurseries

[Silverfish]

I know it's been said here somewhere, but newspaper pots are by far the best recyclable pots and cheap/easy to make. I discovered these long ago from step by step instructions of this site:

http://www.bettaliving.org/DIY/Basic_pl ... _pots.html[/img]

[Tilde]

What about cloth bags? I've been sewing up some little bags for a project for a local school and I thoguht about some of the old cotton teeshirts I have that are so threadbare and loved - sew them up into little bags to start seedlings.

[Tilde]

Holiday sugar shock is starting ... so I got a few cupcake trays from the break room for seed starters.

similar to these:



Glad I revisited this thread - I've got some extra cabbages and lettuces to get planted for winter and I can do the soda pop bottle thing to try them hydroponically on a small scale ...