A thought on a different sprouting medium

[GardenRN]

Well, we (she) decided we should make each other's v-day cards this year. I decided to pull out the old 7th grade art class "make your own paper" ting for the card. In case you're not familiar, you put paper and water in a blender to make a pulp and then go through steps to dry it blah blah blah.

The pulp is what I was thinking of using as a seed starting medium. It seems like it would be ok. plus it dries out and accepts water pretty well. If you let it dry it would definitely keep the form of the cells or pots for transplanting. And when it gets wet it just turns to mush so it would definitely break away extremely easily in the ground.

Just water and paper.....maybe you could use a very watered down compost tea for nutrients? Just thought I'd get some other member's ideas. It would be a cheap way to start seeds. You could use newspaper or whatever kind of paper.

Thoughts?

[GardenRN]

extremely antsy tonight. Gonna up pot one or two tomato seedlings into the paper pulp and see how they do since I have extra from the v-day project. Just paper and water on this go round.

[GardenGnome]

The paper won't get moldy?
Or break down?
Or catch on fire under the heat light?

[GardenRN]

Mine aren't under heat lights, just fluorescent lights.

I don't think it will get moldy unless I keep it too wet, which would be detrimental to the seedlings anyways.

It is in a pot, nowhere for it to break down to. If u mean compost, nah, not in a few weeks.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Jeff, Are you filling a plastic pot with the pulp, dropping in a seed and covering with more pulp? Seems like a wet environment.

You can buy commercial pulp paper pots. They have Cow pots also.

Eric

[applestar]

If you mix slower sprouting seeds into the pulp mixture and make your paper, you can make your own "plant a garden" cards. Things that sprout practically overnight are unsuited to this as they would get ready to sprout feom just being in the moist pulp while the paper dries, then get dried out.

[GardenRN]

Jeff, Are you filling a plastic pot with the pulp, dropping in a seed and covering with more pulp? Seems like a wet environment.

You can buy commercial pulp paper pots. They have Cow pots also.

Eric

Yeah, in a pot. I'm not making pots. I'm using the pulp as soil.

If you mix slower sprouting seeds into the pulp mixture and make your paper, you can make your own "plant a garden" cards. Things that sprout practically overnight are unsuited to this as they would get ready to sprout feom just being in the moist pulp while the paper dries, then get dried out.

I saw those online. Pretty cool idea. AT my sister's wedding they had this same sort of thing bit it was daisy seeds inside paper pulp daisies that were colored yellow. Then you just plant the whole thing and water. I like em. We'll see if the pulp is too wet to use the way I was speaking of. Last night I potted up an early girl hybrid seedling and a Black Krim.

[GardenGnome]

You'll have to keep it damp so the seeds can push threw.

[GardenRN]

You'll have to keep it damp so the seeds can push threw.

Yeah, just can't over do it. The pulp seems to hold the water for a long time when it's not "paper thin". Which, I think, if used right can be an asset.