How to save hollyhock seeds

Once you are growing them, saving hollyhock (Alcea spp. and hybrids) seeds is a good way to get more plants, though flower colors and shapes may vary. This is just what hollyhock seeds should look like when you harvest them. Store the seeds or the whole stem in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight until you’re ready to plant — hollyhock seeds stay viable for several years.

How to grow hollyhock from seeds

You can buy plants ready to bloom at the garden center for instant gratification or save yourself some cash and grow hollyhocks from seed. Direct-sow hollyhock seeds outdoors or start them indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last average frost date. These seeds need light to germinate, so just barely cover them with soil or mix. You should see seedlings in 10 to 14 days when temperatures are 60 to 70 degrees F.

Tips for starting hollyhock seeds from the experts

To get some advice on growing gorgeous hollyhocks, I talked with a couple of experts to see what they do.

Sow hollyhock seeds multiple years in a row

Marilyn Barlow, owner ofSelect Seeds in zone 5 Connecticut, ensures that she has plenty of flowers in her garden by sowing seeds two years in a row.

• Year one, Marilyn plants in spring and expects just foliage.
• The second spring, she plants again and enjoys summer blooms from the previous season’s planting.
• In year three, the second year’s sowing blooms, and the ones that reseeded from the first year’s crop produce foliage. The cycle repeats year after year.

Try direct-sowing hollyhock seeds in summer

In Santa Rosa, California, Don McCulley, owner ofSwallowtail Garden Seeds, has a different approach. He finds that he gets lots of blooming stems on beefier plants by direct-sowing seeds in late summer. The mild winter climate there gives plants an early start. The flush of fall foliage gathers lots of energy, so plants bloom the following summer. The flowers last so long that there’s rarely a need to deadhead. With easy-care blooms like this, you can see why hollyhocks have been a gardener favorite for generations.

You Might Also Like:
Mix & Match Flowers to Make Your Perfect Cottage Garden
See More Plant Growing Guides
Tour Clark Cottage Garden in Maine

An upside down idea for seed-starting

After nurturing your new seedlings indoors, the last thing you want is to take them outdoors and accidentally damage them at planting time. But, the standard seed starting trays don’t exactly make it easy to pry new seedlings out of the standard seed starting tray without damaging the fragile roots or leaves.

Clever way to start seeds in small drinking cups

So Kayla came up with an idea to plant seeds in small drinking cups — with one twist: Turn the cups upside down! Just cut the bottoms off the cups, fill them up with potting mix, place them upside down in a plastic tote and then plant the seeds.

Use the right soil mix

Kayla found that a mix of 1 part potting mix and 3 parts peat moss holds together a little better and prevents the soil from crumbling at planting time. When it’s time to plant or repot, just pick up the plastic cup, hold it over the planting hole and slightly squeeze the cup. As long as the leaves and stem are still small enough to fit through the hole without catching on the sides, the soil and the seedling will plop into the hole unharmed. When planting is finished, thoroughly rinse off the plastic cups, stack them and store them for next year.

Tip submitted by Kayla Ropp, OR

Related Articles:
More Seed-Starting Tips
Starting Seeds with a Soil Blocker
Garden Gate Tips Books
Submit Your Smart Tips Here!

Products we love for seed-starting season!

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just beginning your indoor seed-starting journey, having the right tools and supplies can make all the difference. Starting seeds indoors is a rewarding way to get a jump on the growing season, whether you're nurturing a handful of vegetable seedlings or dozens of annual and perennial flowers for your garden. From seed trays to grow lights, the right setup can help you achieve healthy, thriving plants. We’ve gathered a few of our favorite products and books to make your seed-starting experience easier and more enjoyable this season.

GRO-MOR^® Mini Hand Wand Seeder

Tiny seeds can be tricky to plant — they’re tough to see, hard to pick up and can stick together. Try this mini hand wand seeder: Squeeze and release the bulb to create a vacuum that will suck up individual seeds, then squeeze again to puff them out onto the soil exactly where you want them. It comes with five interchangeable tips to match different seed sizes, as well as a magnifying attachment and small jar to hold seeds.

Source:Greenhouse Megastore, 888-281-9337

3 |

Bosmere Stainless Steel Widger

Once seeds germinate and have a couple sets of leaves, it’s time to transplant out of seed-starting trays and into a larger pot. This tool helps scoop up a cluster of tiny seedlings and separate them without damaging the roots. Use the widger's wider end for larger seedlings with bigger roots or flip it over and use the narrower tip to finesse smaller sprouts.

Source:Johnny’s Selected Seeds, 877-564-6697

20-Row Seed Flat

Want to start a lot of seeds but have limited space under lights or on the germination mat? Try this seed-starting flat and sow 20 different kinds of plants, each in their own 10-by-1-inch-wide row. It’s perfect for sprouting seedlings indoors before transplanting them to larger pots as they grow. You can easily pull out a row of seedlings that are ready to transplant without disturbing other slower-germinating seedlings in the flat.

Source:Johnny’s Selected Seeds, 877-564-6697

What We Sow by Jennifer Jewell

• Part garden journal, part biology class and part ecological reflection, this book is an exploration and celebration of seeds and their importance in our world.
  
• Buy a Copy on Amazon or at local bookstores (paperback; 372 pages)

The New Seed-Starters Handbook by Nancy Bubel with Jean Nick

• Everything you ever wanted to know about starting seeds — sowing, caring for, transplanting and collecting more seeds — is right here in this timeless reference book. Keep it near your potting bench for quick info about growing more than 200 vegetables, herbs, flowers and trees.
  
• Buy a Copy on Amazon or at local bookstores (paperback; 452 pages)

You Might Also Like:
7 Plants I Always Start From Seed & Why
Watch Our Seed-Starting Video Playlist on YouTube
Do I Need to Use a Heat Mat When Starting Seeds?

Seeds can be started many ways: outdoors directly in the ground, indoors under lights or in a greenhouse, and even in the refrigerator in a paper towel. I use all of these methods. The needs of the plant and how it germinates best determine the way I do it. But the reasons I grow specific plants from seed vary. For example, sometimes it’s because that’s the only way I can find a particular variety. Let me walk you through seven plants that I always start from seed and highlight the whys and hows.

If you want to grow a lot of the same plant

Petunia (Petunia spp. and hybrids)

Why grow petunias from seed?

I use petunias in mass plantings, and it can be expensive to fill in large beds with flats of plants from the garden center. I may not be able to find some of the fancy colors or double cultivars, but the seeds of many great landscaping petunias, such as the Shock Wave® series above, are available.

Tips for starting petunias from seed

Start petunias indoors about 10 weeks before the last expected frost in your zone so they are blooming and ready to go in the garden as soon as the weather is consistently above 60 degrees F. Petunias’ tiny little seeds are often pelleted (coated in a clay material that dissolves when it’s wet), which makes them easier to handle.

I plant petunias in a seed-starting row flat in moistened potting mix. They need light to germinate, so just lightly pat them onto the surface. Set the flat on a germination mat until they sprout. When seedlings have two sets of true leaves, transplant them into a peat pot or multi-pack. If they start to get tall and leggy, pinch back a half inch to encourage branching and fuller plants.

More plants to start from seed

• Vinca (Catharanthus roseus)
  
• Wax begonia (Begonia semperflorens)
  
• Zinnia (Zinnia spp. and hybrids)
  

If you want to save money

Gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia hirta)

Why grow gloriosa daisy from seed?

I love gloriosa daisy, but usually I find it in a premium 1-gallon pot with a premium price at the garden center. Since it isn’t always winter hardy in my zone 5 garden, I hate spending a lot of money on a single plant, so I grow seeds, which are less expensive than plants. Plus, if I want to use it in a container on the patio, it’s nice to grow it in a smaller pot that is easier to handle. That’s why I like to start ‘Cherry Brandy’ (above) and other gloriosa daisy cultivars from seed.

Tips for starting gloriosa daisy from seed

Start gloriosa daisy seeds indoors about two months before your expected last frost date if you grow it as an annual. Since gloriosa daisy needs light to germinate, I sow the seed on top of the potting mix and pat it down, then cover it with plastic wrap or a humidity dome. Once the seedlings have their first set of leaves, remove the humidity dome because the slightly hairy foliage can damp off or mold easily. Keep the potting mix moist and transplant seedlings outside after danger of frost is past.

More plants to start from seed

• Artichoke (Cynara scolymus)
  
• Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)
  
• Verbena (Verbena bonariensis)
  

Related Articles:
Starting Seeds With Soil Blocking
Best Places to Buy Garden Seeds
2 Easy Setups for Starting Seeds Indoors

If you want to try an unusual plant

Annual phlox (Phlox drummondii)

Why grow annual phlox from seed?

I love to find unusual plants in catalogs and grow them from seed, since they may be hard to find in the garden center. One of my favorite plants to grow in containers is annual phlox, like the Popstars™ series, above, with its unique star-shaped flowers and light fragrance.

Tips for starting annual phlox from seed

Though annual phlox seeds can be planted directly in the soil, they are also easy to start indoors for earlier flowers. I sow two or three seeds in a small biodegradable peat or newspaper pot that can be transplanted into the garden or a container later without disturbing their delicate roots. Cover the seed with ¼ inch of potting mix and keep it moist until seeds sprout. Thin seedlings to one per pot to promote air movement and prevent powdery mildew from getting a foothold. If plants get a bit leggy before I get them in the ground, I pinch them when they are about 6 inches tall to promote fuller foliage and more blooms.

More plants to start from seed

• Blue pimpernel (Anagallis monelli)
  
• Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)
  
• Painted tongue (Salpiglossis sinuata)
  

If you want to get an early start

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica)

Why grow broccoli from seed?

Cool-season vegetables are some of the first plants to hit the garden center benches in early spring. But seed catalogs carry a plethora of unique varieties, such as purple ‘Bonarda’ broccoli, above. And in fall, when I could get another crop as cooler weather returns, plants are tough to find, so I start seeds in late summer.

Tips for starting broccoli from seed

For a spring crop, start broccoli seeds indoors four to six weeks before the last expected frost and transplant outdoors once temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees F.

To determine when to plant a fall crop, check the seed packet for the number of days to maturity. Then count back that number from the expected first frost date for your region to get your planting date. You can direct sow the seed in your garden at this time, but I like to start them indoors so I can more easily keep the seedlings moist. I plant in multi-packs and grow them under lights until they have several sets of leaves, then move the plants outdoors as summer winds down and it gets cooler.

More plants to start from seed

• Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
  
• Ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea)
  
• Peas (Pisum sativum)
  

Seed Starting Supplies You Might Like:
Plastic Plant Labels
Grow Light
Watering Can

If you want to skip the indoor seed-starting setup

Cosmos (Cosmos spp. and hybrids)

Why grow cosmos from seed?

These no-fail plants have seeds that are large and easy to handle, so they are great to direct sow in the ground. And cosmos usually has good germination rates, so I can space seeds the recommended planting distance apart and feel confident they will all sprout instead of overseeding and thinning later.

Tips for starting cosmos from seed

Though I sometimes plant cosmos indoors, they will grow just as quickly from seed planted outdoors after all danger of frost is past. In fact, I have found my direct-sown cosmos often fill in just as quickly as those I started indoors and transplanted outside. Bed preparation can be minimal — just rough up the soil where you want to grow these plants, sprinkle the seed around and rake the soil surface to cover them. Or scuff up a small planting hole, drop in a seed or two and cover with soil. Cosmos are so easy to grow from seed that sometimes they do it all by themselves! You can get volunteers in that spot the next year, though they may not look like the parent plant.

More plants to start from seed

• Annual sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
  
• Marigold (Tagetes spp. and hybrids)
  
• Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
  

If you want to grow an heirloom seed

Breadseed poppy (Papaver somniferum)

Why grow breadseed poppies from seed?

Hand-me-down plants are a connection to a special person or garden. That’s why I save breadseed poppy seedheads every fall and replant them in early spring. A good friend gave me the original seeds, and I think of her when I see them in bloom.

Tips for starting breadseed poppies from seed

Heirloom plants like breadseed poppy produce seeds in abundance and are often very easy to grow by direct sowing. I collect them in the fall after the pods have dried and the seed rattles inside. As soon as the ground is workable in the spring, I rake an area and scratch up the soil just a bit. Breadseed poppies need light to germinate, so I simply shake the seed out of the pod, scattering it on the soil surface. Since seeds are tiny, mixing them with sand helps you see if you have distributed them evenly. If you live where it snows, you can even sow breadseed poppies right on top of a late winter snow — as it melts it hydrates the seed and settles it into the soil.

More plants to start from seed

• Four o’clock (Mirabilis jalapa)
  
• Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
  
• Spider flower (Cleome hassleriana)
  

If you want to make it easier to transplant

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Why grow common milkweed from seed?

Some plants grow best in the same spot and don’t like to be transplanted. Common milkweed is one of those because it grows a long taproot. It is best to plant the seed direct in the ground where you want them to stay.

Tips for starting common milkweed from seed

To direct sow in fall, simply scatter seed over soil that has been loosened, rake lightly and water in. But if you are like me and forget to plant the seeds you collected, you can also do it in early spring. First, soak milkweed seeds in water overnight, then spread them out on a damp paper towel, roll it up and place in a plastic bag. Set this in the refrigerator for at least 30 days at 33 to 38 degrees F to give the seeds a cold stratification period (which would happen naturally if you planted them outside in the fall). After the stratification time is up, sow the seeds directly in a prepared bed.

More plants to start from seed

• Bachelor’s button (Centaurea cyanus)
  
• Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
  
• Sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus)
  

Related Articles:
How to Sow Seeds Outdoors in Winter
How to Harden Off New or Overwintered Plants
7 Easy Plants to Start From Seed

The breakdown on biodegradable pots

To start seeds and get young plants growing, I’ve always defaulted to the traditional plastic pot. But I’ve gotten tired of cleaning and storing an ever-growing pile of non-recyclable pots. So in the interest of using less plastic, I searched out biodegradable pot options. I wanted to know how they compare: Were they easy to use? Did they inhibit root growth? Did they break down in one growing season?

Testing different types of biodegradable pots

For this admittedly unscientific, anecdotal experiment, I planted Xochi Orange marigolds (Tagetes hybrid) in eight different kinds of biodegradable pots. I started them indoors in the same potting mix under the same lights, watered and fertilized them at the same time and grew them there for almost 10 weeks — longer than I planned to, but the weather wasn’t cooperating for transplanting. I was surprised to note that my seedlings all grew quite differently indoors, as you can see in the photo above taken right before transplanting into the garden. But once planted outdoors (pot and all in the soil) in a raised bed, the marigold plants all evened out within a couple of weeks and I couldn’t tell the difference between them as they grew and bloomed.

End-of-the-season check

At the end of the season after a frost, I dug up the plants. Some roots appeared slightly obstructed by the container materials, growing over the top or through the bottom drainage holes, but all of the plants had grown and thrived. And though in varying states of decomposition, I could still identify each pot by its remains. Most were easily crumbled apart and scattered into the garden, while others will need to spend a season in my compost pile to break down further. Either way, I don’t have to store pots! Check out my findings here.

Related Articles:
When to Start Seeds Indoors
Starting Seeds in Soil Blocks
2 Easy Setups for Starting Seeds Indoors

Takeaways from my biodegradable pot experiment

So after my experiment, which biodegradable pot did I like best? The answer isn't cut and dried, as you might expect. There was no clear winner that performed better than all the others for all purposes. I think each of these pots have situations they would be best for, and I will use them all again. But here are a few takeaways.

If you are growing large quantities of plants: I liked the peat or fiber pot strips and the honeycomb paper flats the best when planting a lot of the same thing. They use space efficiently so I can pack a lot into my growing area. And it is easy to water them because each pot or cell is close together.

Expandable pellets come in different forms: If you can find these without the mesh casing (I bought planting discs from Gardener's Supply that were simply compressed coir) then these leave nothing behind and simply become organic matter in the garden. But the mesh leftovers weren't hard to pluck out at the end of the season and toss into the compost pile.

If recycling is your thing: Toilet paper roll pots and DIY newspaper pots were great to use something that everyone tosses in the garbage. They break down really well, and you can make them from stuff like junk mail envelopes, grocery sacks or packing paper from your latest online purchase when you just need a few and you don't have any other pots on hand.

If you are concerned about sustainability of peat pots: It's hard to beat a good peat pot. They come in all different sizes, hold up well until you transplant outside and break down really well. And super easy to scoop and fill. But some folks have concerns about peat sources and supplies. That is easily remedied with wood fiber pots, "cow pots" made of animal manures, or coconut coir pots as comparable substitutions.

If you are growing the plants in the biodegradable pot for a while: The fabric pots were my least favorite from an ease of use standpoint. They were difficult to fill and didn't stand upright as well as I wanted without propping them up against each other or setting inside another container. But the plants I grew in them for this test and also in previous uses had really robust roots. I do like them for plants that get larger, need more room to grow and may spend a season in the pot before being planted, such as a cutting for a woody shrub. The fabric is slow to deteriorate, but if used for a permanent planting, it's a nice option.

If you want to reduce shipping waste and storage space: The fabric pots, recycled paper boxes and honeycomb paper flat inserts all shipped folded flat with minimal packaging, which is a plus for them. I liked that I wasn't throwing away large boxes or wasteful packing materials. And they are easy to tuck away on a shelf if you have leftovers for next year—no stacks of different sizes of pots to deal with.

Sources for biodegradable pots

Peat or fiber pot strips

• Local Garden Centers
• johnnyseeds.com

Peat or coir expandable pellets

• Local garden centers

Peat pot

• johnnyseeds.com
• Local garden centers

Fabric pot

• Amazon.com

Recycled paper box

• botanicalinterests.com

Honeycomb paper flat

• gardeners.com

Save marigold seeds to grow next year

Marigolds are super easy to grow and the perfect care-free bedding plant for containers, borders and mass plantings. If you need a lot of plants, you can save seed from spent flowers and grow them yourself next year to save money.

Since marigolds reseed in the garden easily all by themselves, leave a few dried flowers to drop seed. Keep in mind that plants won’t always look exactly like the parent plant, but sometimes that can be a fun surprise. It’s also easy to collect and save seeds for next year so you can grow them where you want them. Here's how to do it.

You Might Also Like:
How to Direct Sow Seeds Outdoors
Easy Set-ups for Starting Seeds Indoors
Long-lasting Annuals for Your Garden

How to harvest marigold seeds

Spent blooms are ready to harvest when they are shriveled and brown, and the lower portion of seeds inside the dried calyx will be black or dark brown. Follow the steps below to remove the seeds:

• Clip off the dried flower.
  
• Pull off withered petals.
  
• Break open the dried calyx and pull the seeds out.
  
• Clean off any debris or dead foliage.
  
• Spread seed out on a small tray and pick out any discolored or deformed seeds.
  
• Air dry the seeds for a week or two in a dry place out of direct light.
  
• Place in an air-tight container and store until you are ready to plant.
  

Tips for storing marigold seeds

Marigold seeds will be good for several years if stored properly. Here are a few tips:

• An airtight jar like the glass jar with a lid above will keep seed fresher longer by keeping moisture away from the seeds. Plastic containers or zip-close bags work well too. Paper envelopes are fine for temporary storage or if you plant the seeds within the next year.
  
• Be sure to label which cultivar you collected the seed from.
  
• Store in a dark, dry location until ready to plant.
  

You Might Also Like:
Starting Seeds with Soil Blocking
Best Places to Buy Garden Seeds
How to Save Tomato Seeds

It’s true that you can grow seeds on the windowsill in recycled yogurt cups — people do it all the time. But I’ve found that I’m more successful at growing indoors if I give seeds bottom heat with a germination mat.

Why is bottom heat important for seed-starting?

When starting seeds inside, bottom heat helps the germination mix you’ve planted in stay warmer than room temperature. You can plant seeds in cool soil without the extra warmth, but they may sit and languish in cold, damp conditions for days, which invites fungal diseases into your germination mix and can cause damping off. In contrast, if you warm the potting mix, seeds germinate significantly faster and you avoid those unhealthy conditions that cause seedlings to die. Plus, I’ve found it can cut germination time by as much as half.

Encourage sprouts with a germination heat mat

Most seeds germinate reliably at 60 to 70 degrees F, but some plants sprout best at higher temperatures. Strangely, plants considered “cold crops” often germinate more quickly at higher soil temps but prefer to grow at lower air temperatures. That makes them good candidates for starting indoors early in the season, then moving them outside while it is still chilly. Scroll down to see optimal germinating temperatures at which many common vegetables and flowers sprout best.

You Might Also Like:
DIY Plant Pots for Seed Starting
Two Easy Setups for Starting Seeds Indoors
Best Places to Order Garden Seeds Online

Why use a germination heat mat for plants?

If you plan to start seeds every year or do a bunch of them, it really is just easiest to get a commercial heat mat. It’s designed to do this job, after all, and is waterproof, safety inspected, easy to use, thin, stores easily, and the right size to fit a growing flat (or you can buy larger ones that hold several flats at once). There’s even a narrow one to fit on that windowsill. The heat is consistent at all times and keeps the soil about 10 degrees warmer than room temperature — perfect for growing in a cool garage or basement.

A germination mat may have a thermostat to fine-tune your temps for finicky seeds. You can get a basic germination mat for as little as $20. Not ready to buy a mat? Scroll down for more ways to warm your seeds below.

How long do seeds need bottom heat?

A germination mat should be on or warm all the time — no need to use a timer. Remove the seedlings from bottom heat as soon as most of the seeds sprout. Once leaves emerge, seedlings prefer slightly cooler temperatures to harden off and may actually get leggy and weak by remaining on the germination mat.

Seed Starting Supplies You Might Also Like:
Plastic Plant Labels
Seed-Starting Mix
Seed-starting Tray With Humidity Dome

Other ways to create bottom heat for seed-starting

Any extra warmth can make a difference when starting seeds. If you don’t have a germination heat mat, here are a few hacks that will give your seed-starting tray bottom heat:

A warm appliance

Many household appliances, such as refrigerators, water heaters or freezers, give off just enough heat to warm a tray of potting mix. Just set it on top of the appliance.

String lights

Secure outdoor-use string lights under a shelf with s-hooks or a baker’s cooling rack with cable ties like you see above. Set your seed-starting tray right on top.

Radiator or heat vent

Set trays above the heater on a shelf, but make sure it doesn’t get too hot! Remember that it can be dry near a vent, so check the soil often to make sure it stays moist.

Foil tent around grow lights

Warm the germination mix by trapping heat given off by grow lights with aluminum foil tented around the lights and seed trays.

Pet warmers

Pet bed warmers and reptile heating mats work just like a germination mat and won’t get too hot.

DO NOT USE electric blankets or heating pads as a germination mat. They get too hot for seedlings, should not be used in wet conditions and are not designed to be on constantly.

You Might Also Like:
When to Start Seeds Indoors
Seed-Starting Tips From Our Readers
7 Easy Plants to Start From Seed

Optimal germinating temperatures for different seeds

All seeds have a range of soil temperatures at which they will germinate, but have an ideal temp at which more seeds sprout. Check out the lists below to see these plants’ preferred temperature.

65 degrees F soil temperature to germinate

• Bachelor’s button (Centaurea cyanus)
• Melampodium (Melampodium divaricatum)
• Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
• Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)

70 degrees F soil temperature to germinate

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)
• Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
• Leek (Allium porrum)
• Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)
• Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
• Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
• Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)

75 degrees F soil temperature to germinate

• Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides)
• Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)
• Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
• Nicotiana (Nicotiana spp. and hybrids)
• Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
• Pea (Pisum sativum)
• Petunia (Petunia hybrids)
• Wax begonia (Begonia semperflorens)

80 degrees F soil temperature to germinate

• Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
• Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea gemmifera)
• Cabbage (Brassica oleracea capitata)
• Carrot (Daucus carota sativus)
• Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea botrytis)
• Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea gongylodes)

DIY Plant Pots Are Easy to Make!

Trying to use less plastic when starting seeds? Make your own pots. This video shows a couple of DIY plant pots that use paper products you most likely have on hand. It's a great way to recycle newspaper, bath tissue or paper towel rolls and other papers you might normally throw away. And you can plant your seedlings pot and all — these pots are biodegradable. Here are the instructions for a few different types of DIY paper plant pots.

You Might Also Like:
Roll With It...Or On It
Seed Starting Tips
7 Easy Plants to Start From Seed

DIY rolled paper pot

1. Choose your paper

Newspaper works best, since it will degrade fastest once planted in the ground. Paper sacks, notebook paper, packing paper and non-glossy advertising paper also work. Avoid papers with color printing and glossy finishes in case the inks and glues contain contaminants. Most newspaper print, laser printer and ink jet printer inks are considered garden-safe.

2. Cut paper strips

Cut strips of paper about 3 1/2 inches wide. You can make strips wider or narrower, depending on the desired height of your pot. Strips should be at least 12 inches long, which will create a pot with two layers of paper for stability.

3. Choose a rolling form

You can use almost anything with a 1- to 1 1/2-inch diameter as a form to roll your DIY paper plant pot. A drinking glass, vase, wooden dowel, spice jar, or pill bottle all work well, just make sure the sides are straight, not flared out.

4. Roll the paper

Lay your rolling form down on a strip of paper, leaving about 1/2 to 3/4 inch hanging off the bottom edge. Roll the strip of paper over the form.

5. Fold the bottom

Holding the loose end of the paper strip, pleat and fold the bottom of the paper over the flat bottom of the rolling form. This makes the bottom of your pot. Press the form down on a table to crease the folds and help make a flat bottom.

6. Slide out the pot

Slide the paper off the form. The folded bottom should hold the layers of paper together in a pot shape.

7. Fill with potting mix

Don't worry if the pot doesn't stand straight up when empty. Once it's filled with moist potting mix it will stay upright, ready to plant.

8. Set and plant

Set your DIY paper plant pot in a tray and plant your seeds. When seedlings are ready to plant outside, sink the whole pot into the soil, being sure to cover the top edge of the paper so it doesn't wick moisture out of the pot. You can easily tear the moistened paper pots off the seedlings if you want, but roots will grow through the paper, so it isn't necessary.

You Might Also Like:
Starting Seeds with Soil Blocking
Easy Setups for Starting Seeds Indoors
When to Start Seeds Indoors

Try a paper pot making tool

Though you can use all kinds of forms to make a DIY paper plant pot, this tool makes it super easy. The sides are etched with lines to make it easy to roll the strips straight. The steps are the same until you get to folding the bottom of the pot. At the bottom of the rolling tool is an indentation that fits into a base, where you can press a better pot bottom that stands more straight than if you just use a glass or vase.

More Helpful Tools for DIY Plant Pots:
Paper pot making tool
Paper cutter
Germination Heat Mat

DIY plant pots from cardboard rolls

1. Collect cardboard rolls

Spent paper towel, bath tissue and wrapping paper rolls make great DIY plant pots. The cardboard is durable but light enough to biodegrade.

2. Decide height

Decide how tall you want your pots and cut the rolls accordingly. You will need to cut at least 1/2 to 3/4 inch longer than the desired height of your pot.

3. Make cuts

Use a scissors to make 5 or 6 vertical cuts on one end of the roll. Cut 1/2 to 3/4 inch into the tube, making a tab. If it helps, draw a line around the roll to make sure you get all the cuts the right length (if they are uneven, the pot may not sit straight).

4. Fold tabs

Fold the tabs formed by the cuts to the inside of the roll, overlapping as you go.

5. Press the bottom

Press the newly formed pot on a table to flatten the bottom and crease the folds. Don't worry if it doesn't stand up perfectly straight, once filled with potting mix and moistened, it can be adjusted to stand better.

6. Plant seeds

Plant seeds and water in. Cardboard rolls tend to dry quickly, so check for water daily and water when potting mix is dry.

7. Plant outside

When seedlings are ready to move outside, plant pot and all in the ground, making sure to cover the top of the pot with soil. The cardboard pot will biodegrade over the course of the growing season. Moistened cardboard is easy to tear off if you would rather plant without the pot, which can then go in the compost pile.

Soil blocking basics

What if you could start seeds without messing around with a thousand tiny little pots that clutter up your garden shed? Or maybe you want to garden using less plastic. Either way, try growing in soil blocks.

In this technique, a special tool called a soil blocker is used to form potting mix into blocks. Growing without containers like this increases air circulation, which promotes healthy root systems, because it “air prunes” the roots: They stop growing at the edge of the block and branch back into the mix instead of circling the inside of a pot. This minimizes transplant shock later. Let me walk you through how to start seeds in soil blocks.

Soil blocking tools & accessories

A soil blocking tool is a grid of squares that you pack potting mix into, then press a plunger to release the molded blocks. Soil blockers are available in several sizes, from hand-held ¾-inch block grids to long-handled, stand-up blockers for planting in outdoor fields. You can purchase them in sets of different sizes, complete with dibble inserts, which make the blocks nestable — meaning a smaller block will fit inside the next size larger so you can transplant up as the seedlings grow.

Where to Buy Blocking Tools
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Gardener’s Supply Company

Using the best mix for soil blockers

Regular potting mix won’t do — it needs to be a bit heavier to stick together. The mix I use, shown below, is a modified recipe of Eliot Coleman’s soil-blocking mix from his book The New Organic Grower. Using a 5-quart bucket as a measuring tool for each part in this recipe yields about 175 2-inch blocks, but you can scale it down if you don’t need that much, as long as the parts are equal. If you don't want to mix your own, you can purchase pre-made mixes, but be sure the product label indicates it works for soil blocking.

DIY soil mix for soil blocks

• 1 part topsoil — purchase bagged or use your own, just make sure it is weed-free and clods are broken up
• 2 parts compost — purchase bagged or make your own, screen off any large pieces
• 2 parts perlite — vermiculite also works
• 3 parts peat or coir — be sure to use finely milled products

Step 1: Mix soil

Stir all parts together in a tub, breaking up any large chunks, then add enough water that it almost drips when you squeeze a handful. Pre-moistening the elements so they are damp before mixing is a good idea and helps reduce dust. The potting mix will be similar in texture to cookie dough. When it looks like the photo above, it’s just right.

You Might Also Like:
Garden Compost Basics
6 Organic Products to Use in Your Garden
Seed-Starting Tips From Our Readers

Step 2: Form the soil blocks

Holding the soil blocking tool in your hand, push down into the tub of soil mix to pack it into the form. I usually get as much mix into the blocking tool as I can this way, then pack more in by hand if the blocks seem loose. Level off the bottom of the blocks and brush away any mix on the side of the tool for neater cubes. You can see how messy this can be, and that’s why I wear rubber or latex gloves.

Step 3: Extract the soil blocks

Once the soil blocker is packed full, press the plunger to release the blocks in place, pushing down slightly as you go. Soil blocks are heavier than your usual germination mix, so if you use a conventional grower’s flat, which is rather flimsy, double or triple up. Use a flat with no drainage holes so you can bottom water. Or use a sturdy container like a cafeteria tray, old cake pan, cookie sheet, or plastic storage container. In the photo above, I’m putting these blocks into a mesh-bottom soil blocking tray with an accompanying heavy-duty flat, to be able to bottom water easier.

Step 4: Plant in your soil blocks

Each soil block has a divot for seeds. I like the 2-inch block for larger seeds, such as lupine or the zucchini in the photo above, which easily drop into the depression. I also use the smaller ¾-inch blocker for tiny seeds, but find it harder to hit the right spot with a single seed, so sometimes I just sprinkle seed all over, then as they germinate, snip out seedlings that missed the center of the block. For seeds that need darkness to sprout, cover with a pinch of damp soil mix, or save some before you wet it down to sprinkle dry over the seeds, then mist to dampen it. Set a clear plastic dome over your soil blocks to keep the humidity up and place on a germination mat if you like.

You Might Also Like:
When to Start Seeds Indoors
How to Prechill Seeds
How to Start Seeds Outdoors in Winter

Tips for watering soil blocks

• Because there is no pot, soil blocks may dry out on all surfaces quickly, so check them daily. The heavy mix does hold moisture inside the cubes, so you may only need to mist lightly at first.

• After seedlings germinate, to prevent eroding the sides of the blocks, water from the bottom: Pour water into the bottom of the tray and let it soak, as in the photo above.

• When the blocks are saturated, if there’s water left in the tray, suck it out with a turkey baster or pour it off. Once seedlings grow thicker roots that hold the block together, you can top-water gently. Use a watering can with a fine sprinkler only because a heavy stream could break up the blocks.

• It is easy to get soil blocks too wet. If you find mold growing on the blocks, water a bit less. Sprinkling cinnamon on the potting mix as in the photo above can eliminate the mold.

Step 5: Transplant seedlings

If you've started seeds in the smallest soil block, you can transplant them into new blocks as they outgrow the smaller size. For example, start seed in the ¾-inch block, then transplant seedlings into new 2-inch blocks, using the square dibble insert just the right size to transplant the ¾-inch cube inside. Grow in the larger cube until you’re ready to plant outside, or move up into an even bigger 4-inch block, dibbled to fit the 2-inch cube.

Transplanting soil blocks outdoors

When you are ready to transplant your seedlings outside, simply pull the blocks apart like brownies from a pan and drop one into the planting hole — no fumbling with pots that blow away across the yard. I like to use a small spatula to separate the blocks and lift them out of the tray, but it isn't always necessary, as the plant roots usually hold the block together. Sometimes roots grow out the bottom of the cube and will tangle together: They should come apart with a gentle tug, or you can cut them apart with a knife.

With a little practice and the right soil mix, soil blocking can be the solution to all those mismatched pots piling up in your garden shed. Start your seeds in a pot-free, eco-friendly, economical way. And your seedlings will be healthier to boot!

Pin it for later!

Starting celosia from seed

There are lots of celosia varieties you can start from seed and they’re pretty easy to get going. You can even save seeds from your own plants; just know that they may not grow flowers that match the color of those you collected the seeds from. The photo above gives you an idea of where to look for celosia seeds on cockscomb types, as they aren’t quite where you’d expect them to be. Seeds from plume and wheat celosia types can be harvested in a similar fashion.

You Might Also Like:
Easy Flowers to Grow
How to Collect Seeds from Your Garden
Starting Seeds Indoors

Step 1: Sow celosia seeds

Start celosia seeds 6 to 8 weeks before your average last frost date by filling small peat pots with premoistened seedstarting mix. Peat pots are nice because later, you won’t have to disturb the tender roots to transplant — just plant the pot and it will eventually decompose.

Celosia seed tip

To give these tiny seeds the light they need to germinate, sow the seeds on the surface of seed-starting mix. I found it easy to pick up seeds on my fingertip and gently flick them onto the seed-starting mix.

Helpful Seed Starting Supplies:
Peat pots
Seedstarting mix
Vermiculite
Grow lights
Heat mat

Step 2: Top off with vermiculite

I wanted to try growing a few new celosia varieties this year so I asked the experts at Johnny’s Selected Seeds for some advice. They recommended topping off the seed with a thin layer of vermiculite. It helps conserve moisture while also discouraging damping off, a fungus that often kills seedlings. The light color and rough texture allows enough light in for germination. I tried it with and without vermiculite and had better germination with the vermiculite.

Step 3: Water from the bottom

Moisture encourages germination so water from the bottom, asthe photo above shows, or mist the mix with a spray bottle. That way you’ll avoid washing the tiny seeds away. Keep your tray of newly sown celosia at 70 to 80 degrees F. A heat mat can help ensure consistent temperatures. You should see growth in 10 to 15 days.

You Might Also Like:
7 Easy Plants to Start from Seed
Seed Starting Tips
When to Start Seeds Indoors

Step 4: Provide heat and light

Set the tray of celosia seedlings under lights that are 6 in. above the foliage and move it up as the plants grow. Once the celosia seeds start to germinate, take the flat off the heat mat and place it under lights for 12 to 13 hours a day. Continue to adjust the grow light to 6 in. above the foliage as the plants grow to avoid burning the seedlings. They'll grow best if you adjust the room temperature to be around 63 to 68 degrees F.

Step 5: Thin celosia seedlings

Anytime before the new plants have two sets of true leaves (those that look like the mature plant but smaller), thin to one plant per peat pot. I used a pair of small pruners with a sharp point, but garden snips or scissors work, too.

You Might Also Like:
DIY Cold Frames
3 Easy Steps for Planting Your Best Annuals
How to Use Fertilizer in Your Garden

Step 6: Get ready for blooms!

Once plants reach 8 to 12 inches tall, pinch out the tip of the center stem to encourage more branching. When nighttime temperatures outdoors are 55 degrees F or above, it’s time to move your celosias outdoors. It is important to harden them off by setting them outside in the shade for a few hours each day, gradually increasing the time and sunlight over a week to 10 days.

Plant each peat pot in the ground at the distance recommended on the seed packet. Make sure to tear off, fold over or completely bury the top portion of the peat pot so it won’t wick water away from the plant. In a few weeks, you’ll have loads of those dramatic and vibrant blooms to enjoy all season!