Do you like to garden? Want to save money while growing your plants and vegetables? Try this simple recycling tip as a way to start seeds. Try these Toilet Paper Roll Seed Starter.
How to Make Toilet Paper Roll Seed Starters
Don’t spend money on those expensive seed starters. Try this simple way to start seeds to save money. Start a garden on a budget.
I love gardening, and I love recycling. Adding to the 2 together just seems like a natural concept. Since we started working on getting our garden together last week, I decided I would get a jump-start on my seeds and get them going too. It seemed like a perfect way to use Toilet Paper Rolls For a Seed Starter.
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Can You Germinate Seeds in Toilet Paper Rolls?
Planting already started plants is easy. It is a simple dig a hole and put the plant in. The problem comes in with the price of plants. Some annual flowers can cost up to $5 a plant, depending on where you buy it. Growing plants from seeds are much more cost effective. Even the expensive seeds I have seen are less than a single plant and with a seed pack, you can grow a dozen or so plants for the price of one. Many people don’t like to grow from seeds because they don’t know how or think it is complicated.
How do You Use Toilet Roll Seeds
When you germinate seeds in toilet paper rolls, you do not have to disrupt the roots moving them from from a pot to the ground. The rolls are compostable and will disintegrate in the ground.
How to Start Seeds with a Seed Starter
Make sure you buy good seeds. Do not save the seeds for the year. Those seeds usually do not grow. I do not recommend the seeds from the dollar store either. I rarely have luck with those. This can leave you frustrated.
How to start a garden
We collect toilet paper rolls, so we always have a bunch of them lying around, just waiting for a craft or repurpose. I *think* I saw this idea in a magazine that I was glancing through in the line at a store. But at the time, I was only flipping through, not paying much attention, so I don’t know what magazine it was, if it actually was even a magazine, or if that is even where the idea came from. I just know, I saw it somewhere, sometime, and it stuck in my head until I actually did it.
RELATED: Want other great gardening ideas? Get Your Garden Ready For Planting and Creating a Special Planter for Your Plants.
Supplies Needed
What you will need:
Potting soil I love this kind. It gives me beautiful flowers every time.
Gardening gloves
A box
toilet paper rolls– cut down in halves
Seeds: There are so many beautiful flower seeds
Pro Tip: I prefer to buy everything online if I can. I hate traveling to a store and not finding what I am looking for. I order online so that I do not have to go out to a store. It is a huge time saver.
How to Make Seed Starter Pots
You will need something to hold all of the toilet paper rolls up. You can use a plastic container if you want. I choose to recycle a box since it is something we have tons of them too.
Get the box ready. I cut the top off which had the side flaps attached to it. I could have kept it on, but I didn’t want to always deal with it being in my way.
Fill the box with as many or as little tp rolls as you want for your seeds. I like to fill the box with soil, and then add the rolls in. You can certainly fill each roll on its own.
Be sure you are using the right soil. If you are plating veggies, don’t use flower soil. The chemicals are different. Some soils are made for both. That is the kind I have. I recommend using gardening gloves. A lot of potting soil that has fertilizer in it, has cow manure or something similar. This isn’t really something you want on your hands.
Now, you can add your seeds.
Press the seeds into the dirt and cover them up.
Then give your seeds a bit of water and some sunshine. It will not take long before the plants are sprouted and ready for the ground. And since you are using cardboard, it can go directly into the ground, if you didn’t want to worry about taking the seedlings out of the roll first.
Want other ways to use old toilet paper rolls? DIY Recycled Heart Stamp Craft, Recycled Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeders, Make binoculars with your child, Halloween Craft: Treat Bag using Toilet Paper Rolls
Using Toilet Paper Rolls For Seed Starter
Ingredients
- Potting soil I love this kind. It gives me beautiful flowers every time.
- Gardening gloves
- A box
- toilet paper rolls- cut down in halves
- Seeds: There are so many beautiful flower seeds
Instructions
- You will need something to hold all of the toilet paper rolls up. You can use a plastic container if you want. I choose to recycle a box, since it is something we have tons of them too.
- Get the box ready. I cut the top off which had the side flaps attached to it. I could have kept it on, but I didn’t want to always deal with it being in my way.
- Fill the box with as many or as little tp rolls as you want for your seeds. I like to fill the box with soil, and then add the rolls in. You can certainly fill each roll on its own.
- Be sure you are using the right soil. If you are plating veggies, don’t use flower soil. The chemicals are different. Some soils are made for both. That is the kind I have. I recommend using gardening gloves. A lot of potting soil that has fertilizer in it, has cow manure or something similar. This isn’t really something you want on your hands.
- Now, you can add your seeds.
- Press the seeds into the dirt and cover them up.
- Then give your seeds a bit of water and some sunshine. It will not take long before the plants are sprouted and ready for the ground. And since you are using cardboard, it can go directly into the ground, if you didn’t want to worry about taking the seedlings out of the roll first.
Ari
Oh now that’s a great way to reuse the toilet paper rolls. They look like a great fit for each seedling and like you said, can be directly put into the ground once roots and the seedling grows. It’s also non-toxic and won’t damage any other plants around. Thanks for the idea!
Sarah L
I agree that it’s a great use for the TP rolls. I don’t care where you saw it, as long as you remembered it enough to use it and share it with us.
Lisa R
wow, something useful to do with the roll after the real job is done….LOL
sibabe64 at ptd dot net
Gianna
Cool idea, I never thought of doing this before!
ANDREA MACKAFEE
THATS AN AWESOME IDEA!
Stacy Alfano
This is a great idea for all those toliet paper rolls I keep saving for crafts!
Darlene Jones-Nelson
I have seen a lot of crafts used from toilet paper and paper towel rolls but this one is the most creative yet. I love to reuse and recycle everything I can Now I know that next year I can start the flower seeds for the easy mother’s day soup can project I don’t have to go out and buy a seed starter from the garden place.
Piper Leigh
Wow, I never thought of using the toilet paper rolls. Thanks for the great idea!
Phindile
What a great idea of recycling toilet paper rolls… I will definitely try it over the holidays. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Becky
I love this idea! Gonna do this! Thanks for the great tips!
Linda
Interesting you say not to save seed for the year. My Mom passed in 2018 and I found some family heirloom cabbage collard seed in a jar marked 1993. I was so excited about the find and maybe germinating my grandmother’s prized collards. So, I did the test with paper napkins and moisture in a Ziplock bag and they finally sprouted after a couple of weeks!
Guess I am a bit more toward the natural way of saving seeds like my grandmother, a Cherokee Indian lady that loved the land. So instead of discarding old seed, give them a chance if they are important to you. If you put them in warm water for 15 minutes and they are not floating to the top, they are viable seed to be planted.
The toilet paper seed starters can be taken one step further. Cut the end in small sections about 1/2 in and fold in. The creates a little pot that will not require any soil except what is in them. The container you set them in will only be for keeping moisture in.
Jennifer Hendricks
Going to try this in a couple days, can’t wait. 🙂
Franny
Can you put the rolls directly into your garden bed, instead of starting one in the house?
Seems like this would’ve great to kick start your seeds directly in your garden
And not having to transport them
Hope I heard back
Debi
Yes, you could put it straight in the ground.