Newspaper Planting Pots
One of the easiest and most economical ways I have found for starting seeds is by making newspaper pots.
The hardest part for me is coming up with the newspaper. Not that I would mind getting the paper delivered here on the Nebraska Prairie. But since we live so far out of town, the only way to get the paper is by having it sent to you via the USPS. That in itself in not a problem, except that when you get the newspaper the news is already a day old.
Other than finding newspaper the whole process of making pots is very simple. You will need something cylindrical like a glass or some sort of tube and newspaper that has black and white print only. That's it. Nothing more. Well, maybe potting soil and seeds.
Now carefully take the paper off of the glass. Once the paper is removed, you will need to take the end that you folded in and fold back toward the center, thus making the bottom of the pot. Now take the glass or your hand inside of the pot to push down on the bottom to make it nice and flat. That's it. You did it. Nothing more to it. I take a permanent marker and write the name of the seeds that I am planting on the top edge of the pot. Add your soil, seeds, water and treat as you would any other seedling pot. 
Once all my pots are made, labeled, and planted I put them in a large, lidded tote until the seedlings sprout.
The hardest part for me is coming up with the newspaper. Not that I would mind getting the paper delivered here on the Nebraska Prairie. But since we live so far out of town, the only way to get the paper is by having it sent to you via the USPS. That in itself in not a problem, except that when you get the newspaper the news is already a day old.
First, fold your newspaper in half length wise. Then fold it again about one-third of the way down. The second fold is what determines the height of your newspaper pot. For tomatoes I like to make them tall so I can add soil as they grown. For squash, I make them quite a bit shorter as they do not need a tall pot.
When you have determined the height that you would like your pot to be, begin rolling the newspaper around the glass (in my case). Before rolling, make sure to have about 1 inch or more of the paper extend over the top of the glass. Make sure to roll the paper around the glass snug. Once all the paper is rolled around the glass you fold the paper that extends over the top of the glass inward.
Now carefully take the paper off of the glass. Once the paper is removed, you will need to take the end that you folded in and fold back toward the center, thus making the bottom of the pot. Now take the glass or your hand inside of the pot to push down on the bottom to make it nice and flat. That's it. You did it. Nothing more to it. I take a permanent marker and write the name of the seeds that I am planting on the top edge of the pot. Add your soil, seeds, water and treat as you would any other seedling pot. 
Once all my pots are made, labeled, and planted I put them in a large, lidded tote until the seedlings sprout. 
When you transplant your seedlings into your garden, you can plant them pot and all. However, I usually tear the newspaper pot off of the seedling. The newspaper takes much longer to deteriorate than you might think. I usually put the newspaper pots in my compost pile instead of planting them with the plants.
Happy planting!
Nebraska Prairie Girl
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