Planting tips

  • If you use those handy peat pots to start your seeds, you can simply plant the whole pot when the time comes to move the seedlings outside. This is good news for the plants' roots, since they don't have to be disturbed in the process. However, you should be careful of one thing: If the rim of a pot sticks up above the soil, it can draw all the moisture away from the roots and completely dry out your transplant. Be sure that you cover the entire pot when you start putting those seedlings in the ground!  

  • Here's a clever way to recycle those cardboard paper towel and toilet paper rolls: Turn them into pots. All you have to do is cut them into pieces with scissors (a toilet paper roll should yield two; paper towel rolls, four). Then, line up the pieces in a tray so that they're touching. This will ensure that they remain upright and will slow the evaporation of moisture. Now, fill the pieces with potting soil and proceed to plant your seeds as usual. When the time comes to plant the seedlings, just put the entire "pot" in the ground. As with peat pots, the cardboard will disintegrate, although you can help the roots along by gently tearing down one side of the pot. Also as with peat pots, be sure to tear away any excess cardboard that's close to the surface of the soil so that it doesn't pull the moisture away from the roots and evaporate above ground.