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Newspaper pots for growing seeds

45604560 Posts: 11
in Problem solving
Hi, I have decided this year to use newspaper pots to start off my seeds in. After making over 100 of them, using a well known daily paper, I set about starting off tomatoes, brassicas and flowers. I put them into a heated propagator and waited. The seeds started off well and I then transferred them into a small greenhouse, after a couple of weeks I noticed on the side of the newspaper pots that a coral coloured mould started to appear in spots that merged together and that the same was happening on top of the soil and when I watered the pots, a cloud of dust appeared.
is the problem because I used newspaper, would it be better to use plain paper, or is it to do with the pots being damp and humid.
i have had to transfer my tomatoes into small plastic plots as I do not want to transfer the mould into the soil when planted out. Can anyone please help me?
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  • 45604560 Posts: 11
    I haven’t got a photo to show as I disposed of the pots when I repotted the toms, but there is a red top on the paper, starts with M and is daily.
  • Janie BJanie B Posts: 963
    4560 said:
    ... a coral coloured mould ...
    Maybe the FT?  ;)
    Lincolnshire
  • 45604560 Posts: 11
    No it is the m (you can see your reflection in it )and it is daily.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    All of my onions, leeks, clary, and other plants that don’t like root disturbance are all sown in newspaper pots, no colour on it though, it’s the Western Morning News (best thing for it!)  don’t have any problems the whole lot can then just be potted into the ground in-tacked.
    several other seeds are started in them, all are fine. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • 45604560 Posts: 11
    Hi all

    thanks for all your replies, I think it may have something to do with the coloured inks in the paper, I think I will try with some white headed paper that can no longer be used, but I will cut off the coloured heading. Thanks
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    It wont rot down as quick as newspaper. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • 45604560 Posts: 11
    Hi, no it probably won’t, but hopefully it will rot down when I plant it in my allotment, I just don’t want to transfer the mould to my allotment and then have problems there.
    thanks
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    I've used paper pots for years, i use the TV guide, it's slightly shiny and a bit more robust than newspaper.  I often get that pinky mould, it doesn't seem to to affect the seedlings, and disappears once the pots have gone in the ground.
  • 45604560 Posts: 11
    Thanks for the info, that is very helpful.
  • 45604560 Posts: 11
    Josusa, sorry, had a thought overnight, do you plant vegetables or flowers into your soil, is it on an allotment , do you use the same soil each year, or do you move your plants around each year when planting, sorry if this sounds silly, but it is the first year I have used this method and I don’t want to start off a problem for the future on my allotment. Thanks
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