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Clear plastic cups

Newbee3Newbee3 Posts: 29
Is it true clear plastic cups are great for propagation of cuttings and sowing of seeds.
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  • B3B3 Posts: 27,503

    Maybe you can put them on top as,a little propagator or to keep the slugs off

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • michael mpcmichael mpc Posts: 422

    hi newbee     not sure about clear  a friend  of mine works  where they have a coffee machine and all the used cups  brown and dark fawn  work ok (  only trouble is I have to wash them all can work out to 100ssss  uses my fairy I keep in shed    michael

  • GrannybeeGrannybee Posts: 332

    I have saved large clear yoghurt pots to be little mini-cloches for when I put out plants in the garden. Mostly to keep off rabbits!

  • I use those clear plastic cartons that grapes, paeches etc are sold in as mini-cloches. They do tend to blow away, though, so I secwurd them with sticks or tent pegs pushed into the ground via one of the holes in the base (which is now the top).

  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,352

    I have used those very un-green white polystyrene cups still favoured by our local authority for hot drinks in place of 3" plant pots image

    They worked well for seed & cutting germination & the polystyrene gave a degree of insulation in my unheated potting shed. But, to be honest, by the time I'd washed 40+ and poked drainage holes in the bottom of them  - I'd kind of lost the will.... They were also quite fragile & split when I tried to remove baby plants for potting on.

    I have also used the clear cartons fruit is sold in as mini propagators - they work rather well, usually don't need washing (I'm lazy image) and often have drainage holes already punched in them

    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • SparklesJDSparklesJD Posts: 344

    I cut up plastic coffee cups and use them as plant labels.

  • What a clever idea, Sparkles!

  • EsspeeEsspee Posts: 274

    Clear plastic cups are good for orchids.  Regarding the chore of punching holes in recycled cups I use a kebab skewer heated to red hot then stab through upturned cups.  Plastic and polystyrene do smell but I do it over the cooker with the extractor on full blast.

  • EsspeeEsspee Posts: 274

    Should have mentioned my long skewers have wooden handles.  Don't try this with all metal ones! image

  • EsspeeEsspee Posts: 274

    I don't recycle containers to save money (though that is welcome) I hate waste and prefer to reuse items rather than consign them to landfill.  We have become a throwaway society and while it is pleasing to have uniform containers for plants I take as much pleasure from my toilet roll sweet peas as others do from their 'root trainer' versions.

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