Growing Carrots In Toilet Paper Tubes Has Unexpected Benefits - Tasting Table

"Some plants, like carrots, don't like to be transplanted because the seedlings are delicate and their fragile roots can be damaged in the process. Instead, save your spent toilet paper tubes to make little pots to plant your seeds for a cost-effective hack that will help your seedlings and reduce landfill waste."

"You can easily grow many vegetables in cardboard tubes, but this is especially useful for carrots, as it protects their long taproots and allows them to be transplanted safely - you will plant the whole pot, so the roots will not be disturbed. The cardboard will naturally biodegrade, with the unexpected benefit of feeding the microbes as they break down the cardboard and enrich the soil."

"Carrot seeds are tiny - think cumin seeds, and you get the picture. After all, they are in the same botanical family. To plant them in the garden, they must be scattered and invariably end up in clumps; thus, the need to thin out the seedlings as they emerge to give the remaining carrots plenty of room to develop."

Late winter is ideal for starting seeds indoors in sunny locations to produce healthy seedlings ready for transplanting when weather warms. Carrots are particularly suited to this method because their delicate taproots are easily damaged during transplanting. Recycled toilet paper and paper towel tubes serve as cost-effective, biodegradable seed pots that protect carrot roots and allow whole-pot transplanting without root disturbance. The cardboard naturally breaks down in soil, enriching it with microbes. This method also solves the spacing problem inherent to tiny carrot seeds, which typically scatter unevenly and require thinning. Starting carrots now enables spring harvests before hot weather arrives.

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