Can Recycled Newspaper Pots Be Used in the Ground?

Ease Transplantation

• Gardeners use biodegradable pots because they can be planted directly in the garden. Direct planting doesn't disturb the delicate root systems of seedlings, making successes from some of the most difficult transplants. Because newspaper pots are made from used newsprint, they are inexpensive. Newspaper pots, along with peat pots and pots made of compressed manure, are helpful as seed starting containers.

Forming Newspaper Pots

• Commercial forms are available to help the gardener create a uniform newspaper pot, but using household objects as forms can make any size pot. Cans, bowls, cups and tubes can be used for round pot forms. Roll a strip of newspaper that is approximately 8 inches wide and 22 inches long around a 15-ounce can, so that 2 inches of the strip's width hang off of the can. Fold the 2-inch strip against the bottom of the can, rotating the can as you fold. Push the can form against a hard surface with the folded strip on the bottom and turn the can until the bottom holds together firmly and the sides flare slightly.

Safe to Bury

• Newsprint is safe to bury in the ground. Most newspapers are printed with soy-based inks, whether they are color or black and white. Newsprint is slow to break down because it is primarily composed of lignin, a substance found in the cells of woody plants that makes them highly resistant to decomposition. The very high carbon to nitrogen ratio of newspaper also inhibits biodegrading. Add a small amount of nitrogen-based fertilizer to the planting hole to encourage the pot to decompose more quickly. Cut slits in the pot’s bottom and sides to help the small plant roots find their way out more quickly.

Newspaper Decomposition Rate

• How useful a biodegradable pot is largely depends on its ability to break down quickly so that the seedling does not become pot-bound. Newspaper takes many weeks to completely break down, but becomes easy to penetrate within about six weeks. Keep newspaper pots moist and bury the entire pot below the surface of the soil to speed the process. A study conducted at Ohio State University measured the time it took to decompose newspaper in a bedding situation. By the sixth week, the newsprint still held its shape, but crumbled readily when disturbed by even a small force.