A concerned gardener reached out for advice after noticing that their paper towel roll seed starters had started going moldy.
The scoop
A simple gardening hack using paper towel rolls as little pots for starting to grow seeds at home appeared to go wrong for one gardener after they noticed mold growing on the side of the pots.
Posting on the subreddit r/vegetablegardening, the concerned gardener posted an image of their seedlings growing successfully but shared that they were concerned after noticing mold growing on the cardboard.
Fortunately for the gardener, several commenters wrote that the mold wouldn't harm the plants and that they were good to keep growing their seeds this way. "Thank you! I'm pretty new at gardening, so I wasn't sure what molds are harmful and what weren't," the OP wrote in response.
How it's helping
Gardening costs for seeds, pots, and compost can quickly add up, so hacks like these can help people save money while reaping the positive benefits that gardening has on the mind and body. The pots are made by simply cutting the roll in half and making four half-inch cuts on one side before folding them inward to create the pot.
According to Statista, the U.S leads the world in paper roll consumption, with the average American going through about 141 toilet paper rolls each year, which is a lot of cardboard tubes. Finding creative ways to reuse them not only cuts down on waste but can also save money and reduce overall consumption.
Since toilet paper rolls are made from cardboard, they're compostable as long as they haven't been contaminated. This makes them a perfect option for using as biodegradable pots to start seeds indoors. If you have a compost bin at home, tossing in your used toilet rolls is another easy way to keep waste out of landfills, and failing that, these rolls can also be recycled.
What everyone's saying
The comments on this post definitely helped to put the gardener's mind at ease.
"Mould won't hurt the plants, it's just the tube itself that's mouldy because of the moisture. Nothing to worry about!" wrote one commenter.
Another added, "My rolls always end up a bit moldy, but they don't harm the plants, just make sure you have enough air circulation and light."
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