The double cup method is a cheap way of starting
Another benefit of this method is that you can go a lot longer without having to re-pot your seedlings. Instead, you can add more compost to the cup as they grow.
You want to start by getting a regular plastic drinking cup and adding a small stone to the bottom, I will show you why soon.
Then make some drainage holes in a secondary cup. You can do this with a drill or by melting the holes with a hot object.
I melted mine by heating a screwdriver up over my oven top and then puncturing the holes.
Then place the cup with drainage holes inside the cup with the stone.
The stone then creates a gap which allows water to drain away and also acts as a little reservoir.
Add a small amount of compost to the cup and press it down firmly.
You can then sow your tomato seed into the cup.
Sprinkle a little more compost to lightly cover the seed. Then wait for germination.
As your tomato plant grows, you can keep adding more compost to the cup until you fill it.
All of the buried stem will develop roots, leading to a very strong plant. And because the volume of soil is always increasing you don't need to re-pot your tomato seedling!
Here is a pepper plant, grown using the same method, for example.
diane says
looking forward to trying this method thanks
Susan says
Sounds a good idea, I'm going to try it!
Thank you.
Liz says
I prefer to use cardboard loo rolls or newspaper pots, easy to make and no need to remove to plant, very eco friendly. The use of plastic is a big no for me, especially when you have to disturb the plant getting it out of the plastic cup to plant it, i don't see the point.
Peter says
Loo rolls get soggy and mouldy, they often fall apart when you try to transplant them. You need to be open to trying new ways, I will certainly be trying this with some plastic dessert pots.
nevercat says
I think you've missed out a key part of this method, which is that you bottom water the plants by adding water to the small reservoir at the bottom. This is the main reason for doing the double cup method (otherwise you may as well just use a regular nursery pot).
This encourages your plant roots to grow down into your reservoir, and you end up with very dense roots and a plant that grows much faster than simply top watering a nursery pot. Based on the roots in your photo (and that you say the holes are to allow the water to drain away), it looks like you've been top watering your cups?
The point is to put water directly into the reservoir, and then place the cup into it (so that the top cup ends up below your water line) the water will soak up into your soil at the bottom of your top cup. This encourages the roots to grow down as they seek water.
The double cup method comes from hydroponic practitioners, and many people add plant food to water they add to the reservoir.
If you are in fact doing this,