I usually water in with some seaweed spray and a little molasses. The outside of the pot soon breaks down and I haven't disturbed the roots of my seedling. When it comes time to plant out the seedling, I soak the paper pot in seaweed solution for a few minutes then I rip/remove the base of the paper pot and place in the prepared hole in the garden. When seeds germinate and start to grow open the top of the container a little to allow better air flow and as they grow taller open completely. Close the lid of the container and place in a warm, sunny position but be wary on really hot days when they will do better in dappled light. If I'm planting seeds that need to be soaked before planting I always dissolve a small pinch of Epsom salts in the water. I water them well with a spray bottle filled with water and Epson Salts (1 teaspoon Epson salts to 5 litres water) ensuring they are well dampened. (Rule of thumb – cover seed with as much seed raising mixture as twice the circumference of the seed.). Then place the seed or seeds on the soil surface and cover with enough seed raising mixture for the size of the seed. Partially fill paper pots with seed raising mixture, your own or a commercial mix (I made a paper funnel to help get the soil in the right place). Before using the plastic containers make sure there are some drainage holes in the bottom and a few breather holes in the top (otherwise you will drown or cook your seeds/seedlings, and I speak from experience). Mini greenhouses are recycled clear plastic containers with hinged lids which you commonly see filled with strawberries, cherry tomatoes, kiwi fruit, salad mixes, cakes, biscuits, etc. To use my paper pots I place them in mini green houses.
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