in size and function to growing in soil blocks, but without the time and fuss of making soil blocks.
A game changer Paper chain pots can have huge impacts on a small farm. It can turn chores such as transplanting onions from a multiday, grueling event into a quick morning task. On the author’s farm, onions, leeks, and scallions (crops that are often on the low end of the profitability spectrum) would have been abandoned because the labor to transplant them was just too demanding in terms of time and on knees and backs. Paper pot transplanting drastically reduced labor costs and turned alliums into a profitable endeavor. Equally important to reducing labor time and costs, the paper chain pot system can ensure better and more consistent stands of crops that are traditionally direct seeded such as peas, beets, spinach, and cilantro. For example, spinach, which germinates poorly in warm weather, can be reliably transplanted at any time of year using paper pots. Consistent stands result in enhanced efficiency in all ensuing crop management activities from cultivation to irrigation to controlling pests because you are not wasting labor, time, and materials dealing with areas without a crop. Ultimately, solid stands of a crop result in higher yields per row foot and improved profitability.
Transplanting vegetables, flowers, and herbs is a significant part of most organic market farms’ weed management strategy. Getting a jump on the weeds helps keep crops from being overwhelmed and makes cultivation easier and more efficient. Transplanting crops such as beets and spinach that might otherwise be direct seeded is another benefit that farmers using the paper chain pot system appreciate. Over and over, growers report that paper chain pots are a “game changer” in terms of reducing labor time and costs, reducing or eliminating stoop labor, making weed management easier, and making their farms more profitable. One way the latter is achieved is by making it possible to plant and harvest one or two more high-value crops per season in hoop houses because that valuable growing space can be turned over more rapidly.
Adapting growing systems to paper chain pots There are several changes that adopting the paper chain pot systems requires. One is that the system is designed around the standard tray in Japan, which is approximately 12 by 24 inches. Paper pots do not fit in 1020 trays. Fortunately, the Japanese-style nursery trays are extremely durable and can last the lifetime of a farm. The author was all too grateful to forego the use of flimsy 1020 trays and
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