Yesterday I sowed more corn. For whatever reason only 4 of the corn seeds I planted over 2 weeks ago germinated. It was the package from last year and it says it’s good for another year but I guess it lies. It’s not vacuum sealed or anything so I have no idea why they aren’t viable. Whatever the reason, more kernels were called for and I just happened to have a new package of seeds.
I also planted out the tomatoes and eggplant I sowed in August.
Both germinated pretty well and are looking strong enough to go in the ground. The eggplants I sowed in the toilet roll (left) are well behind these which went straight into the pot under a bit of a plastic cover (above, right). I’m calling that toilet roll experiment a failure. The capsicum sown at the same time are far from impressive (worse even than the eggplant) and still require more time before planting out. I think the problem was that the dirt around the toilet rolls was insufficient so that the rolls dried out. The larger mass of dirt in the pot without rolls in it retained its moisture better.
Here are the 7 eggplant and 6 tomato seedlings in the beds (2 of the tomato seedlings – at the back, next to the fence – came up on their own and I decided to leave them alone to see how they go). They all look tiny but look strong.
This morning I checked on the new plants at 6 am when I went to let my chickens free range. Unbelievably two of the eggplants are gone. The two under the kohlrabi. Totally. Gone. I blame the bandicoot. 6 weeks of waiting for my seeds to become shoots to become seedlings to be transplanted – wasted. AAARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!
Eggplants can be sown in August and September so today I’m sowing more in the same pot the last ones came out of. Never say die.
Laura Rittenhouse's Gardening Journal 
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Sorry you have not had success with the toilet roll inners. I start lots of my plants out like this, but I put all the cardboard tubes onto a tray or in an old baking tray and do keep them well watered. My beans that I started like this did much better than the ones sown directly into the ground, so I would say don’t give up on this method but do water them every day.
I did water them daily. When I dismantled one of the failures (I’m keeping a couple going because at least they have some sprouts) the bottom half of the roll was sodden and the top half dryish. Maybe I water too much rather than too little. Maybe I need to just sprinkle water. With the pot full of dirt the difference between the moisture content of the top and bottom layers of dirt wasn’t significant. I think soil is a better sharer of water than the paper rolls are.
I’m glad you’ve made it work for you. I’m sure, like with so much in the garden, once you master a technique, it seems so simple but before then ????
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