HAS ANYONE EVER USED TIN CANS TO ROOT SEEDS/CUTTINGS?

I am a TRUE PACKRAT!! yes, I admit it and I save everything!!! Well the other day, I noticed I had cleaned and saved at least 10 empty tin cans from various food products we ate..

I decided that since I had these, why not use them to root some roses or winter sow some seeds.....has anyone ever done this before???

I never see anyone mentioning this, so I wondered if they were any good to use??

Would love your input!!
Rose in Texas

Rose,
You can cut out the bottoms and use them as a collar around young plants to protect them from critters- and cold weather.

I used them a number of years ago when I was selling plants at the flea market. I took cuttings from all sorts of plants and potted them in various sized cans after I had painted the exteriors with leftover paint to make them more attractive to buyers. I used a pointed can punch to open drain holes at the base of the can. Took in some extra and quite welcome extra cash that way. The cans will corrode over time and the rust may have a detrimental effecton the plants - I don't know.

I started out all of our peach and apricot seeds in that manner, it's not a new idea. Coffee cans work well, as soup cans. If you take your cuttings in a timely manner.

I'm an old fashioned gardener, My maiden name is Gartner. I gardened since 4.5 yrs of age. By nine I was a master gardner, keeping the vergetable garden full of food and without weeds. We had perfect garden loan, which helped. I really don't rememer havng any bugs . Norma

Actually, good ole plain cans have iron in them and that is good especially for tomatoes if my memory is correct.

There is nothing wrong with recycling "tin" cans by using them as flower pots. Just be cautious to avoid leaving any sharp edges. Those cuts can be vicious and would require you to have a tetanus shot which would be more expensive than using plastic pots in the first place. When I know I want to use a particular can, I open it with a canopener designed to leave a non sharp edge. Coffee cans are a good size for small trees and shrubs. Jessamine