How I Transplant 750 Sunflowers in 15 Minutes: Paper Pot Transplanter Review
If you've ever found yourself on your hands and knees transplanting sunflower after sunflower, wondering, “There has got to be a faster way,” you’re not alone. I’ve been there. And if you’re juggling a flower farm and motherhood—like I am—you know that time and energy are precious commodities.
Let me introduce you to a tool that changed everything for me: the Paper Pot Transplanter.
Why I Made the Switch
Two years ago, I was pregnant with my fifth child—farming, parenting, and hand-transplanting about 750 sunflowers every single week for 18 weeks. That’s over 10,000 sunflowers, with my 5- and 6-year-olds helping alongside me. It was beautiful—and completely exhausting.
At six and seven months pregnant, I found myself thinking, “There has got to be a better way.” So I started researching. I looked at direct seeders like the Jang Seeder and plug transplanting systems. Eventually, I landed on the Paper Pot Transplanter.
What Is the Paper Pot Transplanter?
It’s a non-mechanized hand tool that uses a chain of honeycomb-shaped paper pots. You plant your seeds into the chain, grow your starts like usual, and then use a transplanting tool to pull the chain through a furrow, placing plugs into the ground in one smooth pull.
No motors or electricity needed
Plants 264 plugs in about 1.5 minutes
Saves your time, back, and sanity
You can buy differently spaced paper pots, but I always use the 4 inch chains, but it also comes in 2 and 6 inch ones that you can buy.
What It Costs (and What You’ll Need)
As of July 2025, here’s what I paid via Small Farm Works:
Transplanter Tool: $699
Spreader Bars & Opening Frame: $75
Trays (10-pack): $39
Paper Pot Chains (75-pack): $345 (= $4.60/chain)
Dibbler (optional): $225
It’s an investment—expect to spend over $1,000 to get started. But it’s saved me countless hours and has absolutely paid for itself in time and labor.
Real Talk: The Learning Curve
The first few runs were tricky. It definitely takes some figuring out—adjusting the tool and tweaking how you pull it through the soil so it works smoothly.
Soil Conditions: Works best in well-prepped, lightly tilled soil. Not great in rocky or heavy clay.
Plant Coverage: Getting the plugs fully covered with soil is key—sometimes we still have to go back and hand-cover them.
Timing: Doesn’t work well in super wet or super dry soil.
Even with a little fussing, my husband and I now transplant 750 seedlings in 15 minutes. That’s a game changer.
Tray & Chain Tips
Tray Size: These aren’t standard 1020 trays, so they may not fit your existing heat mats or germination chamber.
Orientation Matters: When using the spreader bars, the arrows on the paper pot chains must point down. Also, make sure you hook the brown paper of the pots onto the frame—not the white portion.
👉 Need help? Watch my YouTube video for a demonstration on how to:
Open a paper pot chain
Use the spreader bars
Hook it onto the frame for seeding
Crops I’ve Planted with It
Sunflowers
Cosmos
Zinnias
Marigolds
You can also try it with bupleurum, larkspur, amaranth, or celosia.
I use 4-inch spacing chains for all of them. For cosmos and zinnias, I plant every cell and thin them after transplanting.
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Pro Tips for Success
Don’t let seedlings sit too long in the paper pots (2–3 weeks max for sunflowers)
Make your own humidity domes with salvaged poly material—or buy them from Neversink Farm
Prep beds smooth and flat—rake out any debris
Weeding and Spacing
I space rows wide enough to use a colinear hoe for weeding.
For sunflowers, I rarely weed—they outcompete the weeds quickly.
I put grass clippings between rows also help suppress weed pressure for crops like zinnias, marigolds, and cosmos.
Final Thoughts
The Paper Pot system isn’t magic—but it’s a massive labor-saver for me. Whether you’re farming with little ones underfoot or trying to save time in a tight spring schedule, this tool has made a tangible difference on my farm.
If you’re on the fence, try just the trays and chains before buying the full tool. You’ll still save time and get a feel for whether it’s a good fit for your farm.
Hang in there, friend. I’m rooting for you.
🌱 Key Takeaways
The Paper Pot Transplanter can plant 264 plugs in under 2 minutes
Initial cost is $1,000+ but saves massive time and labor
Works best with good soil prep and smaller seedlings
Can be used with sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, and more
Try the trays and chains first if you want to test out the system
What time-saving tools have helped on your farm this season?
I’d love to hear…send me an email info@abundantbloomsflowerfarm.com
