What are good peat pots. Peat pots for seedlings

Russia is the only country in the world that has eight climatic zones (the United States has five zones). These temperature features must be taken into account when growing agricultural crops. So to get good harvest, many crops need to be planted only in seedlings.

In addition to climate and weather conditions even for southern territories Russia needs to take into account biological features many annuals and plant them with seedlings:

Plants (cultures) with a long (juvenile period);
vegetable crops, growing season which require planting seedlings;
Early maturing crops, but they are planted with seedlings for an early harvest.

Growing seedlings requires special attention and strict observance of the norms necessary for fast and high-quality seed germination. It is equally important to properly plant seedlings in a greenhouse or open ground. To avoid possible problems when transporting transplanting seedlings, use separate forms for each plant. This also allows you to avoid the procedure of diving seedlings.

It is important to remember a simple formula. What kind of seedlings you will have - such will be the future harvest.

Main external signs quality seedlings:

Developed and healthy root system;
Strong and powerful stem;
Leaves are vibrantly colored.

Modern gardeners and farmers have an excellent opportunity to grow seedlings in peat pots. This technology combines two necessary element- a pot as a container and peat, as an environmentally friendly fertilizer.

The advantage of using peat pots for growing seedlings.

This container represents molds (cups) different kind, but the most popular are peat pots pressed in a dry way from peat raw materials. They are durable and have a light weight, which makes them universal in agricultural technologies.

Main advantages of peat packaging:

Dont Have toxic elements, unlike plastic containers;
Ecological cleanliness and absence of heavy metals;
Absence of pathogenic flora and weeds.

You should, when choosing a peat container, pay attention to the walls of the pot (thickness is not less than 1.2-1.6 mm), they should provide the necessary strength and decay time in the soil of 30-35 days. For every type of plant there is your required pot size. This must be taken into account. The market is represented by a wide variety of peat containers (pots).

The structure of the peat material tends to dry out, this must be controlled when using pots. Try to avoid overflowing water when watering seedlings, thereby you will prevent the appearance of mold. There should be enough water to prevent the extinction of the root system.

Consider processes of water evaporation from peat containers, as this entails a decrease in the temperature in the pot.

If you make several punctures in the walls before planting seeds in a pot (peat container), you will greatly facilitate the development of the plant's root system.
For seedlings High Quality for shorter maturation periods, it is enough to impregnate each container (cup, pot) with fertilizers containing the necessary trace elements. In addition to accelerating the growth of seedlings, you thereby accelerate the decay of the pot in the ground.

What will you get as a result of using peat containers (pots) when growing seedlings:

Maximum seed germination - average germination of 95-100%.
Optimal balance nutrients(contents of organics and mineral components).
Rapid growth of healthy plants.
Ideal air humidity and its optimal supply to the plant.
Your plants will be protected in the most reliable way from the penetration of pests and pathogenic bacteria.
Maximum survival of plants after planting in the ground without damage and stress.
Transportation of plants over a long distance without loss of moisture and mechanical damage to the root system.

Users of peat containers are sometimes offended by manufacturers, not having achieved the desired results.

In most cases, this can be due to several reasons. You have not purchased peat container(pots) and a fake (pressed cardboard cups). Unfortunately this is happening. Second, you didn't follow technological process seedling cultivation.

Let's summarize briefly.

If you strictly follow all the rules for growing seedlings in peat pots, the results will only pleasantly surprise you. You will get strong, very "live" seedlings with a developed root system.

You can easily transport and drop off on time at your convenience. It will not dry out, will quickly take root and give an excellent harvest. A peat container will serve as an excellent eco-friendly fertilizer.

Each summer resident begins his season by growing seedlings. On the territory of our country, heat-loving and late-ripening crops are grown through seedlings. In most regions, it is simply impossible to get a crop without first growing seedlings. In this article we will tell you about such an item as a peat cup. Let's talk about the advantages and disadvantages, tell you how to use them.

Peat cups for seedlings have appeared on sale relatively recently. They appeared in garden stores about 20 years ago. Since then, they have been very actively in demand. Their demand is justified by ease of use and inexpensive price. However, not all gardeners have managed to appreciate these products.

Peat cups are small pots of a cubic, trapezoidal or rounded shape. They are made from peat. The concept behind these products is very simple. When transplanting seedlings to permanent place, plants do not need to be removed from the container. Thus, the roots are not damaged, and the seedlings take root very well in a new place. After transplanting into the ground, the peat cup decomposes and serves as additional fertilizer for the plant.

Peat improves soil fertility. It is very actively used by gardeners for the preparation of various soil mixtures especially for growing seedlings.

In fact, peat cups consist of tench peat by 50-70%. The remaining impurities are cellulose (paper) and humus. They are made by pressing into special forms.

High-quality cups differ from low-quality cups in that they contain a high content of peat and little paper pulp. They usually cost a little more. Such pots are looser, they pass air much better, dissolve faster in the ground (29-35 days). Peat cups with bad quality, it would be much more correct to call paper. Since half of them consist of compressed paper. In terms of structure, they are quite dense. Oxygen to the roots is supplied quite poorly. They take a long time to decompose in the ground.

In the shops big choice peat cups, which differ in shape and size. The sizes of containers range from 5 to 10 centimeters in diameter.

What seedlings are suitable for peat pots.

Peat cups are versatile containers and are suitable for almost any plant. Their main value lies in the fact that when they enter the soil and are exposed to moisture, the cups begin to dissolve in the ground and serve as a good fertilizer.

Peat cups are best used for plants that have fragile roots. These cultures include:

Eggplant.

Cucumbers.

Tomatoes.

Peat increases the acidity of the soil. Therefore, it is rational to use peat cups for plants that prefer neutral or acidic soil.

peat pots not suitable for plants such as:

Chinese cabbage.

Salad.

Onion and garlic.

Many novice gardeners are wondering - How to use peat cups? The process of planting seeds for seedlings in peat tablets is extremely simple. First of all, you need to make a small hole in the bottom of the cup. At the bottom, it is best to pour a small layer of chopped eggshell. This way you will ensure very good drainage. There will be no stagnation of water in the glass.

Then pour into a pot nutrient soil. We pour warm water. Then we plant the seeds. The soil must be clean. Before planting, it must be watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After planting, it is advisable to treat the peat cups with an antifungal solution.

Advantages.

Peat cups have a very a large number of advantages compared to other seedling containers. The main plus of peat pots is their environmental friendliness, they decompose into vivo. Doesn't get damaged when transplanted root system.

Planting seeds in peat is very convenient, and transplanting plants into a permanent place is even more convenient.

Through the walls of the peat container, the plant has the ability to "breathe".

When decomposed, peat pots fertilize the soil. Productivity increases.

Disadvantages.

The main disadvantage of peat cups is that their loose walls absorb water very well, and moisture evaporates very quickly from the outer layer. As a result, seedlings have to be watered frequently. Remember this - seedlings in peat cups need to be watered much more often than in plastic ones.

Video.

Video about peat cups:

The use of peat pots for seedlings has been practiced in our country for more than 20 years. This tool has many advantages; its value is known not only to fans of gardening, but also ordinary people from the countryside.

Self-expanding pots extend the growing season of plants that make up the range of vegetation in gardens and orchards.

What is the meaning of the idea

In fact, the idea is extremely simple:

There, after a while, it decomposes into microparticles (one-time, without the possibility of reusing it);

gardeners manage to grow young plants that do not need to be disturbed at the time of planting in the ground under open sky or indoor outdoor greenhouse. After all, some flowers and fruit crops when transplanted, they often die. They don't like to be disturbed;
while the sprouts are in the walls of the pot, the root system is generously supplied with oxygen, since the material is porous - it allows oxygen molecules to pass through. In this way, the young plant is additionally strengthened in the first weeks of its life.

IMPORTANT. Do not seek to "dig" the pots after the plant has taken root in the ground. You can damage the root system. There is no need to worry about peat residues - after a few rains they will completely dissolve in the soil.

Natural materials for seedlings in such a situation is a fundamental decision. It is obvious that the inventors solved the problem of protecting the soil from harmful chemistry. They succeeded. Moreover, the material itself is beneficial for the surrounding soils, additionally fertilizes them.

Pros and cons of using peat pots

When it comes to choice, the average person is always trying to weigh the pros and cons. The same is true for peat pots. The question is especially of interest to beginners who have recently begun to master the intricacies of gardening and horticulture.

Advantages

The advantages of peat containers include such properties as:

disadvantages

Are there any disadvantages? Regardless, finding them is not easy. Here are a few things to think about:

during the peak season, these products can no longer be found in stores, because all of them are sold out very quickly. In order not to be left without pots, purchase them in advance. Or order in online stores specializing in goods from the garden-garden category;
the products are disposable and you have to buy them again every year. But is this a disadvantage? After all, the disappearing object becomes part of the soil on your site, enriching and nourishing it with organic matter;
cases of dishonesty on the part of manufacturers have become more frequent. They add ordinary cardboard to peat. As a result, the material does not completely disintegrate, and next year when digging up the earth, “paper remains” are found;

IMPORTANT. Avoid buying goods on dubious "collapses". There are fakes on the market. Use only the services of shops and specialized outlets. Give preference to reputable brands.

peat creates an acidic environment. If the plants do not tolerate it well, then you will have to add chalk, lime or special mineral additives to lower the acidity;
there are low-quality products - the walls of the pots are destroyed during the growth of seedlings, mold appears on the sides of the containers;

IMPORTANT. Buy products with a wall thickness of 1 to 1.5 mm. She is optimal. Strong enough at the stage of cultivation, rather quickly decays when placed in the ground.

How to use

Please note that stores sell products that have two main features:

Select size

11x10 cm (volume 0.5 l) - ideal for seedlings of cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants. From flowers it is recommended for fuchsias, gerberas, cyclamen;
9x9 cm (volume 0.350-0.4 l) - cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes are suitable. Of the flowers - all annuals, as well as gerberas, begonias, primrose, balsam;
8x8 cm (volume 0.250 l) - for zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, wild strawberries. From flower crops- cyclamen, coleus, primrose, hydrangea;
7x7 cm (volume 0.200 l) - for watermelon, melon, cabbage, garden strawberry and strawberries, for annual flowers;
6x6 cm (volume 0.100 l) - recommended for same-year flowers (such as levkoy, ageratum, aster, dahlia);
5x5 cm (volume 0.050 l) - for food greens (dill, lettuce, cilantro, parsley, basil, fennel.

IMPORTANT. The shape of the pots does not play a special role. There are products in the form of a truncated pyramid (ribbed sides), and there are in the form of a truncated cone (round smooth sides). The differences are nothing more than the difference in stamping molds in production.

Planting seeds

Fundamental rules:

fill the pot not to the very top, but leave a little space (7-15 mm from the edge to the level of seedlings). For what? When placing seedlings in protected ground, a certain amount of natural soil will need to be added to the base of the plant. This will speed up the adaptation of the sprout to local conditions;
put 1-3 seeds in one pot. This measure applies to untested seeds - if you do not know if all the seeds will sprout. If each seed sprouts, the sprouts can be distributed to additional containers. Or select the strongest, and dispose of the weaker ones;
lay the nutrient soil and all the fertilizer mixtures that you use on the bottom of the pot;
planting seed should be in the ground at a depth of about 1 cm from the top level of the ground in a pot;
set all the pots tightly to each other in a tray. This will protect individual pots from falling if they are handled carelessly (small objects tend to fall, because they are light in weight and low in stability);

preferably under peat pots p / e film or pour a little soil, gravel, sand. This will help to save and reuse the water that flows from below when watering the seedlings;
the regularity of watering depends on the dryness of the room (water as the earth in pots dries up).

IMPORTANT. When the plants get stronger and increase in size, the pots should be moved apart from each other. This way you will improve aeration, give the green foliage more light.

Landing in the ground

As soon as the time comes for planting plants in the ground, your actions:

prepare the garden;
mark the furrows based on the number of plants in the garden, the density of their placement;
dig grooves or holes;

IMPORTANT. The depth of the groove should not be less than the height of the peat pot. Ideally, if 1.5-2 cm deeper.

moisten the landing sites with water;
evenly install each peat pot in the place allotted to it, gently sprinkle with soil on all sides.
for antibacterial purposes, sprinkle with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate, pour a little ash;

The instruction given in this article is only a generalized one. In each case, there will be nuances that you have to record, analyze and take into account. The use of peat pots is incomparably more beneficial than disadvantageous. Without risking anything, you have a chance to increase the results of your gardening work.

The use of peat pots for growing seedlings has been practiced in Russia for about 20 years. This tool has many benefits. The value of these peat pots is known not only to professional gardeners, but also to the villagers. Self-disintegrating peat pots are able to extend the growing season of plants. In this article we will tell you about what peat pots for seedlings can be. In addition, you can learn how to use them correctly.

What is the main meaning of the idea

And the idea is pretty simple:

After the plant has reached the desired growth, the peat pot is placed in open ground, along with all content. Through certain time the pot begins to gradually disintegrate in the ground into individual microparticles.

Many gardeners are engaged in the cultivation of young plants that do not need to be disturbed during the period of planting them in open ground or an open outdoor greenhouse. Since some fruit plants and the flowers at the time of transplantation simply die.

When in the walls of a peat pot, the roots of the plant are well supplied with oxygen, since the material is porous. It is able to pass oxygen molecules. Based on this, a young plant in its first weeks of life is additionally strengthened.

On a note! There is no need to dig out peat pots after the plant has fully established itself in the soil. You can thus harm its root system. You should not worry about the remnants of peat. After a few rains pass, it will completely go into the soil.

A suitable solution in this case would be natural materials under seedlings. Plants will thrive in these pots. It is clear that the inventors of these pots decided in this way to protect the soil from harm. chemicals. Yes, it is worth noting that they managed to do it. In addition, the material itself is great benefit for the surrounding soil, and fertilizes it additionally.

The main advantages and disadvantages of peat pots

Recently, peat pots for seedlings have been used quite often. When a person faces a choice, he always tries to weigh all the pros and cons. In the same way, the choice regarding peat pots occurs. This question, as a rule, is of interest to beginners who have begun to develop gardening and gardening quite recently.

Advantages.

These advantages of peat pots include the following properties:

The natural circulation of moisture at the time of transplanting into the soil (moisture freely penetrates the peat walls of the pot (usually back and forth).
Until the pot breaks down, the root system of a developing plant is free to grow through given material.
Additional fertilization of the soil with natural peat after the complete collapse of the pots. Peat is an excellent organic material that is included in the formulations for the manufacture of many modern fertilizers.
Durability of peat pots. Carries real tasks - the pot is able to maintain its shape from the moment it is required. The inventors were able to calculate the right density of the material so that it could withstand the load from the contents.
Environmental Safety. We've talked about this before.
Providing plants with a state of rest - Protecting their roots from possible damage at the time of transplantation. (seedlings are placed in the soil together with a peat container. It is not removed from it.

The main disadvantages.

Are there disadvantages? And finding them is not so easy. Here are a few reasons for you to think about it:

In the peak summer season, these products can simply not be found on sale in specialized stores, as they are sold out very quickly. To avoid this, you need to buy pots in advance, or order them on the appropriate Internet sites.
Peat pots are disposable products. You will need to purchase them annually. But can this circumstance be attributed to the main disadvantages? You should take into account the fact that this material, after decomposition, becomes part of the soil on your personal plot nourishing and enriching it.
Increasing cases of dishonesty coming from the manufacturers of peat tanks. Unfortunately, they are starting to add cardboard to the peat. As a result, peat begins to decompose in the soil not completely. And a year later, when digging up the soil, you can find the remains of paper on your site.

On a note! Do not purchase this product in questionable markets. You need to use the services of only trusted stores and outlets.

Peat is able to create an acidic environment in the soil. In the event that the plant negatively tolerates it, then in order to reduce acidity, lime, chalk or special additives will need to be added to the soil.
On sale you can also find products of very low quality. The walls of the pots begin to collapse at the time of seedling growth. And mold appears on the sides of these containers.

How to use pots

If you are thinking about the next question, is it possible to plant seedlings in peat pots? Then, you realized that you can do it. Next, we will tell you how to use these products.

Pots that have square section, are often soldered to each other in one tray. Something like egg cells. In this form ready product leaves the conveyor immediately after stamping. Before you start using the pots, you need to cut them with scissors. It is very inconvenient to work with a single plate.

Peat pots with a round cross section are usually sold in cellophane wrap.

At the time of purchase, it is quite difficult to guess the density and thickness of the material. Especially if you are buying products for the first time.

Until you have necessary experience, just in case, you need to make small holes at the bottom of the pots and in the walls with an awl. Thanks to this method, you will be able to guarantee the roots of plants the possibility of their release during growth.

We choose the size.

What dimensions should be taken into account? Here are some tips for you, experienced gardeners and gardeners.

10*11cm. (volume 0.5 liters). Perfect for growing seedlings of peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and also eggplant. As for flowers, you can grow fuchsia, cyclamens and gerberas.
9*9. (volume 0.4 liters). These pots are suitable for growing peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers. You can grow flowers: begonia, primrose, balsam.
8*8. (volume 0.25 l). Suitable for tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, wild strawberries. As for flower crops, coleus, cyclamen, hydrangea, primrose.
7*7 (volume 0.200 liters). Suitable for watermelon, melon, garden strawberries, cabbage, and also for annual flowers.
6*6 (volume 0.100 l). We advise you to grow annual flowers in them (ageratum, levkoy, dahlia, aster).
5*5 (volume 0.5 l). Suitable for growing edible greens. (lettuce, cilantro, dill, basil, fennel, parsley).

Planting seeds.

It is worth noting that growing seedlings in peat pots requires some rules, which we will list below.

Main rules:

It is necessary to fill the pot with earth not to the very edge. You need to leave some space. (8-15 cm from the edge of the pot to the seedling level). Why is this required? At the time of placing the seedlings in protected soil, some natural soil will need to be added to the base of the plant. This procedure will help speed up the adaptation of the plant to local conditions.
2-3 seeds should be placed in one pot. This measure applies to untested seeds - in the event that you doubt whether they will be able to sprout or not. And if every seed you planted sprouts, the sprouts can be placed in separate pots.
At the bottom of the peat tank, it is imperative to lay nutrient soil and fertilizer mixtures.
The planting seed must be in the soil at a depth of about 1 cm from the top level of the soil in the container.
All peat pots should be installed in a tray tightly to each other. This procedure will be able to secure the fall of individual containers in case of careless handling.
Best placed under a peat pot polyethylene film, or pour a small amount of soil, sand or gravel. This procedure will help to keep the water flowing out at the time of watering the seedlings from below.
The regularity of watering the plant will depend on the dryness of the room.

Landing in the soil.

After the time comes to plant the plants in the soil, the following steps must be taken:

First of all, you need to prepare the bed.
Then you should deal with the placement of the furrows, descending from the number of plants you have in the garden, and the density of their placement.
Dig holes or grooves.
Moisten the soil with water before planting.
Each peat pot must be installed evenly in the allotted place. Then sprinkle it with soil.

Finally

Planting plant seeds in peat pots does not require any difficulties. And planting finished plants in the soil is not difficult. Thanks to these advantages, peat pots are so popular in our world and have only positive feedback from Russian summer residents.

A few decades ago, universal containers for growing seedlings appeared in stores - peat cups. The convenient shape and low price of containers quickly attracted the attention of summer residents, thus ensuring an active demand for products. Learn how to use peat cups from our article.

Traditionally, the composition of products includes cellulose, humus and peat, the content of which in high-quality pots reaches 70%. In some cases, lime or chalk is added to the mixture to reduce acidity.

They are made by pressing in molds with a diameter of 5-10 cm. They can be round, trapezoidal or square. The wall density should be about 1-1.5 millimeters, thus guaranteeing the free development of the roots.
The technology for using containers or peat tablets is quite simple: the plant is transplanted into the ground along with a glass. As a result, the root system is not damaged and seedlings take root well. To prevent rapid evaporation of moisture, it is recommended to completely bury the cups in the ground, having previously made holes in the walls. Some owners specially soak the pots, after which they take out the plant and plant it together with the ground in the ground.

How to use peat pots

Within a month, the container decays and turns into fertilizer. Less quality containers for seedlings decompose in the soil for a long time. This is due to the fact that some enterprises use in the manufacture peat containers large volumes of dense pressed cardboard. As a result, the young root cannot grow through the pot. You can remove the obstacle by making holes in the bottom of the glass.
Mode of application

At the bottom of the container, a drainage layer is poured in the form of crushed eggshells. Then nutrient soil is added, previously washed with a solution of potassium permanganate. When backfilling the layer, it is important not to overcompact the soil. For the natural development of the root system, it must remain airy. The earth is spilled warm water and plant seeds. For prevention, peat containers are treated with an antifungal agent.
In the process of growing seedlings, the containers must be moved apart from each other in order to prevent the roots of neighboring plants from intertwining.

Advantages and disadvantages of peat pots.

Peat does not contain weed seeds and pathogenic microflora.
When transplanting seedlings from a pot into the ground, the roots of plants are not damaged.
The cups are decomposing naturally, fertilizing the soil with peat.
Convenient containers for sowing seeds. It makes sense to start growing seedlings in small square pots, and transplant the grown plants, along with cups, into larger round pots.

The only drawback of such containers is the rapid evaporation of water. Therefore, seedlings in them need to be watered more often than when using plastic products. For slow evaporation of moisture, the container is wrapped food foil or polyethylene.
Peat cups are used on acidic or neutral soils, including when growing crops with brittle roots. These include cucumbers, eggplant and tomatoes. It is not recommended to use such products for seedlings of Chinese cabbage, onions, lettuce and garlic. As an experiment, you can choose peat containers for forcing plants with strong roots, such as pumpkins.

Sowing pepper seeds in peat cups video:

Peat pots for seedlings, or plastic, which one to choose:

Now you know what peat cups for seedlings are, how to use them. Grow seedlings using this container, because it has a lot of advantages, as you saw above, besides, everyone can afford to buy it. But according to other experts, these peat pots are not so useful, you can try to check for yourself by planting part of the seedlings in peat pots, and the other in ordinary plastic ones, and check. On this we say goodbye to you, wish you good luck, and excellent harvests in your garden.