Small peat pots for seedlings how to use. How to plant and grow tomato seedlings in peat pots

Gardeners prefer to use peat pots. The main element in the composition peat pots is peat, auxiliary elements are cardboard, wood.

The highest quality pots are those that are at least 70% peat. Correct pots very loose, therefore they perfectly pass air to the root system of plants, which contributes to the active growth of strong seedlings.

The loose structure of the products allows the roots to break through their walls with minimal effort. After planting the seedlings in the ground, the pots dissolve quite quickly - 33-38 days.

The density of cups, in which a lot of cellulose (cardboard) is added, does not have such advantages, so there is a big risk that the plants will develop poorly, and after planting in the soil they may even die.

A quality peat pot should contain at least 70% peat

Before as buy peat pots Be sure to familiarize yourself with their composition, so as not to spend money on low-quality goods.

Advantages of peat pots

Absolute environmental friendliness of products - they do not contain toxic substances harmful to humans and the environment.

The composition of the material used for the manufacture of cups does not contain pathogenic microflora that contributes to the development of various diseases. Also in the mixture for the manufacture of peat products there are no weed seeds.

Seedlings planted in this way are more likely to quickly take root in a new place.

accelerated process survival guarantees early and high yield. Harvest dates come earlier by 14-21 days, and the amount of the crop increases by about a third.

When the pot is completely dissolved in the ground, it turns out to be beautiful, which feeds the plants for less than three months.

Disadvantages of peat pots

Despite a significant number of advantages, peat products have some disadvantages.

The soil often dries out due to the fact that the loose structure of the cup absorbs all the water and it quickly evaporates from it. The plant "freezes" due to the fact that, during evaporation, the soil cools. If you do not make timely watering, the seedlings will grow poorly or may even die.

To prevent the soil from drying out, the pot is watered excessively, which provokes the development of mold.

There are frequent cases when, after the pot is planted in the ground, it does not dissolve, thereby capturing the roots - later they cannot get all the necessary substances from the soil and slowly die.

Excessive watering can lead to the formation of mold on pots

How to use peat pots?

The gardener, who first decided to try such a container for growing seedlings, has a very obvious question - how to plant in peat pots?

Peat cups must first be soaked in a mixture of organic and mineral dressings and then dry well. In order for the roots to surely be able to break through the walls of the container, it is recommended to make small holes over the entire surface of the pot. An ordinary clerical hole punch will do an excellent job with this task.

Purchased soil or soil mixture made by yourself, you need to fall asleep in cups. Please note that the soil should be loose and airy, so you can not carefully compact it.

Seeds are planted in pots according to the required timing, as well as the depth recommended for planting the selected plant. Watering is best done with a spray bottle or a small watering can.

In order for the plants to enter quickly and amicably, the container is covered with a film of polyethylene and placed in a warm place, while the temperature ranges from 20 to 25C. Two days before planting the seedlings on the site, the pots should be watered abundantly in order to speed up the process of their dissolution in the soil.

Before moving young plants to the site, they must certainly be hardened, otherwise they will react painfully to sudden changes in environment. Five days before planting, the seedlings are taken out into the street and gradually increase the time they are in the fresh air.

Most gardeners grow in peat pots tomatoes and pepper. In cups, you can grow chestnut crops, or even bushes (raspberries, gooseberries, roses).

In the photo, tomato seedlings in peat pots

According to peat pot reviews in order to successfully grow seedlings in such a container, you need to get used to it a little: often, but in small quantities.

Most amateur gardeners praise the cultivation of seedlings cucumbers in peat pots, because in this way it is possible to sow seeds earlier than usual and as a result to get a harvest in the shortest possible time.

Types of peat pots

peat pots may be square or round. Pots are made individually or in the form of sections (a certain number of cups interconnected).

In diameter, pots can have different sizes: 5cm, 6cm, 7cm, 8cm, 9cm, 10cm. The height of the container coincides with its diameter - for example, 5 cm wide and 5 cm high.

The photo shows a variety of peat pots

Size peat pots is selected depending on which plants are planned to be planted. The wall thickness varies in the range of 1.5-2.5 mm. Packed peat containers must have a label with the composition.

peat pots it is advisable to buy in specialized stores in order to secure yourself from the purchase of low-quality goods. Price of peat pots depends on the size and on their type (pieces, blocks). The minimum cost is from 10-15 rubles apiece.

How to make a peat pot?

For creating peat pots for seedlings First of all, you need to prepare a solution with the correct consistency. Here are a few recipes for the mixture: mix peat, sod land and mullein in a ratio of 7: 2: 1, combine 60 peat and 20% humus soil, 15% sod land and 5% mullein. The components are diluted with water to a relatively thick state.

After preparing the mixture, it is best to use a stainless steel container, which will not corrode during repeated use.

You need to take a glass with a removable bottom and pour a little mixture there, then with the help of the second part of the equipment - a pusher of a slightly smaller diameter than the container, displace the excess mixture from the mold.

The contents are carefully tamped with a pusher, after which it is removed, and the glass is left for a while so that the contents dry out a little. At the end of production, peat cups are dried outdoors under the sun or in a heated oven.

To do good pots, it may take some time to correct errors: add certain components, increase the drying time of finished products.

In order to enjoy vegetables in the summer, already in the winter you need to start preparing for the summer season and, first of all, you should grow good seedlings. Avid summer residents think about the future harvest all year round and acquire peat pots for seedlings much earlier and do it even in autumn.

Why are peat shop pots convenient that even the most ardent conservative gardeners switch to them? How much work you need to invest in a garden on the windowsill in order to get a decent seedling of vegetables and flowers, so you don’t want to buy an unnecessary or low-quality thing. Today on the agenda is how to choose the right pots for seedlings from peat and how to use this novelty.

What is a peat container?

Peat pots for seedlings different sizes suitable not only for sowing seeds for future seedlings, but also save an experienced gardener from the need to replant seedlings, make its transportation to the summer cottage more convenient and practically safe.

Manufacturers supply consumer market many interesting devices and equipment for summer residents and gardeners. Not so long ago, peat pots for growing seedlings appeared and immediately fell in love with many, let's get acquainted with them.

They are very successful due to many indicators. One of them is the small weight of each container, the ability to grow one sprout in a separate container. Also, the comfort of summer residents is given by the varied size of such products.

Attention! In the ground, a peat pot almost completely decomposes in 25-35 days, and at the same time, it somehow additionally fertilizes the soil. First of all, it is worth forking out for such peat pots when growing eggplants, cucumbers, pumpkins or zucchini, since seedlings of these vegetable crops does not tolerate transplant very well.

How to use peat pots for growing seedlings?

Peat pots for seedlings are considered environmentally friendly containers - they are 70% peat and 30% wood. These are more expensive than plastic ones, and they can only be used once.

How to sow seeds in a peat container

Before laying the soil in containers, they must be soaked in a solution with mineral and organic fertilizers. Then they must dry. It is also recommended to make several small holes in them, especially at the bottom of the container or at the bottom.
Putting soil in cups is not very tight: the soil must remain airy for the normal development of the root system.
After filling the container with soil, seeds are planted in it. Each seed is placed in a separate glass. Planting is carried out in accordance with the timing of sowing a particular crop. The depth of immersion of seeds is also taken into account.
After planting seeds for seedlings in peat pots, it is advisable to cover them with foil.
In the process of growing seedlings, containers must be moved apart from each other. Such measures are taken to prevent the interweaving of the root systems of plants that are in close proximity.

Attention! Peat pots for seedlings are produced various sizes and forms. Thanks to this, you can choose a glass required size, taking into account individual features each vegetable or flower crop.

How seedlings are transplanted from a peat pot into the ground:

Because the seedlings open ground planted together with a pot, it is necessary to accelerate the process of disintegration of the container. To do this, 1-2 days before planting, seedlings in peat pots must be watered abundantly.
When planting, peat cups are lowered into the prepared soil 2-3 cm lower than the soil level.

Pros and cons of peat cups

The advantages of using them are obvious:

The material from which these products are made is environmentally friendly, which has a beneficial effect on the young root system.
Planting seedlings in open ground is carried out directly in this container. This avoids injury to the roots.
After decay, peat pots turn into fertilizer.
In the composition of such containers there are no seeds of weeds and microorganisms.
Due to its ability to accumulate moisture, during transportation, the soil in which the seedlings grow does not dry out.

Important! When purchasing this novelty for you, you should pay attention to the packaging and the manufacturer. This will allow you to buy a quality product from peat, and not a cardboard cup. The cardboard is denser and pressed, and the original peat pot is quite fragile and has pores.

Apart from positive feedback and characteristics, peat pots for seedlings have some disadvantages:

As mentioned earlier, many unscrupulous manufacturers use pressed cardboard instead of peat. Since the density of such cardboard is much greater than the density of peat, young root system cannot grow through the pot. That is why it is recommended to make tears at the bottom of the pot.
Peat pots dry out quickly, and the process of controlling soil moisture with seedlings becomes problematic. In this case, the root system may die due to drought. In the same time excess moisture will lead to mold. It can also develop on the walls peat containers, and on the ground. The quality of seedlings will decrease.
The young root system does not tolerate cold well. The temperature decreases as a result of the evaporation of a large volume of liquid coming out of such a container.

Based on the above, we can conclude that peat pots for growing seedlings have both advantages and disadvantages. Yes, it is more convenient with them, but for family budget expensive, so everyone decides for himself what is best and more comfortable for him.

More than 10 years ago, on the shelves of hardware stores they began to sell multifunctional vessels for growing seedlings, which are called peat pots. The convenient shape and pleasant price of the tanks immediately interested people involved in the garden, thus ensuring a sharp demand for goods. Read about peat pots for seedlings and their use in this publication.

Peat pots for seedlings

So, in this article we will tell you about what peat cups for seedlings are. You can also learn how to use them. Since ancient times, humus, cellulose and peat have been included in the composition of products, which occupies 70% in high-quality containers. Sometimes lime or chalk is added to the composition to reduce acidity. Products are made using a press in forms with a radius of 10–20 cm. In appearance, they can resemble a circle, trapezoid or square. The density of the walls is about 1-1.5 millimeters, thus ensuring the unhindered growth of the roots.

The method of using the vessels is quite easy: the plant is moved into the ground along with the pot. As a result, the root system is not adversely affected and seedlings germinate well. To avoid rapid evaporation of moisture, it is necessary to completely put the pots in the ground, making holes in the vessel in advance. Some summer residents specially dip the containers into the water, then remove the seedlings and move them to the ground together with the earth.

How to use peat pots

And now the moment has come to tell you how to use peat cups. Within a month, the vessel rots and turns into fertilizer. Not very high-quality containers for sprouts split in the soil for a long time. This is due to the fact that some organizations use large volumes of thick cardboard, which was under pressure, in the manufacture of peat vessels. As a result, the young root is not able to germinate through the glass. To avoid this, it is necessary to make holes in the bottom of the glass.

Mode of application:

Planting in peat cups is not a difficult process. And now it is worth revealing the details of this work. The bottom of the pot is filled with a drainage layer of pre-crushed eggshells. Next, the soil is added with nutrients pre-washed with a solution of potassium permanganate. During the laying of the layer, the soil should not be over-compacted. In order for the root system to develop naturally, it must be airy. The soil is watered room temperature and plant seeds. For prevention, a peat container is treated with an anti-fungal agent. Banks with seedlings should be at some distance from each other so that the roots do not become intertwined.

Pros and cons of peat containers

There are no weed seeds and pathogenic microflora in peat. When transferring seedlings from the container to the ground, the roots of the plants are not exposed to negative impacts. The pots are splitting natural way saturating the soil with peat. Convenient jars for sowing seeds. Improvement of seedlings should be started in medium-sized square pots, and grown plants, together with containers, should be moved to larger round pots.

The only disadvantage of such pots is the rapid evaporation of water. It is for this reason that plants growing in them need to be watered more often than in plastic products. Wrapped to prevent rapid evaporation of moisture food foil or polyethylene. Use peat containers on acidic or neutral soils, as well as when growing plants with brittle roots. For example, cucumbers, eggplant and tomatoes. Shouldn't be used similar forms for seedlings of garlic, Beijing cabbage, onion and lettuce. You can choose peat pots for growing plants with strong roots, such as pumpkins.

Summing up

After reading the article, you can tell what peat pots for seedlings are and how to use them. Seedlings should be grown using such glasses, because they have many advantages, one of them is a low price. However, many experts do not consider such pots useful, you can conduct the experiment yourself by planting part of the seedlings in peat cups and the other in ordinary plastic ones. At the end of the article, we want to wish you warm days and rich harvests in your beds.

The essence of the method lies in the fact that when the tomato seedlings reach the desired age, the peat pot is placed in open ground along with the seedling. With this method, the plants do not die, which often happens with other transplant methods.

Important! After the tomatoes take root, you do not need to dig out the pots. This can harm the root system.

What are these containers?

Peat pots are small containers.

They are in the form:

truncated cone;
trapeze;
cube.

You can find peat pots connected in blocks of several pieces.. The wall thickness is 1-1.5 mm, the transverse dimensions range from 5 cm to 10 cm.

They are a mixture of:

peat 50–70%;
cellulose;
humus.

Peat pots do not harm the soil, seedlings and crops.

Properties

Peat pots are used due to the integrity of the roots; when transplanted to a new place, the plants quickly take root and grow. In the earth, poured into such containers, moisture is retained longer. The roots of tomatoes from the moment of sowing to the period of planting on permanent place are in the same substrate.

located nothing prevents seedlings from getting the necessary nutrition and oxygen in pots. After planting in the ground, the roots calmly grow through the soft walls of the pot. They hold up well to the ground.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of peat pots for tomato seedlings are:

moderate porosity;
natural circulation of moisture when transplanted into the ground;
free germination of the roots of a growing plant;
strength.

Cons of quality peat pots for seedlings, no, except for the fact that these products are disposable.

To enjoy good products, you need to buy them in specialized stores. The purchase of a bad product, in which plain cardboard is added to peat, leads to the fact that in next year when digging up the earth, you can find the remains of paper.

Training

It is recommended to buy peat pots in specialized agricultural stores. The average price of one container is 3 rubles, and the cost of a set depends on the number of pots and varies from 120 to 180 rubles. You can also make them yourself at home.

To do this, mix:

garden, humus, compost and sod land;
sand;
stale straw cutting or sawdust.

To prevent the resulting cube from falling apart, you need to add water and mullein to the consistency of thick sour cream.

After thorough mixing, the mixture is poured into a greenhouse or a box in which a film is laid. The thickness of the poured layer is 7-9 cm.
After drying, cut along and across with a knife.

The ideal size of a peat pot for tomatoes is 8 x 8 cm. To start planting tomato seedlings in peat pots, you need to prepare the soil.

To do this, mix in equal proportions:

sod land;
humus;
sawdust;
sand;
vermiculite.

The composition must be disinfected. To do this, you can warm it in the oven or spill it with a solution of potassium permanganate.

cups

At the bottom of the peat cups, it is required to make small holes with an awl so that excess water drains. This will also allow the roots to break through more easily. So that the pots do not dry out, experienced gardeners advise wrapping each plastic wrap. Otherwise, the salt contained in the soil will crystallize and harm tender tomato seedlings. You need to remove it right before planting the bushes in a permanent place.

Seeds for germination

consists of the following steps:

rejection;
disinfection;
soak;
stratification.

During culling, empty, overdried and broken seeds are removed. They are left in solution for 5-10 minutes. table salt. Those that emerge are thrown out, as they are not suitable for landing.

In the process of disinfection in 3% hydrogen peroxide or 1% potassium permanganate solution, the seeds acquire resistance to various diseases. The soaking procedure helps the seed to germinate faster.

Spread the seeds on a damp cloth or cotton wool, which are covered with a lid. All this is put into warm place, due to swelling, they begin to germinate.

The stratification procedure consists in placing the sprouted tomato shoots in the refrigerator for the night, for the day they are placed in a room where the temperature reaches + 18 ° С ... + 20 ° С. This must be done several times. As a result of the stratification, the seedlings become resistant to temperature changes.

In the case when old seeds are used, they are advised to be treated with phytohormone compounds. that stimulate the growth of seedlings.

Important! It should be borne in mind that if seeds are used from fruits that were deficient in manganese and potassium, then their germination will be low. So that such seedlings do not stop their growth, they must be soaked in a solution for 24 hours before sowing. complex fertilizer and dry before planting.

Growing step by step instructions

Consider how to grow tomato seedlings in peat cups. To sow tomato seedlings, you need seeds and peat pots with suitable soil. A drainage layer is poured at the bottom of the pot. It could be shredded eggshell, on top of her prepared soil. It should not reach about 1 cm to the edge. After sowing the seeds, the pots are placed on a pallet or in a box, which is covered with polyethylene.

Sowing tomato seeds

For sowing, you need to take dry seeds, then mold will not appear. Sowing material in pots is sown 1-2 pieces, immersing to a depth of no more than 15 mm. From above they are sprinkled with earth and sprinkled with water. If the temperature is + 22 ° С ... + 25 ° С, then germination will take 6 days, if it increases to + 30 ° С, seedlings may appear after 2 days. After their appearance, it is desirable that the temperature be reduced during the day to + 20 ° С, at night - + 16 ° С.

Seedling development is adversely affected:

drafts;
lack of sunlight;
very high temperature.

Pulling seedlings and the presence of thin stems indicates a lack of lighting or planting density, they need to be thinned out. If several tomato seedlings come out in one pot, you should leave only one, choosing the most developed and strong one. It is best to pinch the remaining ones, otherwise, when pulling out, you can damage the root.

How to care for seedlings before planting in the ground?

After 2 leaves appear on the seedling, they start picking. To stimulate the appearance of small roots, gardeners advise pinching the tap root by a third. At the beginning of their development, seedlings should not be exposed to direct sunlight. It is necessary to put peat pots with seedlings of tomatoes from each other at a short distance. The dense arrangement interferes with air exchange.

After the second pair of leaves appears, the temperature in the room where the seedlings are located should be + 18 ° ... + 20 ° С during the day, + 8 ° С ... + 10 ° С at night. Such indicators should be observed for three weeks, and then at night it should be increased to + 15 ° C. A few days before planting in open ground, seedlings are put outside for the night to gradually get used to the place of their future growth.

A week after planting seedlings in peat pots, they must be fed with liquid mineral fertilizers. It is recommended to water this kind of seedlings often, but not plentifully. Peat is a material that holds and retains water well. Bottom watering helps to avoid the appearance of fungi and mold.

When and how to plant in the ground?

The growing cycle of tomato seedlings in peat pots is 60 days, and the date of planting in open ground depends on the tomato variety and region. Most often it is April in the southern regions, northern - May-beginning of June. It is necessary to plant seedlings in already warmed soil up to + 12 ° С ... + 15 ° С, and also when the danger of return frosts disappears.

First of all, beds are prepared and furrows are marked out, depending on the number of bushes in the garden, and the placement density.
Then the holes are dug.
Attention! Holes must be dug at least as deep as the height of the peat pot. by the most suitable option it is considered if they are 1.5-2 cm deeper.
You need to plant seedlings of tomatoes together with a pot, before that it is advised to pour them with water and treat them with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.
Landing sites are also shed with water and peat pots are installed in them, which are sprinkled with soil on all sides.

After planting in the ground, it must not dry out, because the cups will become stiff. In the future, seedlings should be watered to the very root.

Common Mistakes

When in seedlings the lower leaves turn yellow, the cause is:

lack of light;
nutrient deficiency;
blackleg development.

The technology for growing tomato seedlings in peat pots is not complicated. This method allows you to get a healthy and quality seedlings. And in the future to collect a good harvest.

The use of peat cups in gardening is still considered new technology. Some gardeners enthusiastically use them, others strongly reject them. Everything new and progressive is not always easily introduced into life. There are advantages to using peat cups. There are also disadvantages, but they only cause problems for inexperienced gardeners.

What are peat cups and why are they used

Gardeners relatively recently began to use peat cups for growing seedlings. Even 20-25 years ago they were a rarity. IN last years peat cups of various sizes and shapes appeared on sale. They are small containers, most often in the form of a truncated cone, but can be in the form of a cube or a trapezoid, or connected in blocks of several pieces. Their sizes vary within 5–10 cm in diameter with a wall thickness of 1–1.5 mm.

The material from which the cups are made is a mixture: 50–70% peat, the rest is humus and cellulose. A thick aqueous solution of this composition is pressed in special forms and containers of various sizes and designs are obtained.

The seedlings grown in them no longer need to be removed, breaking the root system of the tender young plant. It is planted in the ground directly in a cup, placing it in a prepared hole. Then sprinkled with earth and watered. The seedling has been planted!

Being in the soil, the peat cup soaks from irrigation water, dissolves in the ground, while fertilizing the soil around the roots of the plant. The roots easily penetrate the porous thin walls and occupy the entire surrounding space. The plant begins to develop fully, in contrast to planting with a damaged root.

How to use peat pots for seedlings - video

https://youtube.com/watch?v=I7OQ4-DMj10

Advantages and disadvantages

At experienced gardeners who are not afraid to experiment, there is no consensus on peat cups. To appreciate the advantages of this method of landing, products must be used correctly. The benefits are:

Peat cups are environmentally friendly, as they are made from natural materials.
They have sufficient mechanical strength and do not fall apart during the period of seedling growth.
The walls are porous, which ensures the free penetration of air and water to the roots of young plants.
When transplanting to a garden bed, there is no need to remove the plant from the container. The roots are not injured, which is very important for plants such as cucumbers and eggplants that do not like transplants.
Seedlings easily take root in a new place, because peat soaks and decomposes, enriching the soil useful substances needed to feed the plant.

There are also disadvantages:

Manufacturers do not always produce quality products. Sometimes the cups are too tight. For this reason, they do not soak in the ground, and the roots cannot grow through the walls.
Excessive watering leads to moldy cups.
The porous material does not retain moisture, because of this, the soil dries out quickly. It is necessary to provide very accurate, metered watering.

To avoid drying out, it is recommended to cover the tray with seedlings in peat cups with a film and from time to time remove the coating to remove excess moisture and evaporation.

Which cups to choose: peat, paper or plastic

Vegetable growers often use plastic and paper homemade cups. Peat have several advantages over them:

Plastic cups need to be cut before planting in the garden. With this action, a lump of earth with roots can crumble; seedlings do not need to be removed from a peat pot.
Plastic walls do not allow air and moisture to pass through, peat walls provide good aeration and moistening of the roots.
Homemade paper cups are torn and soaked. They do not guarantee the safety of seedling roots. It takes time to prepare them for landing.
Neither plastic nor paper cups provide additional nutrition to the roots of the plant.

How to plant seeds in cups: instructions

Planting seeds in cups is a simple process.

If the peat cups are covered with mold, it means that they are waterlogged. At the bottom of the pan in which they stand, there is water that needs to be drained. Wipe the surface of the cup with alcohol, vinegar or soda solution. If mold damage is significant, such containers should be disposed of. For prevention, the room in which the seedlings are located should be ventilated regularly, reduce the dose of watering, carefully loosen upper layer soil in cups.

The mold should be removed and the glass wiped with alcohol, vinegar or soda solution

Where to buy and how to choose

To get a good result, you need to use quality materials. Beginning, inexperienced vegetable growers complain that the seedlings often dry out, and the plants planted in the garden in cups do not develop and die. This comes from the use of low-quality products. Peat in them should be at least 50–70%.

When choosing peat cups, give preference to dark, porous and soft to the touch, with a wall thickness of no more than 1.5 mm. Light, dense glasses are a fake, where there is more cellulose than peat.

Peat cups should be purchased in specialized stores and only in branded packaging, it is advisable to require a quality certificate. Buying them in the markets is fraught with undesirable consequences.

Do not be tempted by the diminutiveness and originality of the shape of some cups. Whether they are round or square, this does not affect the development of seedlings at all.. In small cups (5 cm across), the roots will be cramped. It is better to purchase large, 8-10 cm tall, pots. In such a root system of any seedlings will grow full.

Self-made peat cups

Some craftsmen make peat cups with their own hands. You can organize such a simple production in any rural yard or on suburban area. The main thing in this matter is to properly prepare the mixture:

collect all necessary materials in the right quantities: peat - 7 parts, humus - 2 parts, mullein - 1 part, a little slaked lime.
Thoroughly sift the peat and humus. The mixture should not contain large solid particles.
Mullein breed in hot water. The amount of water is determined in each case empirically.
Add diluted mullein to a container with peat and humus and mix thoroughly with a shovel until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
A little lime can be added to the resulting solution. Fill if necessary hot water. The moisture content of the mass is determined by trial molding cups.
At home, you can mold pots with two durable plastic glasses that have the shape of a truncated cone.

Small peat pots for seedlings how to use. How to plant and grow tomato seedlings in peat pots

What is a peat container?