Tomato seedlings in peat pots. Using peat pots for seedlings

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 always not 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. AT last years went on sale peat cups different sizes and forms. 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 are obtained. various sizes and designs.

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

Experienced gardeners who are not afraid to experiment do not have a common opinion about 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 beneficial 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 remove the coating from time to time 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 clod 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. Such root system any seedling will grow full-fledged.

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 in a summer cottage. The main thing in this matter is to properly prepare the mixture:

1. collect all necessary materials in the right quantities: peat - 7 parts, humus - 2 parts, mullein - 1 part, a little slaked lime.
2. Thoroughly sift the peat and humus. The mixture should not contain large solid particles.
3. Mullein breed in hot water. The amount of water is determined in each case empirically.
4. Add diluted mullein to a container with peat and humus and mix thoroughly with a shovel until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
5. 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.
6. At home, you can mold pots with two durable plastic glasses that have the shape of a truncated cone.

Production of peat pots for seedlings - video

Peat pots - help to the gardener or "seedling killer"? Analyzing the reviews of practitioners, we will figure out why the pots were so named, and how to properly use the peat novelty. The recipes given here will help to neutralize the shortcomings of the peat container. All the secrets of planting seeds in peat pots are in an informative video.

Peat pots. What is their use?

Peat has long proved its valuable qualities and indispensability in supporting green shoots.

Peat cups, cassettes, cells, pots are hollow containers, which include peat and cardboard. Peat pots - great idea for plants with weak roots that are damaged during picking. Seedlings are transplanted into a greenhouse or into the ground right in the peat "house". After a while, the container dissolves, and the young shoots receive the microelements necessary for development.

Advantages of peat cups:

1. Biologically pure storage of minerals. Peat does not contain pathogens, weed seeds and heavy elements. It is natural and eco-friendly.
2. The wall thickness of a quality pot is 1.5 mm. It retains its shape and can dissolve in the soil after 32 days.
3. The manufacturer guarantees 100% seed germination.
4. Seedlings in peat pots rise 30% faster, which means an early harvest.
5. Glasses or pots are easy to transport and have a long shelf life.

Instructions for using peat cups

Peat pots are perfect for germinating vegetable, flower, fruit and vegetable seeds. ornamental crops. How to use them correctly?

1. Before sowing, new cups must be soaked in a solution of humate fertilizers. This will serve to nourish the seedlings and the safe decomposition of the glass at the right time.
2. Pour loose soil into pots or glasses at a distance of 1 cm to the top. It is better to decontaminate the soil.
3. Put the seed, sprinkle it with soil. Mark the pot with the variety and date of sowing.
4. You can cover with foil and place on the windowsill.

Peat pots - instructions for use

The principles of growing seedlings in a peat pot are standard: timely watering, moist air, temperature for seeds 22-24°C, for sprouts - 15-17°C. Light day lasting 15-17 hours.

Attention! Seedlings should be watered often, but little by little, carefully monitoring the possible drying of the soil. Young shoots love moisturizing from a spray bottle.

Cheap peat containers - do not buy!

The worldwide web is filled with the disappointment of vegetable growers. The reason is drying, low germination, death of seedlings. However, it is quite possible to turn the disadvantages of peat cups into advantages.

On practice good idea peat pots crashed about the peculiarities of doing business in Russia. Ideally, high-moor peat should make up more than 70% of the above peat products. In fact, even in high-quality peat glasses - 50% peat and the same amount - pressed cardboard. And cheap options do consist of cardboard and cellulose. Hence the mass of negative reviews from practitioners and experts.

They complain that seedlings in peat pots are dying. Even if it grows on the window, it withers after transplanting into the ground. When digging up such a weak bush, the reason is found out, he remained in peat captivity. The pot does not dissolve not only after a month, but also after a season. It turns out that this is not the fault of peat, but of pressed cardboard, which decomposes much longer.

Advice. When buying, you should carefully consider the product. Cardboard is lighter than peat. To the touch it is dense, pressed. Peat is porous and brittle to the touch.

The way out of the situation is the rejection of cheap peat pots. You should buy them only in specialized stores, with the original packaging and a certificate of conformity.

Protecting pots from drying out

Growers point to the problematic watering of seedlings in peat cups. The earth ball dries out quickly and needs to be watered too often, which leads to mold. What's the matter?

Peat is indeed a wateraholic. It has the ability to quickly and in large quantities absorb water and give it away. environment. It turns out that the glass itself dehydrates the soil in which the plant develops. If the owner watered the seedlings and went to work, then in the evening he can catch wilted plants.

To prevent drying out, peat pots can be covered with a film

You can neutralize this drawback with the help of improvised materials. For example, carefully wrap a peat bowl in foil. Or put the pot in plastic bag. Then all the moisture will remain inside, and the soil will not dehydrate so quickly. And in order to avoid the appearance of mold, containers with seedlings should be regularly ventilated.

Proper landing in the ground

The manufacturer indicates that seedlings can be transplanted in pots that decompose well in the ground. To implement the developers' idea, peat pots need help:

• generously moisten the hole before transplanting into the ground;
• pour the pot itself so that it is soaked;
• after transplanting, water not only the landing site, but the entire garden;
• then moisten the seedlings as usual, because the process has already been started.

So the pots break up perfectly in the promised 32 days and fertilize the seedlings with minerals. If in doubt and afraid for seedlings, you can first plant plants with strong roots and see what happens. For example, the root system of a pumpkin, watermelon, melon is able to overcome any obstacles. Some users advise tearing the pot a little, or piercing holes in it with an awl.

The seedling killer can still work effectively! Just caring for seedlings in peat pots requires knowledge, care, time and patience. But any obstacles are a great incentive to overcome them!

Growing seedlings in peat pots - video

Peat pots for seedlings - photo

) for seedlings are very convenient to use. Many prefer peat pots over other seedling containers.

Some craftsmen make their own products. The raw material is a mixture of equal parts of well-decomposed humus and peat. Liquid mullein is added to the mass (for viscosity and enrichment with nutrients), pressed using special molds, and dried. But most summer residents prefer to buy goods in stores.

Material

It would seem that peat pots are a simple commodity, but here, too, quality is of paramount importance. Initially, such containers were conceived as peat-humus and they left the conveyor just like that. In pursuit of simplification and reduction in the cost of production, they were replaced simply with peat. The advantages and disadvantages of such pots depend on the quality of the raw materials and their processing. Finally, analogues appeared from cheap cardboard (from recycled materials), which are still called "peat pots"; they require special handling.

Positive properties

Containers made of peat or cardboard:

• Environmentally friendly,
• not too expensive for the price,
• light in weight,
• opaque - it means that greenish algae do not grow on the walls from the inside,
• disposable - therefore do not require washing, disinfection, subsequent storage,
• when planting seedlings, an earthen clod with feeding roots is preserved.

High Quality Benefits

Not every gardener will offhand distinguish good product from a paper-cardboard surrogate. As a rule, high-quality peat cups are slightly more expensive, smooth, have a thicker wall, a darkish color and a slightly porous structure. They have a lot of advantages.

1. Due to the porous structure of the material, the roots breathe and do not rot.

2. When watering, excess water flows freely, without stagnation.

3. Easy to water through the pan (water is absorbed from the bottom up).

4. Rot and mold do not form on the walls of the pots from the outside and from the inside.

5. After planting seedlings in the ground, its roots freely pass through the bottom and walls.

6. Tanks quickly decompose in the soil.

Features of second-rate pot products

Cups made of cardboard or poorly processed peat are also suitable for seedlings, you just need to take into account some of the nuances. Paper can quickly get wet and lose strength, distort its shape, and become moldy. Walls with dense structure and a smooth surface, they do not pass air and water well, and they decompose in the ground for a long time. Therefore, if there are doubts about the quality of the proposed peat pots, we take measures:

• We don't buy large containers.
• in the bottoms we make sure to make good holes for the outflow of excess moisture,
• for filling we use only a very loose, easily permeable substrate,
• when planting seedlings in the ground, cut off the bottom or tear the walls of the pot!!!

Most of the negative reviews after using peat pots are due precisely to the fact that the roots of planted plants cannot break out into the open for a long time, beyond the walls, and growth and development are retarded.

Variety of sizes and shapes

Seedling pots are produced both in the traditional round shape and square (which is convenient for a denser arrangement and a little space saving). The largest, as a rule, have a diameter and height of about 10 cm, and a volume of half a liter. The smallest - 5 cm, 50 ml. In this range, many containers of intermediate sizes are produced; you can pick up best option. Rectangular and square dishes are sometimes made connected in the form of cassettes (according to the principle of cells for transporting eggs). If necessary, they can be separated by cutting off with a sharp knife or scissors.

The purpose of peat pots for seedlings of any plants

In small and medium-sized cups, seedlings of annual flowers are prepared, which have medium-sized seeds, form a compact, fibrous root system, and slowly develop in the initial phase of growth. Ageratums, asters, bacopas, marigolds, verbenas, gazanias are sown, annual dahlias, fragrant tobacco, Iberis, Levkoi, Lobelia, Snapdragon, mesembryanthemums, mimulus, nemesia, osteospermum, petunias and calibrachoa, purslane, salvia, drummond phlox, celosia, cineraria, zinnia, eustoma, etc. Similarly, they treat biennials and perennials - violas, carnations, geleniums, delphiniums, bells, daisies , shavings, primroses, chamomiles, evening primroses, etc.

Using pots of different sizes

Small

In a small amount of land successfully pass the initial stage of development indoor balsams, begonias, gloxinia, pelargoniums, cyclamens. In small containers, seedlings of strawberries are obtained from seeds - small-fruited, large-fruited, remontant. From vegetables in such a dish, seedlings of the root and petiole celery, fennel, basils, head salads.

Medium

Such dimensions are convenient for annuals with large seeds - for example, datur and nasturtium. A relatively large amount of seedling substrate is needed for amaranths, ornamental cabbages, cleomas, kosmey, kokhiya, scabioses. This also applies to loaches - dolichos (hyacinth beans), sweet pea, morning glory, kobei, thunbergia, annual hops, decorative pumpkin and beans. Peat pots for growing seedlings of vegetable cabbage, watermelons and melons, potatoes (from botanical seeds) should not be too large or very small. Containers for cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, berry physalis are taken a little larger.

Large

Extremely good for producing powerful planting material tomatoes. Peppers, eggplant, vegetable physalis, edible nightshade require the same (or slightly smaller) volume. A large clod of earth is necessary for edible and decorative varieties sunflower and corn.

In peat pots, not only seeds are sown and seedlings dive, they are used for rooting and growing cuttings (for example, chrysanthemums, petunias, pelargoniums, roses, etc.), bulbous and rhizomatous crops, shrubs.

Operation of peat products

1. Peat pots must be placed on sturdy stands.

2. A small layer of sphagnum moss or coconut fiber can be placed on the bottom of the pallet (to prevent drying out or rotting).

3. Seedling soil should be reliable, light and at the same time moisture-intensive - quickly (without stagnation) pass excess water, but dry slowly. Looseness is given by sand (without impurities of cement and dust), small additions of hydrogel or crushed coconut fiber retain moisture.

4. The containers are completely filled with a slightly moistened substrate; after watering, the soil settles a little (it is possible to pour it if the plants stretch out).

5. Dust-like and very small seeds are sown superficially, small ones are lightly sprinkled with light soil, medium and large ones are placed in holes and covered with soil.

6. Low lighting and dampness are contraindicated for peat containers with seedlings (mold and rot may develop). For prevention, the outer walls of the pots can be sprayed with fungicidal solutions (HOM, potassium permanganate, phytosporin).

7. Wet cups continuously evaporate moisture and cool the root system; it is harmful in sudden temperature changes or constant cold, so it is necessary to maintain moderate heat.

8. Sunshine and excessive heat require frequent watering. This can cause seedlings to stretch, as with a lack of light. (Special preparations are capable of slowing down the growth of the aerial part and strengthening the root system - regulators Athlete, Stopprost, etc.)

9. On the eve of the day of planting on permanent place should be over watering for good softening of peat (cardboard).

Glasses with seedlings are installed in soil pits of similar size without excessive deepening of the root system. Elongated specimens are placed under the surface of the ridge obliquely, at an angle. Mandatory good watering for dense contact of the walls of dishes with wet ground.

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-shredded eggshell. 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.

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 of different sizes are suitable not only for sowing seeds for future seedlings, but also relieve experienced gardener from the need to transplant seedlings, they will transport them to country cottage area more convenient and practically safer.

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 available in various sizes and shapes. Thanks to this, you can choose a glass required size, with considering 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, the 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.