Peat pots. Features, application and types of peat pots

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.

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);

• it is advisable to lay a plastic film under the peat pots or pour some 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;

Video - how to plant seedlings from peat pots

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.

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, soil with nutrients is added, 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 with water at room temperature and seeds are planted. 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 plants are not exposed to negative influences. 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. To avoid rapid evaporation of moisture, wrap with 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. Do not use similar forms for garlic seedlings, Chinese 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 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 different sizes suitable not only for sowing seeds for future seedlings, but also save an experienced gardener from the need to replant seedlings, make it transportable to country cottage area more convenient and practically safer.

Manufacturers supply the consumer market with 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 light weight 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 the seedlings of these vegetable crops do not tolerate transplanting 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.
• It is not very tight to put soil in cups: the soil must remain airy for normal development 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. At the same time, excess moisture will lead to the formation of mold. It can develop both on the walls of peat containers and on the soil. 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.

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 are a great idea for plants with weak roots that get 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 seeds of vegetable, flower, fruit and 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 a 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