Peat Pots

[Broke Down Ranch]

OK, who uses peat pots? Do you like them? I like the idea of not having to use the little plastic thingies but ultimately the peat pots are a way more expensive way to go since you can't reuse. I have been debating between the peat pots and the soild block maker (which is the cheapest route to go I think) but our local feed store has said they would buy and veggie starts I had next year instead of buying from "a grower" and I just don't know how well the soil blocks would hold up. Maybe I could do both and just use the soil blocks myself and save the peat pots for "buyers".....

What do ya'll think?

 

[simple life]

I only used them this past spring. I like that you can just plant the whole pot into the garden bed without having to try to get the plant out for transplanting.
I just bury the whole thing.There is no risk of injuring the seedling.I have heard some say you should tear the side of the pot before planting and some say it doesn't matter because it will disintegrate anyway.
My cucumber plants are getting huge, thriving and they were started in peat pots. I plan on starting all of my seedlings in peat pots next year.

 

[Dace]

Im not sure why but I am not peat pot fan. They are pricey especially if you are planning to sell starts.

This year I made newspaper pots which work out to be free, since we get the paper. You can plant the whole thing just like PPs. and the best part is that you can make whatever sizes you want.

Google newspaper pot.

 

[punkin]

Next year I plan on using peat pots for cukes, watermelon and cantalopes. I am probably going to use 3 1/2" pots and plant 3-4 seeds in each. Just make my mounds and put the whole thing in without root disturbance.:happy_flower

I'm also going to do it for the cukes & melon plants that I sell.

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

Im not sure why but I am not peat pot fan. They are pricey especially if you are planning to sell starts.

This year I made newspaper pots which work out to be free, since we get the paper. You can plant the whole thing just like PPs. and the best part is that you can make whatever sizes you want.

Google newspaper pot.

Hum, those look interesting and easy enough.....how well do they hold up to being watered and does it take them long to decompose? What affect does the decomposted newspaper have on the soil?

 

[patandchickens]

I have not had great luck with newspaper pots; they were apt to disintegrate before transplanting time which made the whole thing fall apart when you tried to move it, kind of defeating the 'not disturbing the roots' concept. Also it always *seemed* like the plants were not growing as large or fast as they do in plastic pots (my normal method -- reused from year to year they can last an awfully long time, and if you get them as someone else's castoffs in the first place they are both free and recycled )

I'm not big on peat pots either, I don't like the wastefulness and also they do not disintegrate (liberating the plant's roots) all that well in drier soil which is mostly what I usually have in the garden.

I use those jiffy pellet things (flat disks that expand to become fat cylinders contained in a nylon-y sort of net, when you soak them in water) if I have something that won't like its roots disturbed.

JMO,

Pat

 

[Tutter]

While I know that a lot people use newspaper in some way or another in their gardens, you will be incorporating the chemicals used in the production of the paper itself, and the inks, into you soil.

It's a personal choice, but that is one thing that will happen with it's use.

 

[Dace]

While I know that a lot people use newspaper in some way or another in their gardens, you will be incorporating the chemicals used in the production of the paper itself, and the inks, into you soil.

It's a personal choice, but that is one thing that will happen with it's use.

I know that a lot of newspapers have moved to using soy based inks so it may not be all that bad...I figure the worms like it so it works for me (and them)

 

[Ron]

I hate them! Used to use them sometimes but when I pulled up the plant at the end of the season, often the pot was STILL not decomposed and had hampered root growth. I now use almost exclusively soil blocks, which are GREAT! Johnny's sells several sizes and there are a lot of soil block soil formulas on the internet. Just google "soil block makers."

 

[Dace]

Im not sure why but I am not peat pot fan. They are pricey especially if you are planning to sell starts.

This year I made newspaper pots which work out to be free, since we get the paper. You can plant the whole thing just like PPs. and the best part is that you can make whatever sizes you want.

Google newspaper pot.

Hum, those look interesting and easy enough.....how well do they hold up to being watered and does it take them long to decompose? What affect does the decomposted newspaper have on the soil?

Mine held up just fine...I placed them snugly together on a large cookie sheet...which helps hold them up and keep them from coming undone and then the lip from the cookie sheet held the water well.

I would imagine that the newspaper would attract worms and they would eat thru it.