Peat tablets and pots have been successfully used for growing seedlings of vegetables and flowers for almost 20 years. The opinions of gardeners are divided - some consider it an unnecessary waste of money, while others cannot imagine the beginning of the garden season without buying several packs of peat pots. Is there any reason? This will be discussed below.
Advantages
The first and most important plus is environmental friendliness. Peat decomposes in the ground and fertilizes it. What can not be said about plastic cups - after planting the seedlings they are thrown away and litter the ground with an additional portion of plastic.
The second advantage is that with this method of growing, the roots do not need to be disturbed at the time of transplanting an already grown plant. It is placed in a hole along with a peat container.
And the third plus is the improvement of root development due to good air exchange (another reason to abandon plastic containers).
Minuses
Of the minuses, one can single out the purchase every season (a dubious drawback, given that fertilizer is also obtained), the difficulty in searching in the spring, and the likelihood of running into a fake. Unscrupulous manufacturers use cardboard impurities to reduce the cost of production.
How to grow seedlings
In February-March, you can start preparing our future seedlings:
- A piece of charcoal is placed at the bottom to prevent soil rotting.
- The soil should be as light as possible.
- Do not fill the container to the very top - there should be 7-10 mm to the brim.
- We place the seeds at a depth of 1 cm. As practice shows, this is the most optimal value. If the plant requires strict sowing on the surface, fill in the seeds and cover with a thin layer of soil.
- Now it is best to place the pots in a greenhouse with good lighting. In a month you can see strong shoots. The bad ones are removed immediately.
- A couple of days before planting in the ground, pour some garden soil on the surface for easier adaptation.
Landing in the ground
It is carried out at different times, but the algorithm of actions is the same:
- Preparing the hole.
- We moisten the soil.
- Place the peat cup exactly.
- We fall asleep with earth, slightly crushing it.
- Every other day we spill the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This will protect against rotting and mold, while simultaneously adding a portion of fertilizer to the soil.
Growing seedlings in peat pots is not difficult. The main thing is accuracy and consistency.
