Features of growing seedlings of vegetable plants and flowers in peat pots
The process of growing seedlings of any plant at home is not easy and requires compliance with all the necessary conditions that are acceptable for seed germination. Many owners of summer cottages and backyard plots make considerable efforts to grow strong and hardy plants, which subsequently give excellent yields and beautiful flowering. Read the article: sowing pepper for seedlings!
Planting seedlings shortens the growing season in open soil and brings the harvesting period closer. Seedlings are especially applicable in cold territorial climatic zones, where the summer period is much shorter than in warm regions.
A particularly important point during sowing is the choice of a vessel that should not be too deep and heavy, but at the same time roomy and comfortable for carrying and transporting. A professional gardener always prefers growing seedlings in separate molds in order to avoid diving.
A completely new product has appeared on the market for summer residents - peat pots for seedlings, which are a convenient container for her cultivation... Comfort is an acceptable property for the owner of the land plot, peat is more applicable in order to create optimal conditions for the development of shoots and to observe minimal damage to the root system when they are planted in open ground.
Peat containers can have a completely different appearance - round, square, in the form of cups and solid sectional forms of pots, with the possibility of piece or block use, having completely different parameters of diameter and depth: 100 * 100mm, 90 * 90 mm, 80 * 80 mm, 70 * 70 mm, 60 * 60 mm, 50 * 50 mm, with wall thickness from 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm.
High-quality peat containers are sold in packaged form in order to comply with proper storage standards and to prevent premature soaking.
The depth and diameter of peat cups for seedlings and pots is selected based on the size of the future shoot of the plant. Basically, the packaging always contains indications for the germination of seeds of which crops one or another form can be used.
Positive and negative aspects of using peat pots for growing seedlings
Growing seedlings in peat pots is a completely new method and often raises many questions about the advisability of using peat containers.
The advantages of growing seedlings in peat pots are as follows:
- peat for seedlings - an environmentally and biologically sterile container for germination and development of the root system;
- the use of a peat pot for seedlings involves planting in open ground directly in a container, which decomposes under the influence of moisture and subsequently dissolves within a month, fertilizing the soil;
- peat containers do not contain seeds of various weed crops and pathogens;
- the germination of seed in a peat tank is 100 percent guaranteed;
- when transplanting seedlings into the ground, the root system remains integral;
- when transporting plants, the soil in the container does not dry out;
- seedling shoots have the opportunity to receive a balanced diet with the necessary mineral and organic substances;
- plants are completely protected from the attack of various unfavorable bacteria of microflora;
- growing seedlings in a biologically pure peat house allows you to increase the yield by thirty percent and get it twice as fast as when planting in the usual usual way.
Despite the positive aspects of using the innovative method of growing seedlings of vegetable crops and flowers, this method also has disadvantages due to the fact that many producers, due to economy peat can offer the consumer a low-quality product, in which cardboard takes a large share.
A thick layer of paper is denser than natural peat, which can be a serious obstacle to the development of the root system of plants and its decomposition in the soil. Therefore, when choosing containers in a store, you should carefully evaluate its appearance. What the container is made of is very easy to determine by touch. The peat pot is fragile and porous, the cardboard pot is too dense and pressed.
Instructions for using peat containers for the correct cultivation of seedlings
The first acquaintance with peat containers always leads to the question - how to use peat pots for seedlings?
Before direct use of peat pots for their intended purposes, they are soaked in a solution of mineral and organic fertilizers, after which they are allowed to dry out.
In order to invest in future sprouts, develop a full-fledged root system and destroy the walls of the pot, small holes can be made in them, an excellent way is to use a clerical hole punch.
Prepared soil on its own using organic elements or bought in a store for gardeners and gardeners is poured into pots. At the same time, it must maintain its airiness and not be too compacted.
Each seed of a certain culture is planted in a pot according to the seeding time and depth parameters in compliance with agrotechnical conditions. Peat is an excellent habitat for sprouts and cuttings, as well as bulbs.
Watering seedlings in peat pots has its own characteristics of a frequent and sprayed nature. A spray bottle is perfect for this procedure.
For better germination of plants, the pots are covered with foil and placed in a warm place (20-25 ° C).
The use of peat pots does not relieve the gardener from the hassle of hardening the seedlings, the more familiar the seedlings are to the natural climatic conditions of growth, the stronger and more enduring they are.
The widespread use of peat pots gives a full description of their useful and comfortable use in practice by many summer residents. By virtue of compliance with all instructions and rules for using containers, skilled gardeners get an excellent end result of their activities on the land plot, farmers who have to plant whole fields with seedlings are especially positive.
If it is possible to purchase a low-quality biological container, then the expected effect is much lower, which, of course, deserves a negative review.
Today, knowing all the necessary nuances about the peat container, one should adhere to them, and the grown seedlings with their own hands will only bring decent harvests.
Perhaps, if this article had hit me earlier, I would not have been so categorical in denying the benefits of peat pots. Maybe there are bona fide manufacturers, but I got a counterfeit. As a chemist, I began to look for the cause of the depressed seedlings by measuring acidity. I found that the mass of the pressed pot is highly acidic. Therefore, the soil environment in which the seedlings sat also changed. Yellowish and thin in that year, seedlings with purple stems turned out.Phosphorus in an acidic environment is poorly absorbed, and it is responsible for the root system. I still had to transplant the plants into other containers. The second problem is that the cups are porous, and the earth dries out quickly. I put the cups in wet sawdust, then the roots began to break through the walls, and it was even worse. I had to wrap the glasses in plastic. I got all the experience in one spring and never came close to these glasses. Therefore, I am writing so that others are more attentive to the choice, and you need to follow all the recommendations that are given in the article.