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Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

Anyone use peat pellets to start AG's or other Giant veggies? I saw a pumpkin plant yesterday started in a peat pellet and it was fantastic. The guy started it in the pellet and then transpmanted the pellet into a 10" pot as soon as it emerged. I was thinking of using them to start my Watermelons, Cantaloupe, cabbage and tomatoes. I haven't got a clue how to use them. I guess you soak them for a while in water and they puff up. How long do they need to be soaked for? Do you put them in a mini green house afterwards? Suggestions would be great.
John

4/10/2005 9:12:52 AM

Rexburg, Idaho (brianchristensenmd@gmail.com )

Typically the roots are out of the bottom of a 4" peat pot before the plant emerges from the soil. Most peat pellets are only 2". Start them in something of an appropriate size to begin with. Less likely to damage the roots.

4/10/2005 9:50:54 AM

Benton Ky

I use them for my tomatoes. Just soak them in warm water and they will expand before your eyes. They are sold in a mini greenhouse in my area. All you need is something to retain moisture while germinating, saran wrap will work over a container.Vent them after the seeds start to germinate.

4/10/2005 9:55:32 AM

Cologne / Germany

Would you like to see my collection of photos with a bunch of ruined plants due to the use of peat pots and pellets? In general there is some sort of a fine net around the peat to hold it together after watering. I´ve yet to see a single root making its way outside the net. The net itself is supposed to rot but it never will. Same goes for "peat pots".
Just my personal experience over years, safe your money and get some good seed starting soil.

4/10/2005 11:51:04 AM

Cologne / Germany

PS, you can easily press your own soil into a "pot" with a tool like this:
http://www.biokeller.de/garten/erdtopfpresse.html
Not sure what it´s called in English. There´s nothing surrounding to disturb roots, just your own pure pressed soil.

4/10/2005 12:12:15 PM

Buffalo, Minnesota

I have also used the damn things in the past and they are trick to maintain the right moisture level with, they always get too soggy or dry out in the matter of a day.

4/10/2005 5:29:35 PM

Syracuse, NY

hmmmm....i have sprouted AGs in them before....
they have their problems like any other thing.
they would be great to use for mass plantings of lesser-than-top-seed seeds, like a few field pumpkin or Prizewinner plants, or your OWN seeds.
the main problem i have had was with the first main root getting halted from getting throught the netting, but perhaps a small pair of tweezers used to tear the netting would be appropriate---as long as they were put into much larger pots or right into the planting hole as soon as the first true leaf appears to give you the growth direction,
they would do fine----it'll be a matter of how it works for you on the lesser seeds first....eric....maybe you could
cut away the bottom netting as soon as the seed is put into the peat pot...then, once the root emerged, and tipped it over, lol!, you would have no obstruction to the main root.
again, get that puppy to where it is going, as soon as possible.

4/11/2005 1:13:27 PM

Usa,pa,westsunbury

i also found that if you dont put them in something to hold the moisture in it goes away really quick

4/12/2005 8:24:59 PM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

Well, I started some Giant Cabbage and some regular tomatoes in some pellets, last night! I took "Tomatoe Grower's" advice and put them in a dish and covered with saran wrap.So far moisture is consistant. I figured as soon as I get germination I will transplant into 4" pots, with pro mix.

4/12/2005 10:23:43 PM

Syracuse, NY

just so y'all know, tomato seeds, in my case Big Zacs,
sprout eagerly in three days' time when their peat pellet temp. is at about 88-90 degrees. i actually beat last year's
starting date by one lousy day this year. last year's start date was April 1st. i started 25 and three didn't come up because i did something stupid. but they would have come up.

4/13/2005 12:29:19 PM

Benton Ky

I also tear the little nets off when I transplant county kid. I only use these on my tomatoes.

4/13/2005 1:50:57 PM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

Im concerned about the moisture level. I soaked them before I planted, but not to the point of driping. The room temp where they are is about 82 degrees. I noticed the tops looked a little dry so I added a bit more water. Im worried about having too much moisture.

4/13/2005 11:02:40 PM

Syracuse, NY

if you are concerned that there will be too much moisture,
here's what you do:
soak your pellets. why, oh why do they call them pellets?
anyway, soak the heck out of them, as they will absorb as much as you give them.
i'd be concerned about your WATER bill. lol.
then, put each pellet one at a time into
a small cup, like a dosage cup for medicine, shot glass,
very small orange juice glass, whatever....
then put another glass or cup just like it on top of the peat pellet and squish out the excess water, until you are satisfied that there is not TOO MUCH water in the pellet.
DRAIN!
okay, since the pellet is now about 1/3 squashed-away,
simply roll it between your two hands to loosen-up the
peat material, like you used to do with a piece of modeling clay in third grade to make it longer and skinny.
ahhh, flashbacks, lol!
next, just tamp-down the now disturbed peat material until it is back in order for you to plant a seed into. done.

i am not sure about the positioning of the seed in this case of peat-pellet seed-starting.
IF YOU PLANT YOUR SEEDS IN THE SOIL OR MIX ANYWHERE OTHER THAN IN THE PEAT PELLET, PLANT THEM EDGEWISE>>>>NOT POINTED END DOWN>>>>>>>>>>>THE SEEDS WILL ALMOST ALWAYS COME UP WITHOUT THEIR SEED COATS ON.
but, in this case, i don't know what will happen...there is not enough material around the sprouting seed to keep the laws of Nature under control....let us know how it go! eric>>>>>PS---85-90 has been found to be a better sprouting temp....maybe get a seed starting mat under your peat pellets......

4/14/2005 5:29:45 PM