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Lindon, Utah

I planted some of my seeds in 4 inch peat pots. New to this so I was wondering if most of you plant the peat pot directly in the soil or remove the plant from the peat pot and transplant it into the sweet spot. I was thinking that the peat barrier might slow the growth process a little. I have learned so much from this group. A big thanks to all those who participate. Good luck to everyone this year.

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4/24/2013 7:04:10 PM

Rapid City, SD

never been a fan of peat pots.......sorry

4/24/2013 8:21:10 PM

Lindon, Utah

I wish I had not used them but now that I have them I need to figure out if it would be best to plant or remove them as if they were in a plastic pot.

4/24/2013 9:04:24 PM

Bethlehem CT

I remove it when I plant. I have never had any problems.

4/24/2013 9:08:12 PM

west central IN/East central IL

I've tried both ways and recommend removing it.

4/25/2013 12:24:22 AM

Germany

either peel off the peat pot or...try something like this:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=196308

4/25/2013 4:04:04 AM

Hamilton - New Zealand

I've removed them the time I used them, but wasn't a fan of them at all.

4/25/2013 4:37:28 AM

Webster, NY

I start in peat pots. If I get behind and the roots start to grow into the pot I can directly plant it in the ground. If I'm paying attention, I can easily slice open the peat pot and carefully remove the plant without disturbing anything. Seems to work all right.

4/25/2013 5:11:10 AM

Muddy Waters

Remove the pot for sure it will slow down growth & is a harbor for bacteria & disease close to stump,Not Good.I love peat pots for there ease of tearing off for transplanting,is what I'm after.

4/25/2013 7:07:18 AM

Rhode Island

definately gently peel away the (must be wet or moist ) peat pot before planting. be as carefull as possible not to pull roots away with the pot.take your time and all will be well.never restrict the root growth.
pap

4/25/2013 8:29:05 AM

Niagara Falls,NY

Back in the day, we use to take a pencil and poke a lot of holes in the peat pots so the roots could easily pop through. My thought is why buy a peat pot and then throw it away? Dosen't make sense to me. I make my own pots by wraping news paper around a lg coffee can, hot glue it together. It's cheap and when it's time to plant the news paper has aready started to break down. Dig a hole and plant the whole thing. Works great for me.

4/25/2013 8:37:15 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Punk'nLvr..... we put them in smaller potZ first because if one startZ 15 plants, one iZ gonna need one helleva of a heat mat to crank up all the soil to 86 degrees.... Starting in 5" peatieZ....allows one to put 6-7 in a regular tray ontop of a single mat. I envelope mine in heavy duty Aluminum foil to act as a heat sink to transfer the heat all up around the pot.. I can control the tempeture to within a .5 degreeZ right to the base of that seed..... I even lay a sheet of AL foil on the bottom of the tray so my heat iZ distributed evenly through out. Cover the chamber with a blankey.... to keep it toasty at night....Once that seed pops thru the top...3-4 dayZ.... That peaty getZ peeled off and thrown in the compost pile.

4/25/2013 10:34:26 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

When one payZ nice buckZ for seedZ... what is an additional 50 centZ to what we do.?? we are Xtreme GrowerZ....... Don't forget to soak thoZe peatieZ the night before....in 50% seaweed and Fish.... in Fact... I use EssentialZ and Companion then as well..... All this to be documented on www.RMGVG.org More to COME >>^

4/25/2013 10:37:07 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Oh..... and put a lil bit of that Azo's and MycoZ in that bigger potZ mix.... and GrowZ'em BIG!

4/25/2013 12:18:43 PM

Colorado

Peat pots tear off good(did 5 this morning)unless a lot off roots have penetrated. If you have a lot of roots already through ,plant the whole thing and make sure the top of the pp is covered with dirt.That keeps the pp moist and the roots will get through easier

4/25/2013 12:27:54 PM

Niagara Falls,NY

I guess there's no way of making smaller news paper pots. It was a silly idea.

4/25/2013 1:48:33 PM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

I poke a bunch of holes in the peat pot before filling with the starting mix and never have seen a problem with roots getting through them. I tear the top third or so off so that none of it shows above the ground when planting. If you leave any above the ground it will dry out and dry out the rest of the peat pot with it. Very bad for your roots. I use only 5" peat pots for AG's, because the roots will be getting through the 4" before the first true leaf shows up. 4" seems to be OK for long gourds and melons.

4/25/2013 5:36:03 PM

Lindon, Utah

Thank you for all the advice. I feel a lot more comfortable in knowing my options. Will be planting these in the ground this weekend. Hoping for some warm days, we are still in the low Thanks again for everyone pitching in with ideas.

4/25/2013 9:55:10 PM