A relatively new invention of peat pellets for seedlings. How to use? Someone has already mastered this new product, and some still do not know about it. Summer season is coming soon, but we are already wondering where we will grow seedlings. Our hands do not want to sit without work. After all, no gardener will wait passively for the start of the season. We sort out the old stocks of seeds, buy new ones, think how, where we will grow seedlings, which containers we will choose for this. I myself use peat tablets. The process of growing seedlings is much simpler. I will share my experience and tell you what it is.
What are peat tablets, what are they convenient
Stores offer peat tablets of different sizes - the diameter ranges from 2 to 7 cm, the height of all is approximately the same from 1 to 1.5 cm. For seedlings of vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant), tablets with a diameter of 4 cm are suitable, and for small seeds such as petunia - 2 cm.
What are they convenient for? Firstly, they take up little space. Secondly, this is a fairly clean way to grow seedlings at home. Thirdly, they do not experience diving stress.
Peat pellet is a ready-made soil and peat substrate with an ideal content of organic-mineral additives, coated on top with a thin mesh-shell that does not impede the growth of roots outside, the penetration of moisture, and air inside it.
What are peat tablets good for? I repeat, but this is the most important plus of their use. The good thing is that the plants are not stressed during transplantation. You will dive seedlings either into a more spacious container, or immediately into the open ground, the greenhouse, without taking the plant out of the swollen peat pellet. This is especially important for plants with a fragile root system. For example, they are ideal for growing seedlings of peppers, eggplant, potatoes from seeds.
It should not be thought that the thin shell of a peat tablet will dissolve in the ground when planted. No, in the autumn, removing the proliferating plants from the site, you will see that the mesh-shell has remained at the root. But this should not alarm you. I have already said that the roots freely penetrate the shell, it does not interfere with the further development of the plant.
Peat tablets how to use
So what to do with peat tablets? When I used them for the first time, I placed dry peat tablets inside a plastic container (in the lid of the cake packaging). But there was no one to suggest that I chose a too shallow lid. Of course, the plants grew, but the top of the tablets (shell, substrate) dried up very quickly - it was unlikely that the seedlings were comfortable, although I tried to water them more often. This is very clearly visible in the bottom picture - the eggplant leaves were slightly curled all the time.
In the same year, I sowed very small flower seeds of lobelia in peat tablets, which I placed in spacious muffin cells. I also had to tinker with them - they quickly dried up.
So, given my sad experience, choose a container for placing peat tablets at least 10 cm high. And they themselves must be in cells whose diameter is either slightly larger or so that they are pressed more tightly to each other.
You can lay out the tablets arbitrarily, trying to have less empty seats. They will increase their volume in height, and their diameter will practically remain the same. Then fill them with water at room temperature. The tablets are absorbed quickly enough. As soon as everyone has swollen, they have acquired the same height (7-8 cm) - excess moisture must be drained. Now everything is ready for planting seeds.
I liked the result of growing seedlings in peat pellets so much (at least I made some mistakes) that the next season I bought special cassettes for them. Now a large selection of cassettes for growing seedlings. There are cassettes with pallets, there are pallets and lids - these are called mini-hotbeds.
If tablets can be used only once, then cassettes with careful use take several seasons. What are the cassettes good for? By the fact that the substrate with a seed or plant is surrounded on all sides by the walls of the cell and, therefore, does not dry out so quickly - watering can be less common.
The composition of peat tablets already includes the necessary nutrients for the development of plants in the first stage. But I add a growth stimulator to the water for the first watering - HB -101 (1 drop per 1 liter of water).
How to plant seeds in peat tablets
I plant pre-soaked hatching vegetable seeds. Empirically, she came to the conclusion that so much seed material is saved. Firstly, almost all seeds sprout, because I don’t plant seeds that are not hatching. Secondly, 1 peat tablet - 1 seed - and this means I will not thin out anymore.
I place the seeds of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and eggplants inside the recess in the center of the peat tablet, slightly press down with my finger so that it plunges to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. You can sprinkle top with soil or vermiculite. Celery seeds, petunias should remain on the surface, they do not need to be covered with anything, otherwise they will not germinate.
A container with freshly sown seeds must be covered with a transparent film or a lid to create the desired microclimate inside and put in a warm place. As soon as the shoots appear, the film or cover is removed.
Further care of the seedlings is no different from the classic. This is described in sufficient detail here: When to sow seeds of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants for seedlings.
Peat Pills - Reviews
I used these pills to propagate violets. Very comfortably. And not a single missing leaf.
Tasamaya14
http://otzovik.com/review_1060611.html#debug
Having read the positive reviews about peat tablets on the sites of gardeners, gardeners, I decided to grow my seedlings with their help. I must say, the seeds are not soaked. Soaked tablets, and when they grew, planted dry seeds of tomatoes, lupins, geraniums. Almost everything sprang up, even the hard peas of lupine sprouted. Jars of cheese and cottage cheese came in handy as a container for tablets. And when the roots began to break free, transplanted plants into plastic cups.
shmelik
http://irecommend.ru/content/torfyanye-tabletki-moi-pervyi-opyt
Peat-relieving tablets are very convenient in many cases. Just take into account the fact that the plant can develop there for a very short time. I use them when there are very few seeds, also for rooting rare cuttings. For example, for a long time I could not grow fuchsia from a leaf, and with a peat tablet it was possible on the first try.
Klava Ivanova
https://otvet.mail.ru/question/21840323
Yes, I grew peppers in tablets. They liked it!!! Me too :-). Cucumbers turned out great. And the rest is still in the ground. A little expensive. I plant 150 tomato roots, as many peppers, let alone another.
Iraida_ Ivanovna
http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/4784382/post211734115
I agree that the tablets are expensive.)) But I still buy them for sowing expensive petunia seeds and also for cucumbers. I don’t use peat pots, money transfer ((I adapted to buy a set - tablets with jessica containers: capacity for 12 plants + 12 tablets + tray - only 47 p.
panytany
http://www.7dach.ru/InnATimchak/tabletki-torfyanye-protiv-kokosovyh-vse-za-i-protiv-41420.html