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Post by bearsfan on Apr 20, 2015 14:38:24 GMT
So what's the point? I bought 3 36 cell (pods) last summer cheap. I thought ah I'll try it. One flat is bell peppers , one is 4 different herbs, and the other one is flowers for my window boxes. Germination was about 50% for the 3 flats except all my petunias came up. Problem is soon as something germinates and is growing for a week or so the look putrid. I decided I better get those thing in better soil. I tried to pinch the pods and pick them up and they wouldn't come up, using fork to pry them up and pop them out resulted in a mangled pod and plant. What's the point?
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Post by wolfmom on Apr 20, 2015 15:26:59 GMT
Did you transplant them when they got their first true leaves?
Were they your seeds or ?
Did you water them from the top or bottom?
How much sun, heat?
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Post by Weed on Apr 20, 2015 15:27:16 GMT
My one and only experience here in sandy soil was enough for me too. Unless they remain constantly saturated, I can't see how tiny roots could penetrate the pod to avoid getting at least somewhat root bound?
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Post by paquebot on Apr 20, 2015 17:16:07 GMT
Those peat things are meant to be planted as is. One plant per cell and directly into the soil at the proper time. I don't like them as they are too demanding upon one's time, too quick to dry out or be saturated. Seems that there was never a happy medium.
Martin
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Post by bearsfan on Apr 21, 2015 2:51:23 GMT
Dry out no kidding, 2 days then to soak it again. I highly unrecommend them. First experiment of the season in the books.
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Post by Homesteader on Apr 21, 2015 16:32:59 GMT
Isn't it amazing how different we all are? We use the individual peats, meaning, loose bulk ones, not the ones with the plastic cells. I can't imagine not using them.
We place them into the typical black plastic nursery flats. Buy them in a box of 1,000 at a time.
The roots most definitely poke thru. As we potted up our peppers/tomatoes over the last few weeks, some of the roots were hanging 5-6 inches down and out the sides of the pods! The flats get watered every day to keep them good and moist.
For peppers/maters, we pot them up up into dixie cups filled with potting soil. Those then get planted into the ground later (without the dixie cups of course!). A lot of my flower seedlings start in the pods and then go into the ground.
I wish you all had better success with them.
I am thinking it's the watering issue for you mostly compared to us. We water every day, including once the plants go into the ground (no rain, we have to water). Our soil is sand too, so watering is crucial. Peat is a bog type substance, it's meant to be kept wet!
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Post by farmchix on Apr 21, 2015 19:50:29 GMT
I use soil blockers. Absolutely love them! It's fun making the 'mudpies'. ;P
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Post by paquebot on Apr 21, 2015 21:18:22 GMT
The individual ones are fine, the bulk ones aren't. I've got peppers in some which are 10 cells each arranged 2x5. Haven't figured out exactly how to deal with them at planting time. I'll need either a scissors or sharp knife to separate each cell. In the meantime, no problem keeping them damp as they are in trays and watered from the bottom.
Martin
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Post by claytonpiano on Apr 22, 2015 23:29:59 GMT
I love the soil blocks. The grandkids help me make them. Watering from the bottom they don't fall apart and I don't have to do a thing when I put them in the ground. I do feed them with a weak fish fertilizer to keep them happy while they are growing roots.
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