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Re: 1st yr growing from seed, questions...

removing the emerged plants from the grow mat and noticed a green / white
mildew on the outside of the peat pots.  My question is should I be
concerned?  I'm guessing the heat and the moisture created this, but do not
know for sure...
>
I wouldn't be too concerned about it.  I get similar stuff, even on top of
the soil, and a little gentle stirring gets rid of it.  Never noticed any
problem with the transplants because of it.  I get a lot less of this when
I use containers other than peat.  For instance, I recycle containers, like
ricemilk boxes, or similar kitchen stuff, or use a really thick peat pot
which doesn't break down very quickly and is reuseable for several years.
The thicker peat gets less of the green stuff.

One other suggestion, if you're going to plant the peat pot in the ground
instead of popping the transplant out, make sure to use a knife to slice
the sides down so the roots won't have any trouble getting out of the pot.
Peat is a lot tougher than you'd think;)  Last year I shredded a few
ordinary one use peat pots and put them in the bottom of a container which
I then used to grow a tomato.  The container stayed outside all year,
through many torrential downpours, and when I went to empty the pot a few
weeks ago, I ended up re-using the same shredded peat pot in the bottom for
drainage.  It hadn't broken down at all!

Good luck with your transplants.  Isn't it fun getting an early start and
watching them grow?  What varieties are you growing?

Regards,
Laurie Mandigo-Stoba
San Francisco, CA zone 9


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