Re: too big for the pots

Debbie,
I use the plastic pots ( almost a gallon in size), but I cut the sides and bottom first and then tape them back up before placing the potting soil in the pot like someone mentioned earlier. The seeds are not placed in the pot until I detect a small root coming from the seed. This is done by using the wet paper towel method with heat approximately 80-85 degrees. The plants are then planted in the patch when they have at least two true leaves plus the two cotyledons. All you have to do is carefully remove the tape from the pot and place the plant in the soil. The potting mixture should be damp so that the soil does not fall apart when you remove the plant.
I used small peat pots many years ago, but have not used them since I started this method. 

George Heyne
Rochester, MN
----- Original Message ----- From: "Debbie Runkle" <yorunk13@att.net> 
To: <pumpkins@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, April 25, 2009 6:52 AM
Subject: Re: too big for the pots
I have read posts that are pro and con for peat pots. I used peat pots for my first year growing season last year. They never broke down as I thought they would. Now I wonder what the roots were like below grade. I read alot about using plastic jugs or pots and think that may be the way to grow. It seems like alot of growers then slit the plastic containers apart when planting. Is there any concern for cutting roots as opposed to planting them like flowers (gently pull or dump the soil and flower out of container)? 

Debbie




________________________________
From: "Peters, Glenn" <gpeters@ll.mit.edu>
To: "pumpkins@hort.net" <pumpkins@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2009 12:14:29 PM
Subject: RE: too big for the pots
I just use plastic 1 gallon milk jugs easy to slit open when ready to plant, 
gave up on peat pots years ago.


Glenn Peters

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