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Pinedale, WY

Ever since I stuck my plants in the ground, they just haven't done real well. One got blown over in the wind yesterday and got tore off at the ground. So I dug it up to discover that roots never really made it out of the peat pot. They had grown in circles in the peat pot but never made it out. I think I watered them sufficently, maybe even too much. Any ideas? I feel this may be a problem with my other 3 plants, is there any way to fix it now? And how do I avoid this in the future? Thanks for the help.

6/9/2007 7:58:57 PM

Long Island,New York

Heres an idea......don't use peat pots.

6/9/2007 8:31:57 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

G must stand for genious...

6/9/2007 10:15:02 PM

Greensburg Pa

Put holes in the sides of your peat pots before planting seeds. Allows access for roots to get out. Also carefully tear the bottom off just before planting.

6/9/2007 10:37:04 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Don't use peat pots. If you must, cut them up when planting.

6/9/2007 11:20:33 PM

Pinedale, WY

I thought everybody used peat pots, interesting. I guess there are other ways. I did poke a fair amount of holes in them. But I guess I will start over and not use peat pots. Thanks for the help!

6/10/2007 10:24:49 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I use these things.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=62453

Sewer & Drain pipe cut in half. I used to use piano hinges to attach one side but today I just duct tape the things.

14" tall x 8" diameter. I've left plants in them as long as 2 weeks without much root binding.

Like everything else, I'm sure there are different grades of Peat pots. Joel Holland swears by them. The ones I've used also didn't degrade rapidly enough so I just gave up on them. Perhaps there is a name brand that we should look for?

6/10/2007 6:55:43 PM

Pinedale, WY

thanks, I will do that next year.

6/11/2007 10:54:26 AM

President - GPC

Start them in peat pots. Soon as their up and out of the germination chamber the bottom gets taken off and put into the above pots. Once secure in the pipe pots I cut the peat put one on each side and pull the peat pot off. Kinda of wasteful and I now have lots of peat pots to go into the garden but worked wonderfully. Those pots Tremor mentioned are the best, makes for a lot less root stress and the plants did very well with the heat as the root structure was well developed. Next year Ill try the baggy method too.

6/11/2007 12:14:34 PM

Grant, MI

Saw a pot advertised called a Cow Pot. It's made of nothing more than cow manure. Anyone tried one of these. I tried peat pots this year and all my plants are stunted.

6/12/2007 11:52:07 PM

Farmville, Virginia (mfowler@hsc.edu)

I used 5" peat pots and put lots of large holes (twice as big as a pencil or more) all over the pot and poked a few holes in the bottom. Plants are looking great.

6/13/2007 2:39:27 AM

Long Island,New York

I know everyone likes those 14-20 inch tall sewer pipe pots but being one to rock every boat in sight I say your wasting your time in most cases. Check the soil temp 14-20 inches down on May 15 when you plant it outside. All those nice leader roots down in your 72 degree soil in your sewer pipes will come to a screetching halt when it finds that 55-60 degree soil 14-20 inches down in your patch. Ok...Ill conceed that if you have heater cables, manure heaters, etc they might be ok but my money says you'll be much better off with a shallow but wide pot---get those side-growing roots going and turn that tap root off to the side and you'll get continued root growth when it hits the "cooler" soil.....just my 2 cents worth...and no, I have never ever even come close to 1502lbs ,or even a 1K fruit, so take it for what its worth.............

6/13/2007 7:35:55 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Cold soil is a valid concern for all growers. But using Peat pots isn't going to warm the soil. Whether we put constricted roots or health undisturbed roots into cold soil won't matter...the soil should be warm in both cases but in many cases it isn't.

6/13/2007 10:38:38 PM

Waitakere New Zealand

the thing with peat pots is they act like a wick if the top edge is at or above the soil surface . They suck the water out of the soil and it evaporates of the peatpot,the pot then goes hard and dry and is extremely difficult to wet again and the roots won't go through the dry peat,just break the top edge of the pot or take the pot off before planting and you should be right

6/14/2007 12:37:20 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Uh huh. Balled & burlapped trees & shrubs often suffer from wicking too. Hence cutting at least the top of the burlap is recommended. But I recommend removing as much of the burlap as possible & even the Daisy Cages which are finally being recognized as a real problem for trees.

6/14/2007 9:44:00 AM

mapleridge, B.C.

the same happend to me this year,remove the pot befor planting,wet it real good and tear gently down the side of the pot then remove it.

6/15/2007 2:11:31 AM