Bio-degradable

[Mark Durham]

I'm used to growing seedlings in the everyday plastic black seed trays. However, I thought I'd branch out and purchased some bio-degradable pots. I'm a little embarassed to ask but how do you water the seedlings when the pots that I bought don't appear to have any drainage/watering points at the bottom? I could make some holes, but wouldn't the degradable aspect cut in and the pots simply disappear into a mulch?

Concerned of Sunderland.

[selfraising]

Hi Are these little brown textured pots? If so, I use these as well. Some of mine have holes and some don't but either way the water is absorbed through the material. I stand mine in the propagator on some water absorbing membrane that holds the water. I have, however, also stood some in trays and just put a small amount of water in the tray and keep topping it up. They are suprisingly strong and don't turn to mulch when absorbing the water as long as you don't over water. The pots turn a lighter shade when they are drying out. They are great for potting on cos I just put the whole thing in the next sized pot and re-fill with compost. This way the roots aren't disturbed. I have also planted out direct keeping the plants in these pots.

[lynda66]

don't worry about holes, the roots push their way through, and you just water from the bottom and they absorb it ....... they do have a tendency to go mouldy though, so ensure adequate ventilation

[Mark Durham]

Many thanks for such good replies that answer all that I asked!

[FionaH]

I am soooo glad someone asked this, it was on my list of "numpty questions" I hadnt got round to asking. Thank you!

[lynda66]

top tip, they are good for carrots if you don't wanna sow straight in the ground too, they can stay in the pots till they get a reasonable size, then go straight in the ground without disturbling the roots .... also for anything else that doesn't like their roots disturbing

i tend to get the small square ones, cos you can put them into the plastic modules,(they are the same spacings or you can split them along the edges.... so they keep their shape .

[Two_Sheds]

I'm tight, so I make my own from newspaper
They don't need much watering

[Alison]

I always used to buy them for beans as that's what I'd always seed my dad do but tend to start them off in root trainers these days as, although expensive to buy in the first place, if you look after them they last for years - and I did get them on a special offer at Tatton a couple of years ago.

Got some freebie little peat type discs with something else I bought a few years ago. They had no instructions what so ever but looked like they'd swell up with water. Never did work out what to do and if you should soak them all before planting a seed or water around them so they're still knocking about in the back of the shed. Anybody used them at all?

[Gwen11ian]

Just soak the peat discs for half an hour or so, then let them drain for about ten minutes before pushing a seed or two into the center. I got some with my propagator this year.. they aren't all that large but would work with things like tomatoes, peppers, etc.

[Alison]

Thanks Gwen - now just need to find them in the shed, seems a shame not to use them and had forgotten I'd got them until I found them lurking when I had a tidy out a few weeks back.

[ixi1456]

i am trying out paper mache tubs i used a bread tin and got the grandkids to rip up the newspapers into a bowl then added flour moulded the shape with the bread tin and then waited till dried (2 days) filled with growbag soil and put in some radishes and are now on the window sill upstairs till i can plant out then will plant the whole lot out and let it rot down in time if sucsessfull i will try the small container growing carrots