tomatoes and fibre pots

[yeti]

helo all, just wandering is it to early to start tomatoes off indoors in fibre pots? and what do people think of the fibre pots? cheers in advanced..

[ginger ninger]

Afternoon Yeti, I sowed my tomato seed at the beginning of Feb straight into 3" pots with good Quality seeds compost, there in the house still but there doing great. With regard to fibre pot's I've never tried them so I can't comment on them, but I hear there good for plants that don't like there roots disturbing. So the answer to if you should sow your tomato seed now is...Yes, go for it as long as you have a nice warm spot which gets plenty of sun so as not to let them get straggly, they should so fine.

[rustylady]

Sow your toms now, but in my humble opinion do not use fibre pots. I've been gardening for quite a few years and have never managed to get them to work properly. They either get sodden and mouldy or dry out so much that the plant roots cant get through them. I use plastic pots or cell trays.

[beaufontboy]

yup will second what rustylady said, some of mine went mouldy and some dried out so much that the roots could not grow thru !

[yeti]

darn it!got quite a few seedlings in fibre pots,oh well will just have to take them out of the pots before i plant them out.

[Jeanied]

Make sure your fibre pots stay moist, Yeti - they go really cardboard-y when they dry out and I think this is where the problem arises.

[pjh75]

They either get sodden and mouldy or dry out so much that the plant roots cant get through them.

That's my experience too and I have tried starting different things in them... ended up just throwing the pots away and now stick with modules or plastic pots.

[coreopsis]

I'll back up rusty lady and pjh75.I thought they were a gret idea until I tried them.I struggled to water them and most of the roots weren't coming through the pot so I said goodbye to them.Now I use HeyWayne's idea-scrounge used cups from vending machines at work and sow the stuff in them.I make a hole in the bottom and place the cups/pots into the tray.It's dead easy to take the plant out of them when they need repotting.I planted my chillies and they are fine,this week I'm going to start tomatoes this way.

[Flummery]

Very hard to keep them correctly watered I find. It's so easy to have them soggy and mouldy or dry and crisp. Ordinary plastic pots for me - and they go on for years.

[yeti]

oh well,spose you learn by mistakes.

[binley100]

I use loo roll middles , paper cups or plant pots. Never had much luck with the fibre pots.