Jiffy Pellets for chillis

[SimpleSimon]

Afternoon,
Are there any downsides to these over a seed compost mix? I'm going to be sowing about 100 chilli seeds soon and they'll be in the house till April or May. LThese seem like less mess and make the first pot on eeasier. Apart from the tenner I need to spend to buy they seem a good idea.
Ta
Simon

[Mitzi]

I use them and like them. Some people think that the roots struggle to grow out of them but that’s not my experience. Peat based ones are worse for the environment but easier to use. Coir ones dry out quickly and need a lot more feeding or potting on quicker.

[Snoop Puss]

I used them once, didn't like them and haven't used them since. Mitzi's experience is more positive, so maybe I didn't do something right. Whatever the case, the roots didn't develop properly and so neither did the plants.

What have you used in the past? Could you do a bit of an experiment with some Jiffies this year rather than committing to all Jiffies? That way you'd know if they worked for you.

As another option, paper pots are very easy to make, free if you've already got newspaper, and plants find them very easy to bust through. Bit more of a faff for potting on though, but you can be sure your plants won't get held back.

[Jungle Jane]

I prefer to use reusable small plastic module trays of about 50 cells,one per seed,the root will grow inside the plastic,rather than grow through the holes of the pellets & stop growing when they hit the air unless you can pot them on when they’re ready. It used to be messy poking the seedling out the plastic module but I use a teaspoon to scoop out the compost block & put it straight into a compost ready,3” pot with a bit of mycorrhizal fungi (rootgrow) it’s less messy & the plastic tray doesn’t get screwed up from poking it. If it was just a few seeds the jiffy pellets might be ok,easier to keep an eye on & pot on. I used two of them I got free a few years ago for tomato seeds,I wouldn’t buy them because they didn’t look happy but I should’ve potted them on quicker.

[Scarlet]

I've tried them several times and I'm not a fan. I much prefer a good seed compost and single modules.

[veggiechicken]

I don't get on with jiffy pellets at all. Difficult to keep watered and you need to cut away the wrapper before you pot anything on because its keeps the roots contained.
Just my experience - other opinions are available.

[SimpleSimon]

Rightyho - gonna stick to a seed compost mix
The main reason I was keen was mainly due to mess. Last year that many chilli plants in the house did lead to a few issues with me getting compost everywhere. But i guess the same issues are there once potted on anyway.

[Scarlet]

I don't worry about a bit of compost. It was too cold today to be in the Green House so I potted up my small Christmas tree in the kitchen I always warm my compost in the kitchen for a few days before using it too ...or in the Aga if I need it quick.

[veggiechicken]

At this time of year, I always sow seeds in the kitchen, keep a bag of compost there too and the propagator is on the chest of drawers in the bedroom.
I consider the house to be another part of the garden, not the other way round.

[rary]

I don't worry about a bit of compost. It was too cold today to be in the Green House so I potted up my small Christmas tree in the kitchen I always warm my compost in the kitchen for a few days before using it too ...or in the Aga if I need it quick.

I think that's very brave of you, if I tried that OH would blow a gasket, that just shows the advantages of not having a wife to nag at you
IT'S TIME WE MEN DEMANDED EQUALITY
and of course Mods I am not being political, I wouldn't dare incase OH heard about it

[rary]

I have tried the jiffy pots/pellets as well as paper pots and soil blockers, the paper pots and soil blockers are both good because they are cheap to produce and the equipment to make them last a long long time, but for convenience the plastic module trays are far better and if you take care with them they will last for several years

[Small pumpkin]

I’m not personally a fan of them. But having said that I often receive some chilli seedlings from Mitzi in the chilli seedling swap and they always hold together brilliantly in the post and the roots are always in a really good condition.

[Snoop Puss]

Is there only one brand of Jiffy pots? Mitzi, what do you buy? Maybe you've got 'good' ones.

[cptncrackoff]

I found the jiffy pads either went too wet or really dried out, I didn't like them.. I'd go compost too!