Peat tablets for seedlings of vegetables and flowers
Growing seedlings has always been a laborious and troublesome process. Peat tablets for seedlings, reviews of which are mostly only positive, are a good help for gardeners and flower growers.
Seedling peat is an ideal substrate
Peat has always been used as a fertile substrate for growing seedlings of various crops. It is moisture and breathable, and is also rich in essential nutrients. Recently, special peat tablets have been very popular, in which seeds are sown and get strong and well-developed seedlings.
In fact, this is peat pressed in the form of a washer. It is pulled into the finest mesh of natural fibers, which simply disintegrate over time. The basis of the tablet is light and fertile peat, and its auxiliary part is mineral fertilizers and growth stimulants, which ensure the rapid development of plants.
In the upper part of the tablet there is a special recess in which the seed is placed. On sale you can find "washers" of various sizes. Their diameter ranges from 24 to 90 mm. For growing seedlings, tablets are most often used, with a height of 8-70 mm. Moreover, the choice of their size directly depends on the size of the future plant. Peat tablets can be stored for a long time in a dry and cool place without losing their properties.
Pros and cons of peat tablets
Peat tablets have many advantages over the conventional method of growing seedlings. These include:
- simplicity and speed of planting seeds;
- reducing the likelihood of seed infection with various fungi
- no need for picking, which guarantees a high percentage of seedlings survival and their continuous growth;
- the presence of growth stimulants and essential trace elements in the tablet that accelerate the development of the plant;
- no damage to the root system of a young plant when planting in the ground in a permanent place;
- the available opportunity for even the most delicate root system to freely penetrate through the holes of the mesh;
- no need to work with soil;
- saving space, which is especially important in a city apartment;
- the ability to grow even very small seeds;
- no need for additional fertilizing with growth stimulants and fertilizers;
- the ability to regulate the moisture content of the substrate;
- excellent air permeability of peat, making plants more resilient;
- less labor costs compared to the conventional method of growing seedlings.
Despite all its advantages, peat tablets also have some disadvantages. These include:
- the need to constantly monitor their moisture content, since peat dries out very quickly;
- the need to use pallets, pots or cups;
- rather high price of tablets, which translates into a significant amount when buying a large number of them.
Use of peat tablets
Many novice gardeners and flower growers are wondering how to use peat tablets?
Before sowing seeds, you need to choose a suitable tall vessel in which these "washers" will be placed. You can also arrange them in pots or plastic cups filled with soil. In this way, the moisture-swollen peat pellet can be prevented from falling and deforming.When placing them, the seed holes should be located at the top.
Before planting the seeds, the "washers" are watered with warm water. They swell in a matter of minutes. Their height increases several times. Thanks to the natural mesh, these "washers" practically do not increase in diameter. Excess moisture is drained from the pallet 15-20 minutes after watering.
Wet peat is an ideal seed germination medium. They are placed in special recesses and carefully covered with a layer peat in 1-2 mm.
To speed up the process of seed germination, the container with peat tablets is covered with polyethylene or glass. Crops must be ventilated periodically.
Water the peat tablets with a spray bottle. After emergence, polyethylene or glass is removed. Seedlings grown in this way do not need diving.
Peat seedling tablets are often used for propagation of plants. Due to the presence in their composition of growth stimulants and a large amount of micronutrients, rooting of cuttings is much faster.
Growing seedlings on peat tablets allows you to quickly get strong young plants that begin to bloom and bear fruit much earlier than those grown in the usual way. That is why reviews of peat tablets are almost always positive.