Peat tablets for seedlings - how to use at home?

If you plan to germinate seeds of vegetables and flowers, then information about what peat pills for seedlings are, how to use them and how to choose, will be very useful. In addition, similar methods of cultivation will be of interest.

What are peat pills for?

Special "washers" made of peat and placed in bags of non-woven material were created for planting seeds and propagation. Many are interested in what can be planted in peat pills, and so, their acidity index is 5.4-6.2, which is suitable for most garden and vegetable crops. Main characteristics:

1. In the composition can be humus, substances for nutrition and growth stimulation and components that increase the immunity of plants.
2. It is worth pointing out that peat has an excellent air and water permeability, which is important for the development of plants.
3. The composition perfectly retains moisture, but does not allow the formation of fungal diseases.

What are the best peat tablets?

There are several rules regarding the selection of suitable tablets, which differ in different criteria:

1. Structure. Peat (coconut) having a large fraction has a lower air capacity, which adversely affects the development of roots and increases the risk of a disease such as a " black leg ". Hence it is worth giving advice - choose a smaller substance.
2. Acidity. There are different varieties of peat tablets, differing in this criterion. For most vegetables and flowers, pH 5.5 is appropriate. If the acidity is incorrectly selected, this can cause the death of the seeds.
3. Presence of a shell. Peat tablets can have a paper or mesh wrap, which holds the mold and provides additional antifungal protection. Products without a shell cost less, but when wet they can collapse.

How to use peat pills?

Briquettes can be used not only for growing seedlings, but also for fertilizing already grown plants. To do this, before landing in the head hole, you need to put a couple of tablets of medium size. Experienced gardeners are advised to pre-sterilize them, for which pour them not with simple water, but with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. In this case, tablets without a shell are best.

If you do not plan to grow seedlings in peat tablets, then you can use them for rooting cuttings. This method is ideal in a situation where there is no possibility of rooting on the street. First prepare the peat washer and immerse the green stem into a depth of 1-3 cm. It is important to finish the end of the branch with a root former. From above put a transparent cap, for example, a plastic cup.

Finding out what peat tablets are for seedlings, how to use them for planting seeds and other purposes, it is worthwhile to know that there are cases when a white coating appears on the surface, which indicates that the watering is abundant and it is better to cut it. When conducting cultivation in a mini-greenhouse, do not forget about careful ventilation. To move seedlings in pots or rooted shanks into the ground follows after the roots begin to germinate outside. Grid off or cut so that the roots can develop normally. Remove peat lump is not necessary.

What size peat pills to choose?

Products differ by their diameter, which is in the range of 2-7 cm. The choice should be made on the basis of what you plan to plant, focusing on the rule that the smaller the seeds, the smaller diameter is needed. Note that the dimensions of peat tablets are directly related to the supply of nutrients, so when using small options, additional fertilizing is also carried out. A diameter of 4 cm is considered universal.

How to prepare peat pills for sowing seeds?

Before proceeding to seeding, the preparation of compressed peat must be carried out. There is a simple scheme how to soak peat pills:

1. Put the washers in a container of warm water and leave for a while. In most cases, they are absorbed by moisture for 15-20 minutes. As a result, they will increase in size by about 5 times. Thanks to the shell, the tablets will retain their shape.
2. After that, take them out of the water and put them on a flat surface so that the side with the hole is on top. Having understood how to prepare peat tablets for seedlings and how to use them, you can proceed to seeding the seeds.

How to plant seeds in peat pills?

It is easy to use such washers, for which follow these instructions:

1. Prepared seeds are decomposed into existing grooves of 1-2 pcs. If the planting material is small, then take a toothpick for its transfer.
2. Planting in peat tablets does not involve the closure of seeds with soil. They need to be transferred to the greenhouse, closing the container with a film or lid. You can buy special greenhouses.
3. To properly use such washers, it is important to constantly monitor the condition of the tablets so that they do not dry out, otherwise they will begin to decrease in size, and the seedlings will die because of the small amount of moisture. Watering is carried out through the pallet, and after the peat absorbs the necessary moisture, the remaining water must be drained.

Can I use peat pills again?

Many inexperienced gardeners ask this question, because such peat products are not cheap. Finding out how to properly use peat tablets, it is worth pointing out that they can be used for the second year, pretreated with a solution of phytosporin or light pink manganese. You can use special tablets intended for repeated use. They have a mold made of hard plastic, so the peat base can be used for several years.

Peat tablets with their own hands

If you think that the price of washers is high, then you can save by making them yourself. It should be taken into account that it can not be guaranteed that such tablets will be as effective as store analogues. Peat tablets for seedlings with their own hands are easy to make and all the necessary materials can be bought at the garden store. In addition, they can be replaced by conventional plastic cups with nutrient ground and other analogues.

How to prepare peat pills for sowing seeds?

Briquettes for germination of seeds can be made by hand. Use them as easily as shopping options. For work it is necessary to prepare: 9 liters of peat, 4 liters of coconut substrate and edible captivity. In addition, a plastic pipe for sewage with a diameter of 50 mm and a length of 150 mm is useful. The role of the piston can be made by a wooden crush for puree, the center of which is screwed a screw with three washers. There is a simple instruction how to make peat tablets for seedlings:

1. Lightly moisten and loosen the substrate. Mix it with peat and mix well. If necessary, remove large inclusions.
2. Add 400-500 ml of water to the mixture and mix again. Put it in a saucepan.
3. At the center, insert the pipe so that part of the mixture is inside and compact the briquette using a crush.
4. Remove the tube and push out the compacted briquette, which must be carefully wrapped with a food film. At the top leave a free strip of film with a width of 2-2.5 cm to allow the peat mixture to increase in height during swelling.

How to replace peat pills?

If you want to save, then the washers with peat can be replaced with used tea bags. The picture below shows a diagram of how to properly disassemble and cut the bags to get the bags for planting. Finding out what can replace peat tablets, you should provide instructions for the further use of prepared tea bags:

1. In each bag, without removing the tea leaves, put a little dry land, which is better to buy in the store.
2. After that, moisten the contents and you can immediately put the seed inside.
3. Prepared bags should be placed in a container with low beads, and in the intervals between them lay the ground or cotton pads. This is important in order to prevent moisture from evaporating quickly. That's the way you can replace peat tablets for seedlings, how to use a homemade analogue - this question will not put anyone in a dead end.