Seedling pots: types and tips for choosing

The modern gardening market offers a huge selection of seedling pots. Experienced summer residents, as a rule, have already tried many of them and made a choice. However, novice gardeners, due to a lack of knowledge and experience, often cannot give preference to one or another type, which is why the problem of buying suitable containers is still relevant.

As you know, the future harvest depends not only on the quality of the seed. The conditions of planting, germination and picking of young shoots have a great influence on the growth and vegetation of plants. In this regard, certain requirements are imposed on seedling pots, strict adherence to which can serve as a guarantor of good germination and correct development of sprouts. The seedling pot should retain moisture for a long time, but at the same time ensure the timely and quick removal of its excess... This is ensured by the presence of special holes in the bottom of the container, thanks to which excess water leaves the pot.

The second prerequisite is a sufficient depth of the container, necessary for the free growth of the roots. In cramped conditions, root shoots begin to get tangled and absorb nutrients worse, which ultimately leads to a slowdown in shoot growth. The third important requirement is the wide mouth of the pot, which allows you to painlessly transplant young plants into open ground, taking them out of the container along with a clod of earth. And the last important criterion is the size of the pots. They should not be too bulky and take up a lot of space. This is dictated by the large number of seedlings and the need to place each of the plants closer to the light. When using bulky pots, the space on the windowsill may simply not be enough.

The classification of seedling pots is made according to three criteria: material of manufacture, shape and size.

According to this criterion, containers are divided into several types, each of which has its own specifics, has a number of advantages, and, of course, has some disadvantages.

The most common material for seedling pots is plastic. For the manufacture of products, polystyrene is used, which does not emit toxic substances and does not contain toxic components. The bottom of plastic pots is always perforated, which facilitates the free drainage of excess water and protects the roots from decay. Products are often sold in sets and are completed with a common tray that collects excess liquid and protects the windowsills from moisture.

Molded plastic pots are suitable for growing many crops and are the most numerous category of seedling containers. The advantages of such models include the creation of an optimal moisture regime in the soil, the ability to use it for several years, reliable protection of the roots from possible damage and ease of storage. Moreover, many models are equipped with a retractable bottom, with which the plant is easily squeezed out of the pot along with the soil. It should also be noted the low cost of casting, a wide variety of types and sizes, low weight and wide consumer availability.

So, in online stores you can order black pots at a price of 1.7 to 5 rubles apiece, in retail chains the cost of 200 gram pots is 6-7 rubles.One of the most famous domestic manufacturers of plastic seedling pots is the Amina Trade company from Smolensk, which has been producing its products since 2008 and offering consumers products at prices 40% lower than the market average.

Along with a large number of advantages, plastic products still have disadvantages. These include some cumbersomeness of round samples that occupy the usable space of the window sill, and the need, albeit small, but the cost of their acquisition, in contrast to homemade models made from scrap materials.

Peat pots are no less popular among summer residents and are present on the shelves of the garden and vegetable garden departments in a wide variety. In terms of their composition, the containers consist of only 70% peat, while the remaining 30 are occupied by cellulose and humus. During the manufacturing process, all components are mixed, put into molds and dried, ultimately forming strong containers, resembling cardboard ones in appearance. The advantages of peat pots include the absence of the need to remove the plant from the container before planting in open ground. To do this, it is enough to place a pot of seedlings in the dug hole and sprinkle it with earth. After 30-35 days, the peat decays and turns into a valuable fertilizer. Because of this, peat pots are often used for particularly picky crops such as squash, peppers and eggplant.

The disadvantages of the models include the rapid deoxidation of the walls of the pot with abundant watering. It is also very likely to purchase a fake or low-grade product, in the manufacture of which the proportions of the components included in the raw material are grossly violated. The latter is fraught with the following complications: after transplanting into the ground, such pots do not allow oxygen to pass to the roots of the plant and do not allow them to break through a thick layer of rough cardboard. As a result, the shoot begins to wither and dies, and summer residents find the remains of undecomposed swollen cardboard in the ground.

Self-made pots are a great alternative to purchased products and are in no way inferior to them in their operational characteristics. The most common and affordable means at hand are thin plastic cups for sour cream and yoghurt. In order to use such a pot for planting seedlings, it is enough just to make 2-3 holes in its base and fill the ground in a container. The advantages of improvised pots include saving money and the ability to reuse containers, and among the minuses, the risk of mold formation is noted.

The next line in the rating of homemade seedling containers is occupied by tetrapaks from juice, milk and kefir. In order to make a pot, one of the lateral sides is cut out for long liter boxes, and the upper part for short half-liter boxes. The boxes are thoroughly washed and dried, after which the bottom is perforated and the earth is covered. The advantages of tetrapaks include the ease of extracting the plant when planting in the ground and the absence of cash costs. In addition, such a container does not sour and does not become unusable from regular watering of plants. The disadvantages include the inability to reuse boxes and not too aesthetic appearance.

Another budget option for seedling pots is polyethylene. To do this, take small bags, make a couple of holes in their lower part and fill them with earth. The disadvantage of this type is the possibility of mold and some formlessness of the container. Also, the category of homemade pots includes cut plastic bottles and cups that can last more than one season.

Toilet paper rolls are also an interesting option. They are simply placed on a common pallet, filled with earth and the seeds are planted.Such "pots" are used for plants in need of picking, as well as for shoots with a small root system. By the way, it is possible to plant sprouts in the ground together with the sleeve: soft cardboard very quickly becomes limp in the ground and decays.

Also, aluminum cans from drinks are used as containers for seedlings. To do this, they cut off the bottom, then turn it over, pushing the tongue to its original place as much as possible, and pour eggshells or expanded clay onto the bottom. Next, small bags are made of gauze, filled with earth and placed in jars. The grown shoots are removed from the jars together with gauze bags and transplanted into the ground.

The next interesting option is eggshell pots. This method of cultivation is convenient in that the shoots do not need to be removed from the "pot" when planting, but you only need to crush the shell with your hand, trying not to damage the roots. During seed germination, the shells are placed in an egg cell, and drainage holes are made in the shell with a needle.

And one more disposable container option is newsprint pots. In order to make them, they take a 200-gram glass jar, wrap it with three to four layers of newsprint and leave a bottom allowance at the bottom. Then the edges of the newspaper are fastened with a stapler, and the allowances left at the bottom are wrapped, forming the bottom. The pots are then placed on a plastic tray and filled with earth. Plants in such a container should be watered very carefully, so that drops of water do not fall on the paper, but plant them directly in the pots.

Factory-made seedling containers are available in round or square designs. Round models are good because it is much easier to remove the plant from them before transplanting into the ground, however, they take up a lot of space on the windowsill. Square products, on the contrary, are very compactly located on the window, but it is much more difficult to get an escape out of them.

Also on sale are blocks of round or square pots, the so-called cassettes. Each container is separated from the adjacent ones by internal partitions that prevent the roots of neighboring plants from tangling. The blocks are only intended for crops with a fibrous root system, and are not used for shoots with a taproot type. This is due to the fact that the depth of the cassette pots usually does not exceed 5 cm.

Seedling pots are available in a wide range of standard sizes, which greatly facilitates the selection of the required models. So, for plants that need picking, pots with a capacity of 50 ml are suitable. For medium crops that do not need to dive, you can use models for 150-200 ml, and for growing large plants, pots with a volume of 700 ml to 1 liter are used. In the conditions of horticultural farms, for growing seedlings of fruit trees, voluminous 15-liter pots are used, which are also used to form mobile flower beds. And, for example, a pot with a height of 7 cm and a width of 10 cm is quite suitable for cucumbers, for tomatoes the height should be 12 cm with a width of 17 cm, and peppers and eggplants will need a container from 10 to 15 cm in height and the same amount in width.

When choosing pots for seedlings, personal preferences are usually guided, however, a number of general criteria still need to be considered. So, if it is decided to plant seeds in peat pots, then you do not need to buy all the necessary number of containers at once. It is better to buy one copy and try it at home for "professional suitability". To do this, pour warm water into a cup and place a pot there. After a day, it usually becomes clear what the percentage of cardboard to peat is. If the pressed paper is not more than a third, and besides, it softens well in water, and does not float in a monolithic piece, then the quality of the pots is most likely good, and the planned amount can be purchased.There are usually no questions about plastic pots: products are made from safe raw materials and pass the necessary technical and sanitary control.

For an overview of seedling pots, see the next video.