Most seeds may be began in two-inch pots or comparable sized flat cells, after which repotted as much as a four-inch measurement if wanted earlier than transplanting into the backyard.
DIY Choices
If you’re taking a frugal or ecologically minded strategy to gardening, you could be questioning if you should utilize DIY pots.
Some gardeners repurpose egg cartons, rest room paper rolls, paper or plastic cups, or practically every other shallow vessel that can maintain rising medium.
I attempted the DIY egg carton and bathroom paper roll strategies years in the past, and whereas this artistic reuse scores factors for the setting, these aren’t my favourite starter container choices.
Cardboard egg cartons may go for smaller begins, however most annuals will outgrow their shallow cells in a short time.
And the 12 months I attempted utilizing rest room paper rolls as seed cups, they began falling aside properly earlier than the seedlings had been able to transplant.
I can’t actually give a hearty suggestion to both of those choices.
I’ve efficiently used paper cups as a DIY-biodegradable possibility, however since studying these include a plastic coating, I received’t be going with this methodology once more as I’m making an attempt to maintain microplastics out of my backyard soil.
You will get artistic and discover different containers to begin your seeds, however if you wish to hedge your bets, your only option could also be to buy containers meant for this objective.
Biodegradable Pots and Trays
You might also need to take into account commercially made biodegradable trays or pots.
Seedlings grown in these may be planted, container and all, immediately into your backyard soil, raised mattress, and even into a bigger container, with out disturbing the fragile roots of your seedlings.
So far as biodegradable choices go, I extremely advocate CowPots, a extra environmentally pleasant possibility than these produced from peat moss.
CowPots are produced from composted cow manure sourced from a Vermont dairy farm.
Not solely have they got a light-weight environmental footprint since they reuse waste materials, however after transplanting, they are going to nourish your vegetation as they break down.
CowPots #3 Six Cell Flat
You’ll find six-celled CowPots flats in packs of varied portions at Arbico Organics. Every cell within the flat is roughly three inches sq. by three inches deep.
These flats can be minimize into particular person containers!
And similar to the biodegradable seed flats talked about above, CowPots are additionally out there in bigger sizes for repotting.
CowPots #5 Sq.
You’ll find sq. CowPots sized at 5.25 by 3.5 by 5 inches in packs of 60 or 192 at Arbico Organics.
In my arid local weather, these biodegradable sorts are a bit tough to handle as they generally tend to dry out in a short time.
