How Are Peat Pots Made?

Peat pots come in many sizes and shapes.

Nurseries will often sell their beautiful flowers and plants in peat pots rather than plastic or clay pots. This is not only a cheaper method of planting, but it is environmentally friendly and much healthier for the plant. Peat pots are inexpensive to buy and easy to make, and are a must-have for all gardeners.

Peat Pots

Peat pots are also referred to as peat pellets. Ready-made pots are light in weight and are made of peat, wood fiber and soluble fertilizer, and come in a wide range of shapes and sizes to suit new seeds and small plants alike. Homemade peat pots are heavier because they are predominantly organic soil that’s mixed with other ingredients and then formed into the desired size.

Making Peat Pots

Homemade peat pots are quick and easy to make. Pour about ten pounds of garden soil that contains at least 20 percent of organic matter into a large bucket. Dissolve one pack of unflavored gelatin into one pint of boiling water and when it cools down, mix it into the soil. Use an empty open-ended food can, such as a soup can, press it into the soil, filling it to the desired size of pot and then press it out onto a tray. Poke a hole in the middle at the top of each one, and they are ready to start growing seeds or planting seedlings. As the pots dry, the gelatin will help them to retain their shape.

Uses of Peat Pots

Peat pots are used in garden nurseries and by home gardeners to grow seedlings and other small plants. The fiber construction of the pots allows the delicate roots to grow healthy and strong. The new plants will receive food from the pot as they grow, and the airiness of the pots will help the new roots to breathe while easily draining any excess water.

Advantages of Peat Pots

Peat pots are biodegradable and environmentally friendly and they add organic content to the garden soil. Since the pots can be placed directly into the soil, the plant does not suffer shock from having its roots exposed or from having air bubbles inadvertently buried with them. This gives the plant a safe and healthy transplant into its new location.

Warning

Peat pots absorb water and keep the soil moist which is necessary for seeds and new plants. However, care must be taken to not over-water even though the very top of the soil may appear dry. Over-watering will cause the delicate roots to rot before they have had a chance to get strong, and often new seedlings die from being over-watered.

References

• Home Improvement: How to Make Peat Pellets

Resources

• The Garden Grapevine: Peat Pots Maker