How to Plant Vegetable Seeds in Peat Pots
Peat pots are formed from organic materials such as wood fiber and sphagnum peat. They are great to use as seed starting pots because once the seedlings are ready the entire pot can be planted into the ground with minimal shock to the plant. Eventually, the peat pot disintegrates into the soil. You don't have to worry about plastic pots building up after starting your garden. Here's how to start your vegetable garden in peat pots. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Fill your peat pots with potting soil to about ½ inch from the top edge.
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2
Select the vegetables you would like to grow. Read the back of the seed packets to determine the depth to which each vegetable seed should be sown. Larger vegetable seeds, like melon or squash, are typically sown 1 inch into the soil; medium-sized seeds like cucumber and peppers are pressed ½-inch deep, and smaller seeds like lettuce are pressed ¼-inch deep into the soil.
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3
Press two seeds into each peat pot to the depth specified. Keep each vegetable in a separate pot. Water the soil till it is moist.
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4
Put your peat pots in your plant tray so that the water can drain. Place your peat pots in a sunny location. Put a grow light on your plants so that they get about 16 hours of light a day.
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Give enough water to your plants each day to moisten the soil without it getting soggy.
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Remove one seedling from each peat pot once they are about 1 to 2 inches tall by selecting the weakest one for removal. Begin to take your peat pots outside for a few hours each day to acclimatize them to outside weather.
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Increase the amount of time your plants are outside over a period of a week.
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Transplant your peat pots into your garden by digging a hole big enough for the entire pot. Press the pot into the soil and cover it with enough soil to make the rim disappear. Your peat pot will eventually compost into the soil around your vegetable plants. Space each vegetable according to the distance specified on your seed packets.
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