Peat Pots: My Experiment

You know the pots I am talking about — those little brown, paper-like pots that boast their eco-friendly benefits. In spring they are readily available at your local home improvement store next to all the seed displays. I was in love with idea of using them and bought a couple packages to try them out. What could be easier than starting seeds in a pot that can be placed directly into the ground?

The photo above shows 3 watermelon plants I started from seed a few weeks ago. As you can see, there is a big difference in the size of their leaves. I tried this little experiment because I noticed that some of the seedlings I have started were growing too slowly. I have great soil and have been carefully watering, the only other problem could be the peat pots.

Top Left: Seed was started in peat pot. The whole peat pot was planted.
Middle Right: Seed started in peat pot. The peat pot was planted but I tore out the bottom to expose the roots before planting.
Bottom Left: Seed was directly planted into soil with no peat pot.

The results are obvious to me. The biggest disappointment is the top plant. It is definitely the runt of the litter. The middle plant already has two flowers, but its leaves are compact and small. The bottom seed that was directly sown has large, full leaves and the sturdiest limbs of the three plants.

At first, I really liked the idea of using a biodegradable container for seed starting, but as I plant more seeds I see that transplanting or sowing them directly into the ground are better options. Plastic seed starting trays are not as environmentally friendly, but they will last forever, I can re-use them every season, and I only have to buy them one time.