February 13, 2023, 18:46 – BLiTZ – News Peat tablets have become a real discovery for gardeners and flower growers. They make it possible to grow a strong plant from seeds without spending time and effort. The BLiTZ figured out how to plant seeds in peat pellets.
The tablet is a flat disk of peat mixture enriched with nutrients. Some specimens are covered with a mesh, which allows you to hold the soil after soaking and protects the plant from fungus, so you do not need to remove it when sowing.
Advantages and disadvantages
The use of peat tablets has the following advantages:
the substrate does not absorb excess water, so waterlogging is almost impossible; seedlings that grow in a tablet do not need picking, since the sprouts are already in separate containers; the presence of balanced nutrition in the substrate ensures a high percentage of germination; when transplanting into open ground, there are no problems with transshipment of seedlings, the plant experiences much less stress.
Among the disadvantages of using products, one can only single out the high cost of tablets.
Preparation
Peat tablets should be prepared before sowing. Preparation consists of the following steps:
Place the discs in the container with the notch facing up. Pour the products with warm water with a temperature of +22 … +26 degrees so that the top layer is preserved. Leave to swell for 10-15 minutes. Remove excess moisture. Photo: freepik.com
Sowing
Small seeds are allowed to be sown in one tablet in several units. Dragee seeds during sowing should be lightly pressed with a finger, and a thin layer of earth should be dug on top. Larger seeds can be slightly deepened and sprinkled with a substrate.
Peat tablets are very convenient for sowing small seeds that do not need to be buried. These include, for example, eustoma, primrose, begonia.
The whole process looks like this:
Sow seeds in tablets using one of the above methods, depending on the specifics of the planting material. Cover the container with a lid or cling film. Place in a warm place where the temperature is maintained at + 23 … + 25 degrees. After pecking the shoots, open the container and place in a bright place.
Care
Care for shoots cultivated in a peat tablet includes the following procedures:
Temperature maintenance
When observing the temperature regime for crops grown in peat tablets, it is important to focus not on the tablets, but on the plant. So, cabbage and arugula will develop well in a room where the thermometer shows + 10 … + 15 degrees, tomatoes prefer + 15 … + 17 degrees, and eggplants and peppers develop well at room indicators. Maintain this temperature in the first days after emergence.
It is important to ensure that the substrate used in the peat tablet is always slightly damp. These discs dry out fairly quickly. It is customary to pour peat tablets into a pan.
Peat tablets are enriched with nutrients, but they are enough for seedlings only for 20-25 days, so after this period it is recommended to start fertilizing the plants. Usually, complex dressings are applied every two weeks after the first leaf has hatched.
Transfer
As soon as the grown roots begin to hatch through the mesh, the plant needs to be transplanted into a large container or immediately to the site. As a rule, it is indicated on the packaging with tablets that it is possible to transplant seedlings directly with a mesh, however, experienced summer residents still recommend cutting or tearing non-woven material before planting, as practice shows that it can interfere with root development.
