DIY Peat Tablets: A Step-by-Step Guide

Interesting ideas

Peat tablets are used for growing seedlings. They simplify the transplanting of plants that don't tolerate such procedures well. This is a convenient and easy way to grow even the most delicate vegetable crops. Peat is a unique material for gardening. It retains the required amount of moisture, preventing it from accumulating at the plant roots. This property is essential for the normal development of seedlings.

Pros and cons of peat pots

To avoid spending money on peat pellets, many gardeners make their own. The process is simple and requires few materials. Peat pellets offer many advantages for seedlings. The main ones include:

ease of plant transplantation, absence of stress for them;
space saving due to compact placement;
replace the soil;
free air movement helps prevent root system rotting;
provide young shoots with the necessary nutrition;
faster and more reliable rooting of cuttings.

Note!

Peat tablets have a higher percentage of seed germination.

This method does have some downsides. The most common ones are:

peat dries out too quickly, plantings require more frequent watering;
mold formation on tablets and pots;
high cost.

How to make it yourself

To begin, purchase peat moss, plastic wrap, and coconut coir. You'll need a mixing container; a plastic basin is often used for this purpose. A shallow bucket or saucepan is suitable for packing the briquettes. A plastic pipe with a diameter of 50 mm and a length of 150 mm is used as a tool. You'll need a hammer. A piston of a suitable size will be needed for the pipe. A wooden potato masher can serve this purpose. A self-tapping screw with three washers is screwed into the end of this piston.

You may be interested in:

Growing strong tomato seedlings at home
Growing tomato seedlings at home doesn't require any special skills. This crop belongs to…Read more…

The coconut substrate is lightly moistened and loosened. Peat is added and mixed. Any bits of branches are removed. A small amount of water is added to the mixture and mixed again. A pipe is inserted into the center and compacted with a piston and hammer. A screw is used to create holes in which the seeds will be placed later.

The compressed mass is removed and wrapped in a strip of cling film. An opening is left at the bottom to allow the briquette to absorb moisture. As it swells, it will expand, so a strip of film a couple of centimeters wide is left loose at the top.

Important!

Instead of cling film, medical gauze is also used; it allows air to pass through well and does not create a greenhouse effect.