[AlaninCarlisle]

I use fibre or peat pots all the time and have done so for several years. Typical uses for me are: Growing-on small plugs of bedding plants, starting runner beans and broad beans, growing on cabbage etc. The small ones perfectly fit the holes I make with my bulb-planter, so it speeds up planting - I just make a row of holes and drop in the fibre or peat pots with young plant in. Tip, make sure that the pot fits right down into the hole otherwise it dries out and doesn't rot away

[cuddlykoala]

We have used peat pots for many years, recently I took over the gardening from my father and I have grown all my tomato plants in them (50 plus last year) and found them to work well with Kohl Rabi and Swedes.  I also use them for growing Poppies and Cosmos.  If you look at my blog you will see the Tomato plants.

[sunshineband]

yes i think i'll take them back and swap them for plastic ones. Thanks everyone.

Saved ... whew!! 

[JayG]

I suspect they probably "work" better in naturally moisture-retentive soils or where regular irrigation is used, but they were a pain in the proverbial when used in my dry sandy soil (the second year of using them I felt it necessary to partially break them open before planting out which somewhat defeated the object of the whole exercise!) 

[starfish007]

Hi, I have just joined this site today.
I am very new to the allotment world and would love some basic information on peat pots.
1. What are they used for? IE do you need to place them inside flower pots and sink them into compost as well?
2. Are they used instead of flower pots?
3. Can they be place with seeds/plants staight into the ground with/without compost?
Would be so grateful for any advice
 

[JayG]

Hi Starfish007, welcome to the forums! 

They are intended to be used instead of small plastic or terracotta pots but with the advantage that they can be "planted" directly into the final growing position without having to disturb whatever is growing in them, the idea being that they are bio-degradable so the roots will grow through the pot which will then rot down and disappear.

The main problem for many (including me!) is that they don't rot down anything like as quickly as they are supposed to, and can therefore actually interfere with the growth of the plants, mainly because the roots are obstructed by the pot itself.

[sunshineband]

Hi starfish

Would you like to go over the the Welcome section and introduce yourself, so lots of members can say hello?

Adding your locality into your profile is a helpful thing to do too, as then it appears with each of our posts 

Look forward to hearing what you do 
 

[jazzbyrd]

Most peat pots especially the cheap ones from the pound shop are not made of peat they paper pots! A bit like eggs boxes.

[surbie100]

Oh pants! I thought I was being so clever....I have about 120 seedlings jostling for space on my windowsills. All of them are in peat pots... 

[Goldfinger]

From what I grew (broad beans), this year in some left over peat pots, I'm not using them again.

There seemed to be 'something' in the pot, not the compost, that held back the growing.

Some were in loo rolls, some in peat pots, the peat pot ones took longer to germinate and when they were ready to go out, the PP ones were half the size of the loo roll ones.

Yet, once in the ground, everyone caught each other up in size.....

[fatcat1955]

yes i think i'll take them back and swap them for plastic ones. Thanks everyone.

Try your local nursery or garden centre for plastic pot's, my local one has crate's full of used pot's for free, just help yourself.

[Madame Cholet]

I was given a few for Christmas I think i'll use them for beans  and cut out the bottoms as my stash of loo rolls has almost run out.