With the advent of the new calendar year, every fan of growing vegetables on own garden again preoccupied with the search for containers for sowing. Almost all gardeners have abandoned the habit of growing seedlings on the windowsill in bulky wooden boxes - they are too inconvenient when transporting to the country. In addition, the tender young seedlings have time to grow into the roots of neighboring plants. The best solution in choosing containers for sowing is a seedling cup.
Buy from a store or make your own?
Of course, production technologies do not stand still, and every hypermarket that respects its customers keeps in its assortment a convenient container for peat seedlings, which not only does not damage the root system of a young plant, but simply dissolves in the soil. Why build your own cups when you can buy ready-made ones? The answer to this question is extremely simple. Experienced gardeners are accustomed to planting more than a dozen or even more than one hundred seeds of various vegetable and flower crops. Can you imagine how much it will take to invest in order to stock up on containers for all the seeds? Therefore, we will save and craft peat cups for seedlings on their own. In the meantime, let's determine if there are any improvised materials that could become a container for seedlings.
Simple solutions from improvised materials
Even during the winter, gardeners collect plastic bottles, juice boxes, milk bags, and sour cream containers. Literally everything is used: from paper to a dense greenhouse film. And the fantasy of gardeners knows no bounds. The film is sewn together with threads, chopped off with a stapler, wound in several layers. There is another simplest way to design containers. Two-liter bottles of drinks are cut at the right height and turned into a container for planting. Plastic cups for seedlings, made in such a way in a simple way, have one small minus. Nevertheless, when transplanting, the root system will have to be disturbed a little. Painlessly, only the excavation of those plants that, during the time spent on the windowsill, did not have time to acquire long and strong roots, occurs.
Making paper cups for seedlings
Some plants are so capricious that they do not withstand transplantation, they get sick for a long time and do not take root well. As a result, while the seedling is acclimatizing in a new place, the precious time allotted for growth will be lost. Therefore, we will make cups for seedlings from paper. During the winter, you can collect unnecessary newspapers. Pressed pulp obtained from recycled materials is used for printing publications. It will easily rot in the garden, serving as food for omnivores.
We cut the newspapers into pieces of 10x30 cm. Newspaper sheets are quite thin, and in order for the process to go faster, you can fold them in half or three times. We take an ordinary glass and wrap it with the resulting blanks in several layers. We leave a small protrusion, which will later be needed to form the bottom. Now we dip the bottom edge of the paper in a small amount of glue and wrinkle it well, forming the bottom and fixing it tightly at the bottom of the glass. We press down the newspaper blank with a glass and let the glue dry. We repeat this simple manipulation as many times as we plan to receive blanks. Paper cups for seedlings are ready! Now they can be put away in the pantry until the sowing time.
Peat container for planting
If we are not sure about the density of newspaper sheets, then we can use a more sophisticated technology for manufacturing a landing container. A peat cup will bring even more benefits to a painlessly transplanted plant. After all, it, dissolving in the soil, actually becomes good fertilizer. You can make peat containers under your own order. We ourselves will determine the required dimensions of the cups and adjust the conical steel billet to fit them. We take into account the fact that in order to obtain an earlier harvest, it is necessary to sow the seeds in a spacious spacious container. The root system will develop well in it, the transplant will be painless, and the plant will immediately be able to proceed to fruiting.
To make a peat cup for seedlings, we need:
- steel conical shape of the required size;
- blank for forming cups;
- circle with rod.
The composition of the nutrient mixture
Having found all the components of the form for the design of future cups, we proceed to the manufacture of a peat base. We will need the following proportions: 50% peat, 40% cow manure and 10% black soil. Instead of black soil, you can use any other fatty soil. Mix well and add azotobacterin, phosphorobacterin and water to the composition. The mixture should be quite thick in consistency.
Responsible stage of production
To begin with, we lower a circle with a pin to the bottom of the steel glass and fill it with the prepared peat mixture to a thickness of 2 cm. We thoroughly tamp the future bottom with a blank. Now, without removing it, we will fill the solution along the edges, filling the entire gap between the steel glass and the blank. A glass for seedlings will not dry out if the mixture is immediately carefully tamped when pouring. The blank can be immediately removed as soon as the peat composition fills the voids up to the very top. It is not scary if the liner is difficult to remove, it can be slightly rocked from side to side. Now it remains to carefully pull the rod and remove the finished glass.
Time for experiments
Not all peat cups for seedlings are of perfect quality the first time. Sometimes home-made containers are able to disintegrate and dry out - perhaps the point is the insufficient density of the mixture. Sometimes too dense and hard products are obtained, which are difficult to dissolve in the ground during planting. The necessary skill and flair will definitely come, even if it requires multiple repetitions.
Seedling pot made of polyethylene
To make a container with a height of 10 cm and a diameter of 7 cm, you will need a piece of dense film measuring 33x15 cm. We find or cut out a rectangular bar to fit the size of the future cup. In two faces of the bar responsible for the bottom, we make grooves in such a way that a stapler is placed in them. We cut polyethylene blanks and proceed to the design of the landing container. Then we wrap the blank from the film around and fix it with a stapler and 5 staples. With two of them from above and below we fix the side face, and with the rest we form the bottom, folding the ends of the film with an envelope. It's okay if more staples go to the bottom. In this way, cups of various sizes can be modeled.
Conclusion
We learned a lot about how to make seedling cups. Of course, peat or paper containers are seen best solution compared to homemade polyethylene glasses. The idea of planting plants in the ground along with a natural glass that dissolves with water in the soil was revolutionary at one time. But it is up to gardeners to decide which of the presented methods for making containers for seedlings is the most acceptable for them. After all, not everyone will be able to find steel blanks for peat cups, and not everyone will have enough time and patience for painstaking work with glue and paper. Therefore, the manufacture of cups for seedlings is a purely individual matter.
Perhaps you will use the proven method and sow the seeds in disposable plastic containers, besides, they perfectly show the condition of the root system and the degree of soil shedding. Also, this container can be used multiple times. Whatever container you choose for sowing seeds, we wish you a rich harvest!
Homemade cups for seedlings - budget and convenient option for planting seeds. The beginning of the summer season hits the pocket, so any way to save is welcome. Traditionally, wooden and plastic pots are used as containers for seedlings, disposable cups and incised cans. You can make convenient and economical cups for seedlings with your own hands.
Each type of pot has a number of advantages and disadvantages. To do right choice need to consider all options in more detail.
As a container for seedlings use:
- wooden boxes;
- plastic cassettes;
- peat cups;
- plastic disposable cups or containers for sour cream, yogurt and vermicelli fast food;
- buckets of carrots in Korean or sauerkraut;
- paper cups for hot drinks;
- incised packages "tetra-pack" from under juices and dairy products;
- homemade cups made from newsprint.
We will talk about each type separately.
Wooden boxes
A large box is used for sowing seeds of tomatoes, peppers, flowers. In a common box, seedlings grow until they reach 10-15 cm. After that, picking is necessary: planting seedlings in individual containers. Before planting, the box inside is covered with cling film (or ordinary polyethylene). At the bottom of the box there are small holes through which water can flow, so the box must be placed on a pallet.
The advantage of such a container is its low cost. The box can be made independently by cutting and knocking together unnecessary boards. You can adjust the size yourself (taking into account the length and width of the window sill). The main disadvantage is the severity. The wooden box itself weighs a lot, and after filling with earth it can become unbearable. The need for picking is another drawback. When dividing seedlings, there is a high risk of damaging the undeveloped root system.
Plastic cassettes
Plastic cassettes are very convenient fixture for growing seedlings. It has a similar structure with an ice-freezing mold, although the volumes of the containers are much larger. A drainage hole is pierced at the bottom of each recess. It is enough just to fill the cassettes with special soil. Each cup is designed for one plant.
The cost of cassettes is modest. Seedling cups are not fastened together very tightly, they can be easily cut with scissors. They are light and compact. When transporting, you need to be careful: some cassettes are made of fragile material, and the cup may crack. Peppers and eggplants are best planted in deeper containers.
Peat glasses
Peat containers are an innovation for gardeners. The main advantage of the product is landing in the ground directly with the form. Peat decomposes in the ground, so the seedlings do not need to be removed from the tank, risking damage to the roots. In addition, the cup itself is a ready-made fertilizer for the soil. However, some gardeners do not advise sowing seeds in them. In their opinion, it is better to use peat glasses for picking.
The advantage of the product is the minimum required fraud: picking, transplanting. There is no risk of "injuring" the roots. There is only one minus - the probability of buying low-quality goods. In some cases, seedling containers begin to fall apart, crumble, and mold may appear on them. You can buy such pots only in trusted stores.
Peat tablets
Compressed "buns" made of peat are a more expensive analogue of cups. They differ in that the soil mixture for seedlings does not need to be poured into the tablet. Dry tablets are placed in a tray with water. After a while they will swell. Seeds are planted inside. Planting is as easy as shelling pears: a tablet with a sprouted plant is buried in the ground.
Advantage - minimum cost forces. The disadvantage is the cost. Tablets cost 5 times more than regular cups. However, you do not need to spend money on soil mix. Some gardeners use tablets only at the first stage of growing seedlings. After the plant has grown, they bury the pill in a glass of soil.
These can be disposable plastic cups or yogurt cups, processed cheese or sauerkraut. You can use cardboard disposable cups for hot drinks left after visiting the coffee shop. The main thing is to choose containers different sizes. If you buy disposable tableware, you need to purchase two sets: glasses (100 ml each) and beer glasses (500 ml each). The first set is convenient for sowing seeds. Large containers are used for picking.
The advantage is cheapness and convenience. Such "pots" can be used for more than one year. Of these, an earthen clod is easily removed along with the root system. Disadvantages: inconvenience during transportation due to instability and lack of drainage. Before filling them with soil mixture, you need to make small holes in the bottom. It is convenient to do this with a hot awl.
Milk and juice boxes
Cardboard packaging from juice or dairy products is convenient to use for planting seedlings. To do this, they need to be cut. The height of the glass depends on the planted crop. Eggplant and pepper need more soil for the full development of the root system. Despite the fact that the cups are made of paper, they should never be buried. They do not dissolve in the soil. Make holes in the bottom for drainage.
You can make pots for seedlings with your own hands. The height can be adjusted independently. Such containers can be easily transported: they are light and stable. It is very easy to extract an earthen lump. To do this, you just need to break the glasses.
Homemade paper containers
Homemade paper cups are absolutely free, non-toxic and easy to operate. True, it will take about half an hour to manufacture a batch of containers. An old newspaper is folded in half, wrapped around a glass or bottle. Part of the newspaper sheet must be tucked inward, forming a bottom. Holes do not need to be made.
Such molds can be safely buried in holes in the open field. It is preferable to use paper without printing ink, but old newspapers are also suitable for this purpose. The height of the container for seedlings of pepper or eggplant should be about 12 cm, diameter - 8-9 cm. Smaller glasses are suitable for seedlings of tomatoes and cabbage: 10 cm in height and 6-7 cm in diameter.
Do-it-yourself seedling cups can be made from eggshell. Such small "pots" are suitable for planting small ornamental plants. Before planting, you need to lightly squeeze the shell in your hand so that it crumbles.
Any version of the product has disadvantages and advantages. Each gardener must take into account the specifics of the planted crop and financial capabilities. If you have a long transportation ahead, you need to choose denser pots. The main thing is to plant plants with love so that they thank you with a healthy harvest.
Next spring I plan to grow a lot of seedlings. A friend told me that you can save on cups. Tell me how to make cups for seedlings with your own hands?
All gardeners know that holiday season requires financial investment. Here you need to buy seeds and seedlings. Let's say you can grow seedlings yourself. But, again, the question arises - in what to grow? Buying special cups for seedlings is also expensive, especially when it is planned to grow on a large scale. So, at this stage, you can save a lot - with your own hands. And you don’t need to buy material - there will always be old newspapers, cans, bottles, packaging, film at home. Yes, and in the winter there will be something to do with yourself.
Material for cups for seedlings
As a feedstock, there can be both ready-made containers and improvised means, namely:
- Cardboard boxes for juices or milk, both small (for one seedling) and large (cut lengthwise and planted seedlings in groups).
- Large plastic cups from dairy products (in small cups from yogurt there will not be enough space for a seedling).
- Disposable tableware (glasses).
- Used water bottles or bottles (they are treated in the same way as with cardboard boxes).
- Tin cans that contained canned food or beer.
- Cardboard boxes (for example, shoe boxes) serve both for cultivation and as a pallet.
- roll cylinder toilet paper(you can leave it round or make it square for convenience).
- Paper cups (newsprint or toilet paper).
- Film cups.
Since the finished container can already be used, let's dwell on the last two points that require human participation.
Paper cups for seedlings
In order to make paper cups, you will need paper (newspapers, magazines) and a blank (base) of a glass. As a blank use:
- a cut plastic bottle with a loop on the bottom (in order to make it more convenient to pull the blank out of the made glass);
- tin can cut off at the top.
Cut paper into strips up to 40 cm long and 20 cm wide. Wrap them around the base for the glass so that the paper protrudes 5 centimeters beyond the edge. Then tuck this protruding edge and make the bottom of the glass. Now the base can be carefully pulled out, and the cup itself can be fastened with paper clips or glued with glue for strength. Ready! It remains only to pour the prepared soil and you can plant seedlings. If you use toilet paper, then it is pre-moistened abundantly, and then dried well.
The advantage of paper cups is that they can be planted in the ground along with the seedling, during the growth process the paper will decompose and will not interfere with the growth of the root system.
Cellophane cups
Such cups are made using the same technology as paper cups, but with careful use they will serve more than once. To do this, twist the strips of film into a cylinder and secure the bottom and walls with a stapler.
You can do it even easier and buy wholesale plastic bags for packaging. Immediately fill them with earth and put them in a box for stability. Such packages are pre-pierced from the bottom so that moisture does not stagnate.
For more information on how to make cups for seedlings with your own hands, watch the video:
Nowadays, it is not difficult to buy special containers for seedlings. But are modern plastic cassettes, peat pots or tablets so good for growing high-quality planting material as their manufacturers claim? Isn't it better to use boxes, cups, kefir boxes or other improvised containers in the old fashioned way?
Today we will try to find the pros and cons of the most popular containers for growing seedlings and choose the best option.
Perhaps the most ancient way growing seedlings - planting seeds in a common box, followed by picking. This is how our grandmothers grew seedlings. The box can be wooden, plastic or foam. As a rule, the box is placed on a pallet, and the inside is lined with plastic wrap and fill with earth.
Pros: More seedlings can be grown in a box than in individual glasses; it is convenient to turn it over; no box required accessories during transportation; it is easy to put together by yourself and save money.
Minuses: In the process of picking or planting seedlings in the beds, there is a high probability of damage to the roots (and this means a delay in growth and fruiting); a wooden box filled with earth is quite heavy.
Plastic cassettes
Plastic cassettes are small containers fastened together with drainage holes of various lengths and widths. If desired, there will surely be a cassette for the entire width of your window sill.
In Russian stores, plastic cassettes are usually sold without pallets. In this case, the pallet will have to do it yourself. Otherwise, they are very easy to use: you just need to fill each cell with soil mixture and boldly plant the seeds.
Pros: Easy to fit right size, cutting with scissors; they are inexpensive and last a long time; cassettes are light and compact; already have holes for good drainage; seedlings are easily removed from the cells.
Minuses: Cassettes of "large format" are inconvenient for transportation, because they are very flimsy and can crack under the weight of the earth and plants; due to the fact that the cells are fastened together, when extracting one seedling, you can inadvertently break the earthen ball of another; not free; not every culture will have enough space in a small cell (for example, the roots of peppers and eggplants may not have enough “depth” of the cassette).
Peat cups
Peat cups are very popular with gardeners, especially organic farmers, because they are made from environmentally friendly materials and easily decompose in the ground. It is often recommended to use peat pots and glasses in the second stage - for transplanting (picking) seedlings, and not for sowing seeds.
Pros: Durable and safe, do not contain toxic substances; the walls of the cups are porous, they allow air and water to pass through, preventing the roots from “turning sour”; seedlings are planted on permanent place directly in the pot, which means that the root system is not injured at all; seedlings take root almost 100%; decaying peat serves as additional fertilizer.
Minuses: Not all commercially available peat cups are different good quality; have a tendency to get wet; not cheap; can “bloom”, that is, become moldy; in peat containers, the soil loses moisture faster, which means that you need to closely monitor the seedlings and prevent drying out.
Peat tablets
IN last years gaining popularity special peat tablets- pressed fine peat with nutritional additives in a sheath made of a durable mesh. They are placed in a pan and filled with water. The tablets swell and increase in height several times, after which seeds are planted in the recesses from above.
Pros: Picking without unnecessary gestures: the tablet is simply buried in the ground; excellent air and moisture permeability, which is important for the development of a powerful root system; no need to prepare or buy seedling soil, at least in the first stage of growing seedlings.
Minuses: Expensive pleasure; as in the case with peat pots constant monitoring of humidity is necessary - it is very easy to dry the roots of seedlings.
However, resourceful gardeners will always find a way out. For example, to solve a moisture problem, peat tablets with seedlings are placed in a plastic container from under sushi, pastries or cake. The container is filled with water to the brim, and the tablets themselves take as much moisture as needed.
Plastic cups
One of the best options containers for seedlings - these are plastic cups of various capacities. They can be either specially “sharpened” for growing seedlings, or ordinary transparent ones from sets. disposable tableware. Moreover, you will need two sets of such glasses: one with a volume of 100-150 milliliters for the initial planting of seeds, and the second with a volume of 500 milliliters for the subsequent transplantation of young plants (picks).
Pros: Cups are cheap, but will last more than one year; plants are easily removed without damaging the earthen coma.
Minuses: Still worth the money; if you use transparent disposable cups, you need to remember to make drainage holes (for example, with a hot nail); difficulties may arise during transportation (usually cups are placed in shoe boxes so as not to tip over).
Homemade containers for seedlings
And yet, the optimal containers for seedlings are those that do not need to be bought. Because we always have them at hand! And instead of encouraging the production of excess plastic with your hard-earned money, you should pay attention to the recycling of all kinds of packaging materials. Abroad, this practice is flourishing, and we, I must say, are not far behind.
Dairy boxes
By cutting off the bottom of the dairy box, it's easy to get a wonderful seedling container. It remains only to pierce the bottom in several places for drainage, put the boxes in a pallet, fill with soil - and sow.
Pros: Free; lungs; may be of different heights; finished seedling perfectly removed together with an earthy clod (just tearing the box is enough).
Minuses: It's easy to forget and throw the box in the trash instead of cutting it off; a pan is needed, because they let water through.
Cups of yogurt, sour cream, instant vermicelli, etc.
Free replacement for special plastic cups. With the role of a glass of 100 milliliters, yogurt packaging does an excellent job, and in large glasses of 500 milliliters of sour cream, seedlings will feel no worse than in purchased nurseries.
Pros: The same as store-bought plastic cups, plus freebies and a small contribution to a big environmental cause.
Minuses: The same as purchased plastic cups.
Buckets of sauerkraut, cucumbers, etc.
Liter plastic buckets will cope with the role of a container for seedlings no worse than others. They are especially suitable for large seedlings. The good thing is that you can safely fill half the tank with drainage, and only then with soil.
Pros: free, large, easy to carry, because each bucket has a handle, durable.
Cons: transparent; need to be improved (it is necessary to pierce holes to drain excess water)
Paper cups from newspapers
For those who do not eat sour cream or drink milk, but read newspapers, this interesting and extremely fashionable in the West method of making containers for seedlings will come in handy.
The old newspaper is folded in half lengthwise, and wrapped around a 1.5-liter bottle or can in several layers. The main thing is not to forget to leave an allowance for the bottom at the bottom. The edges are fastened with a stapler, the bottom is simply bent inward. Ready! You can fill the cups with earth, lightly tamping it, and plant it.
For tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and cucumbers, paper cups are made with a diameter of about 8 centimeters and a height of 10-14 centimeters. Cups about 7 centimeters in height and 5 centimeters in diameter are suitable for cabbage seedlings.
Pros: Free, lightweight, non-toxic; you don’t have to take the seedlings out of the glass, just put it in the hole and cover it with earth.
Minuses: It is necessary to find time and work with your hands, which is not always possible; a pallet or box is required where to put these cups (tight to each other).
What else can be adapted for growing seedlings? There are a lot of variations here! For example, cardboard sleeves from toilet paper rolls can easily play the role of a cup.
Opaque cropped plastic bottles with drainage holes in a circle (2-3 centimeters from the bottom) work great. Even "one and a half", cut into two or three parts, turn into hotbeds without a bottom. But this “problem” is easily solved with the help of a pallet or a low box, where you need to install home-made containers filled with soil. Some gardeners cut from plastic bottles rectangles, fold them into cylinders of the desired diameter and fasten the edges with a regular paper clip. From such a container, the plant does not even have to be shaken out: he removed the paper clip, the cylinder fell apart.
Not easy. For the success of this business, it will be necessary to observe the conditions that are necessary for the germination of seeds. One of these points will be the choice of capacity.
seedling pots
From an agronomic point of view, peat or peat pots are the optimal capacity for growing seedlings. They have 3 advantages over any container:
- provide 100% survival rate of seedlings, as they are planted in the garden along with the container - at the same time, not one, even the smallest root, is injured;
- suitable for growing seedlings that do not tolerate transplanting: eggplant, cucumbers, melons, watermelons, sweet corn and delicate flowers.
- after planting the seedlings, the container turns into a fertilizer useful for a young plant.
Peat pots for seedlings are pressed on special machines from peat or nutritious peat mixture. Products can be cylindrical or square. The latter are more convenient, since they can be arranged more compactly on the windowsill.
Important! To reduce the cost of production, unscrupulous manufacturers add cardboard to the mixture. Such pots are not well suited for growing plants, since the roots pass through the cardboard layer with difficulty, and after planting in open ground plants will be stunted. Products with the addition of cardboard have smoother and denser walls than ordinary peat pots.
When growing seedlings in peat pots, there are rules.
- The soil should always be moist, if it dries out - the plant will drastically slow down growth.
- Pots are placed on a layer of gravel, expanded clay or sand.
- As the plants grow, the pots are arranged, increasing the distance between them so that the roots of neighboring plants do not intertwine.
Growing in peat pots has one drawback - the earth dries up quickly, as evaporation occurs not only from the surface, but also through breathable walls. This means that the seedlings will have to be watered almost daily.
Peat tablets
In recent years, peat tablets have appeared on the market. They are easier to use than pots, since there is no need to prepare and store the land mixture until spring - the seed or cutting is placed in a tablet of compressed peat. Fungicides and growth stimulants have already been added to the peat, so the seeds sprout together, the seedlings do not get sick and grow quickly.
Before sowing or picking, the tablets are soaked in warm water. During swelling, only the height of the tablet increases, while the diameter remains the same. After 10-15 minutes, the excess water is drained and a recess is made on the surface of the swollen tablet, into which a seed, preferably sprouted, or a cutting is placed.
Many gardeners grow seedlings in plastic containers. There are two types of plastic containers for seedlings: cassette, that is, divided into cells, and ordinary boxes.
Plastic
Plastic boxes are not suitable for seedlings. In such a container, the roots are so tightly intertwined that when landing in the ground, they almost have to be cut with a knife. If low containers can still be used for gardening purposes - to keep seedlings in them until picking, then deep boxes are only suitable for balcony gardening.
Cassette
Cassette containers for seedlings are pots fastened together, each of which will contain one plant. Products are made of smooth plastic, so seedlings are easily removed from such cells with a clod of earth and its roots hardly suffer. When buying containers, it is better to choose models with a pallet, otherwise you will have to make the stand yourself.
The disadvantage of the method is that the cups cannot be arranged and the grown seedlings will soon begin to crowd each other and stretch. Containers are not suitable for seedlings that need to be grown for a long time, but they can be used for cabbages and asters - plants that do not gain a lot of leaves before planting in the ground.
The best do-it-yourself seedling containers
Most gardeners rightly believe that the best seedling containers are not those that look beautiful, but those that do not need to be spent. To get free containers, you just need to use the packaging materials a second time.
So, if you cut off the top of the tetrapak from under any dairy product, then you can get a voluminous container with laminated, and therefore not soaking walls. This is the most popular way to provide yourself with containers for the seedling period.
People over forty have seen a time when the only seedlings available were homemade wooden boxes. Gardeners knocked them together from boards, plywood and packing boards. The boxes were made of different depths and sizes, and managed with this unpretentious container. Then in middle lane did not grow many seedling crops. Mostly tomatoes were sown in the boxes, occasionally - peppers, white cabbage, hardy flower crops. For a summer resident of those years, this was a standard set of seedlings. About the leek celery root, then few people heard broccoli, but only a few grew them.
