Peat tablets for seedlings: how to choose and how to use

What are peat tablets

A peat tablet is a small piece of soil wrapped in a biodegradable shell. During the production process, it is dried and pressed into a small washer up to 1 cm thick. To "revive" a peat tablet, you need to soak it in boiling water and wait until it swells.

Most often, high-moor peat or a peat-humus substrate is used as a raw material, to which disinfecting components and growth stimulants can be added. In any case, the level of soil acidity in peat tablets is in the range of 5.4–6.2 pH. Such indicators are optimal for growing most plants.

Peat tablets are used for sowing seeds of various crops, as well as for rooting cuttings of flowers, vegetables and other plants.

How to choose peat tablets

Pay attention to composition. Peat-humus substrate is considered a more nutrient medium than ordinary high-moor peat. Therefore, tablets based on this, as a rule, are more expensive. The growth stimulator in the soil will help the seeds germinate faster. And fungicides that disinfect the soil will save crops from fungal diseases.

The diameter of peat tablets varies from 2.4 to 7 cm. For germinating tiny seeds like lobelia or petunias you can take smaller specimens - up to 4.5 cm. For planting crops with larger seeds such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins - tablets from 4 to 7 cm in diameter are suitable.

For your own convenience, try to choose options in the shell - when soaked, they will confidently keep their shape.

Cheaper specimens without a shell, having absorbed water, are likely to turn into a shapeless porridge from the ground.

What to buy

• Peat tablets with a diameter of 3.3 cm in a shell, 50 pieces, 499 rubles →
• Peat tablets with a diameter of 2.4 cm in a shell, 100 pieces, 949 rubles →
• Peat tablets with a diameter of 4.1 cm in a cassette, 36 pieces, 486 rubles →
• Peat tablets with a diameter of 4.2 cm without a shell, 50 pieces, 436 rubles →
• Peat tablets with a diameter of 2.7 cm with growth stimulants, 10 pieces, 449 rubles →
• Peat tablets with a diameter of 4.2 cm with fungicides, 8 pieces, 379 rubles →

How to soak peat tablets

In one tablet, you can germinate one seed or root one cutting. The exception is small grains like lobelia or bacopa, which is sown thickly to produce a luxuriant plant. In this case, one washer is used to obtain one bush.

Determine how many tablets you need and place them at the bottom of a container or other suitable container. If the peat has a small depression in the center, this side should be at the top.

Pour boiling water into the container so that the tablets float and the water is at least 1.5–2 cm from the bottom. The washers will absorb the right amount of liquid, and the excess can be drained. Leave them for 15-20 minutes to swell.

Wait for the peat tablets to increase in size by about seven times. They will look like barrels. Let the hot soil cool to room temperature and start sowing seeds or rooting cuttings.

How to use peat tablets for sowing seeds for seedlings

Place one seed at a time in a special recess in the tablet. If not, just place them in the center. Please note that small grains (for example, viola) does not need to be deepened. Large (let's say eggplant) lower into the ground by about 0.5 cm and cover with soil. It is convenient to do this with a regular toothpick.

Moisten the crops with water from a spray bottle.

Cover the container with a transparent lid or cling film. Put in a warm place with a temperature of about 25 ºС for germination.

Make sure that the soil in peat tablets does not dry out, regularly moisten it with water from a spray bottle.

How to use peat tablets for rooting cuttings

In the center of each puck, make a hole 1.5–2 cm deep with a toothpick or other small stick. Put it there cutting plants. Lightly press the soil around the stem with your fingers.

Cover the tablet container with a tall transparent lid or bag. Tie it up to make a mini greenhouse. It is important that the shelter does not touch the tops of the cuttings.

Place the container in a warm, bright place with a temperature of at least 25 ºС. Wait for the cuttings to take root. Only then can the cover be removed.

Make sure the peat tablets are always wet. You can spray them with water from a spray bottle or pour it directly onto the bottom of the container so that the liquid covers the kegs by about a third of their height.