Starting Seeds in Burpee Peat Pots?

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wishfulgarden Hingham, MA May 06, 2008

I recently started some seeds in a Park Seed biodome, but had little success hardening them off and they all died (I'm a newbie to germination). After mourning the little seedlings, I decided to try again and bought Burpee peat pots after reading online that the Jiffy-7 peat pellets and cell starting kits can be tempermental. Now I've got the pots full of seed-starting medium and am soaking the seeds (cucumber, cockscomb, sunflower and marigold) to get them ready to plant.

Problem: I'm clueless as to how to water these peat pots. The cell kits self-water as they sit in a tray of water. These peat pots don't have holes on the bottom, but top watering will require me to remove the humidity cover on my tray and that doesn't seem like a good idea for germination. Can someone help with some suggestions on the best watering strategy for Burpee peat pots (3 inches in diameter) [not peat pellets].

Thanks in advance! Picture of pots included below.

Thumbnail by wishfulgarden
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Marshmellow Fitchburg, MA May 06, 2008

Are you missing part of that kit? The peat pots as you describe have a tray, cover, and the peat pots you put into the tray. Fill the pots with dirt, add water to the tray, cover it, and away you go. I fill the tray full, minus one spot so I can water it there. Removing the humidity cover to add water is not going hurt germination, the humidity will be back in no time.

The peat pots stay together very well, when I lift the pots up I see roots that have penetrated them and then I plant the pots direct into the ground. Piece of cake, doesn't disturb the original plants roots... but those pots don't decay fast, after planting I usually rip off the rim.

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thwoods Hermitage, PA(Zone 5b) May 06, 2008

Prepare for the cockscomb to take a lot longer to germinate than the other things you mention -- and don't be discouraged by that. I also like to premoisten my soil before I put it into peat pots --as it helps to make sure it is moist to the bottom.

Good luck.
T
Theresa

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