[Diana in Wisconsin]

Peat pots work just fine, though you need to keep an eye on the moisture as they dry out quicker. Also, when planting them into the ground, either remove the top portion of the pot, or make sure you plant it deep and cover it up because the dry top portion of the pot will act as a wick, wicking away moisture from the roots.

I am 100% in LOVE with those Jiffy Peat Pellets. I must've sold 100,000 of them through the years, though never used them myself. I used them a few years back, and I just love them!

One of today's topics is going to be different ways so start plants on the cheap. I have to shovel some snow first though, LOL! :)

[Sacajaweau]

I use the pellets on most plants but would like to try cow pots on certain plants....like cucumbers. I have be using 16 oz clear plastic cups as the pellets have 4 leaves, cut holes in the bottom and always bottom water. I love being able to see the roots.

[TheConservativeParty]

We have ice here, south of Oregon and west of Brooklyn. Not safe to drive today unless it warms up a lot.

I have been in the greenhouse business since birth,when I lived at my grandparent’s home which was connected to their glass greenhouses and garden center (Illinois). My father took us north to WI when I was 5 and he found a farm to build greenhouses on in Rock county. I left to build my own business which I retired from a few years ago. Also earned a degree in horticulture at UW Madison, but really the lifetime of experience was all I needed. Good thing college was cheap back then.

I like peat pots or the Jiffy pellets too. The only thing we used peat pots for in the greenhouse is the “vine crops” cucumbers, squash, watermelon, etc, because you can’t pop these plants out of plastic pots or packs because that damages their roots. So we recommend gently planting the peat pot after all chance of frost is gone.

But for home seeding and cuttings, peat pots are great.

I also love old clay pots. They remind me of what my grandparents used everyday, before plastic pots were available. They started their glass greenhouse business in 1933. They retired around 1970 and the land sold to developers. It is now just part of a long developed area in Lombard, Illinois. The land sale did fund their retirement years though.

I got a lot of clay pots for free at a garage sale last summer. The man was glad to get rid of them and I love clay pots. I keep my orchids in them.

cheers for better weather and ice melting