Duids
Newly Registered
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 12:26 pm
Location: Rienzi, MS

Manure seedling cups

Good evening folks. Hope you have had a good weekend.

My question this evening: About how long should it take the manure seedling cups to degrade enough to prevent the plants from becoming root bound?

I have several pepper plants that I got at the local nursery that aren't growing or doing much of anything (set out 2 months ago).
Last Thursday I decided to dig up one to check the condition of the cups and root system and sure enough the cup showed hardly any sign of degrading and the plant was root bound big time. The garden hasn't been lacking for rain, there has been plenty of moisture no problem there.

We got a really nice slow rain most of the day on Wednesday and Friday.
Early Friday evening I took my trusty shovel and dug up, removed the cups, and reset all of them. They did have a little wilting but they are looking better this evening.

Sorry for getting long winded but this went from just bugging me to being down right irritating.

David :(

The Helpful Gardener
Mod
Posts: 7491
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
Location: Colchester, CT

While they likely would have broken down eventually, ANY interface in the soil can slow rooting. Roots get very used to the soil in a hole, or a pot as do their symbiot bacteria and fungi, and all are reluctant to move into a new territory...

This is why I amend the soil in my gardens very little, and never add to the soil in a hole other than a few handfuls of compost. Plants should get used to the soil they are going to grow in as soon as they can... Add amandment to the surface and till as little as possible to get the best results for roots AND biology...

HG

garden5
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3062
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:40 pm
Location: ohio

Those "bio degradable" pots are worthless. They take a long time to degrade, slowing the plant's progress in the process.

A good rule of thumb is to remove the pot, whatever kind it is, before you plant. :wink:.

The Helpful Gardener
Mod
Posts: 7491
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
Location: Colchester, CT

Not worthless compared to a plastic container. I can't compost those, and they use petroleum. I compost my peat pots and prefer to buy that way when I can get them...

HG

BP
Senior Member
Posts: 246
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:54 pm
Location: Swartz Creek Michigan

Maybe that's what's wrong with my banana peppers? They were in what I thought were thick peat pots. The wrapper said to remove the bottom 3rd of the pot, so I did. They aren't up to par at all.........

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

Scott,

It is true plastic pots are made of petroleum, but have you compared reusing 4" plastic pots to purchasing peat pots every year. I'm thinking a plastic pot could be used over and over for dozens of years, maybe hundreds of years. These little pots are free and easy to come by.

Comparing the mining of peat bogs to manufacturing of plastic. What are the real differences. This could be a interesting study.

Take a look at this link. Plastic flower pots made of 100% chicken feathers.

Scientists Convert Feathers Into [url=https://www1.voanews.com/english/news/science-technology/Scientists-Convert-Feathers-Into-Biodegradable-Plastic---93325754.html]Biodegradable Plastic[/url]

The Helpful Gardener
Mod
Posts: 7491
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
Location: Colchester, CT

The manure pots are not mined, are of a freely recycled medium, surely not a material in short supply or high demand, and very easily manufactured (I have spoken a few times with the manufacturer here in Conn. that was featured on [url=https://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/30984-dirty-jobs-pots-made-from-poo-video.htm?sort=date&page=45]Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs[/url])

More than one way to get that pot; who needs peat? :twisted:

HG

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

so when you said peat above, you meant manure pots :?:

The Helpful Gardener
Mod
Posts: 7491
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
Location: Colchester, CT

I have purchased plants in peat containers and composted those, but I buy Poo Pots to use myself... either or can be composted...

The feather pots are cool; I have also seen some really great pots that would last even longer made of [url=https://ecoforms.com/?gclid=CNrY-su8_KICFSFN5QodclXWgg]rice hulls that are actually nice[/url]...

With 29 years of petroleum reserves left on the planet, we need to start finding other ways to make things we gardeners need. Heck, we just need to start finding other ways, period...

HG
Last edited by The Helpful Gardener on Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

I still love my plastic pots for starting seedlings in. Peat pots and probably poo pots too (though I admit to never having heard of those until now) are seedling killers, holding too much moisture. In fact for the way I start seedlings, setting the pots in trays and bottom watering, with some of them sitting there for two months or more, the poo pots would probably have reverted to their original constituents.

I have some plastic pots that I have used for about 15 years now (I recognize them because they are the white ones, all the new ones are black).
So I think it's a pretty conservative use.

rkunsaw
Senior Member
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 11:01 am
Location: Clarksville,Arkansas

We start seedlings in the same plastic pots we buy them in.Have used them over and over for years.When the get torn up they go in the recycle bin.Pots made of organic material is a good thing...except they just don't work.My wife bought some that looked like they were made of sponge or something.Everything we put in them died.

The Helpful Gardener
Mod
Posts: 7491
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
Location: Colchester, CT

The old English method was a seed tray banged together out of wood scraps like lathe. A lot of ways to do it from items we currently have, and as RBG says, if you are using a pot for fifteen years, you are certainly getting good use...

I just think we need to review our thinking on a lot of items we take for granted based on current availability. Plastic is petroleum, and petroleum is going away fast. Things like Eric's feathers or the rice pots I mentioned need serious consideration if we are to maintain working tools to do what we do.

HG



Return to “Vegetable Gardening Forum”