Biodegradable pots, rootrainers and bog roll

[bupster]

I have all of the above and am trying to decide what to plant in which. Any suggestions? I've got seeds of everything and for the first time have enough cleared ground to plant them all (well, some).

[bupster]

[kt.]

Never used root-trainers before.   Stuff I have previously planted in Bio pots were all a disaster for me so I do not use them anymore.   Had much better success since.  I start my parsnips off in bog-rolls.  They are ready to plant out when the root reaches the bottom of the toilet roll.   Never really bothered with anything else though I do not see why you could not use them for brassicas also.

[Jitterbug]

I have had the best success with root trainers and using second hand polystyrene seed trays and sowing individually.  The toilet rolls get all mouldy and mushy and the reconstituted peat pots are terrible.  My plants just do not seem to like it.

Hope that helps ;D

Jitterbug

[timnsal]

I use bog rolls for sweetcorn. Seemed to work fairly well last year.

What about egg boxes? I'm trying peas and french beans in them, to be planted out almost as soon as they germinate. Most of the ones that went straight in the ground las year vanished without trace. Might work as modules for salad crops too.

Sally

[manicscousers]

we use fibre pots for brassicas, gives them a good start, away from the slugs..also tomatoes, just plant into a large pot when ready..rootrainers we use for sweetcorn, beans and sunflowers, used toilet roll tubes for leeks last year, not sure, may try sunflowers in them this year..also, we grow squash and courgette in the fibre pots, anything we direct sow gets noshed  ;D

[Ant]

most of ours are in toilet rolls this year. Hopefully they will work quite well  :)

[Vortex]

Use your rootrainers for peas and beans. Use newspaper tubes for things that don't like root disturbance but which grow fairly large like parsnips, salsify, carrots, beetroot, and paper pots for pricking out anything else you want to put straight into the ground.
Having in the past used rootrainers for sweetcorn I now don't bother. Just bung a good handful of seed into a margarine tub. Prick out into recycled vending machine cups or 3" pots when about 2" tall, then plant out when about 6" tall.
Brassicas go from seed trays to vending machine cups/3" pots to 6" pots then out - ensures they've a good rootball as we have clubroot problems.

[glosterwomble]

I use loo rolls, root trainers and newspaper pots ( http://fork-in-hell.blogspot.com/2008/02/newspaper-pots.html  link to my blog on how to make them) I find loo rolls an paper pots the best.

[Sparkly]

I start my parsnips off in bog-rolls.  They are ready to plant out when the root reaches the bottom of the toilet roll.   

How long does this take?

[kt.]

Depends on the heat in your greenhouse. Mine took about a 4-6 weeks in an unheated greenhouse I think, but I cannot really remember the exact time. I got 100 % germination from this method and all the parsnips came good.