To use fibre/peat pots or plastic for my squash seeds?

[Crystalmoon]

Hi everyone, I usually sow my squash seeds in peat/fibre pots so I dont disturb roots when I transplant to my allotment but they do tend to get quite mouldy while in the propagators so I was wondering if anybody uses plastic pots to start them off & if their roots wont mind being turfed out of the first home? Thanks xjane

[Crystalmoon]

[BarriedaleNick]

I start them off in deep plastic pots - they dont seem to suffer too much whne planting out.

[Crystalmoon]

Thanks so much for your quick reply, that is fab news as I've got lots of plastic pots here but no fibre ones left & the 'monsoon' outside is putting me off going out to get pots that will probably melt by the time I get them home (I dont drive). Weather has been so awful here in Kent for so long I havent been able to do anything on my allotment for ages as the heavy clay won't thank me for standing on it so will amuse myself with indoor squash sowing instead  ;D feeling much happier now as soooooooo bored of housework,lol 

[BarriedaleNick]

Same here in SE London - my soil is clay and no matter how much muck I pile on  - it still wants to be clay!  My little poly tunnel is full of seedlings and trays of small plants.  I might risk a trip today to plant out some brassicas..

[Crystalmoon]

 ;D yes I originate from South London & no amount of stuff added to the garden soil ever made it stop being super heavy clay! So when I moved to Kent I thought I may get a change of soil but oh no heavy clay it is again - at least I'm used to it  ;) I've been gradually adding raised beds to the edges of my allotment & filling them with compost so I can at least tend to some beds from the grass path & avoid tramping the clay into summer brick. I haven't sown anything yet as I do prefer to sow straight onto the allotment whenever possible as I have a long way to walk/get bus to my allotment so it makes transporting seedlings difficult to say the least but I have had no luck sowing squash directly into the clay so always start them off in pots. Just hope they won't get too big before I can plant them out or I will be on a bus covered by triffid like plants looking like a right nutter! xjane

[Crystalmoon]

p.s we have had virtually non stop very heavy rain, large hail stones too for over a month now so absolutely no chance to sow anything directly. I've never been this behind before. And to top it all we had insane heat in late Feb early March so my over wintering plants mostly went to seed. Very odd year so far weather wise

[Squash64]

I also start them in plastic pots, I've never used the other sort.

Loads of rain here in Birmingham too.  :(

[JENIAN]

I also start them in plastic pots, I've never used the other sort.

Me too ;)

[brownowl23]

Where abouts are you in Kent crystal moon. In in Sidcup so just up the road from Barriedalenick's allotments.

Heavy clay for us too some of which is a swamp right now.

[Melbourne12]

Plastic pots for us, too.  You can get flexible ones if you're worried about root disturbance - they come out of those ones really easily when it's time to plant out.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I use plastic pots; very often I start them two to a pot, and replant them individually if both seeds germinate.

[tricia]

Flexible black 3" pots - 40 for 99p from (obviously) 99p shop! When the plant is about 3" high I pot on to 5" or 6" pots - they then grow very quickly and produce a good rooting system.

Tricia

[Crystalmoon]

Hi everyone, thanks so much for all the reassuring replies  ;D

Rain & rain & yet more rain today & forecast for the rest of the weekend - to add to my frustration I have a brand new shed that needs to be put together but its too wet to make the base, sigh  ::)

I'm near Ashford Brownowl & my allotment is a swamp too, even the grass path around the edge is too wet muddy & slippery to stand on to tend to my raised beds (tried to do some work there yesterday but had to admit defeat). I have very bad arthritis in my knees & use a walking stick so I can't risk a fall at the allotment as I wouldn't be able to get up again & it is a very small site & I am usually alone when there. When the weather is like this it does make me wonder if I should give up my plot & just have a few raised beds in my tiny back garden but I love growing squash & they need so much room. I'm still eating last years crop ;)

Robert that's great to hear they can withstand being separated after growing 2 in a pot - think I have been babying my squash for the last few years :D

Tricia thanks for the tip about the 99p store pots I will definitely have a look for some of them.

I will keep inside in the dry today happily sowing squash into plastic pots...then I will sow some herb seeds. At least I will feel like I am making some progress. Hope you all have a good weekend xjane