Shaded_One said:

that's the other aspect - they are more acidic due to 100% peat, and they also retain a lot more moisture than I'd like. I prefer my high draining inert soil mix but these do have a time and place I suppose!

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Yeah the drainage of peat pots sucks and it's hard to get a proper wet/dry cycle going cause they stay damp forever in the humidity... I think they're good for starting veggies, just not weed.

TSD said:

Yeah the drainage of peat pots sucks and it's hard to get a proper wet/dry cycle going cause they stay damp forever in the humidity... I think they're good for starting veggies, just not weed.

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Peat pots or peat pellets? The pellets take some getting used to, but again it's not given me problems.

The nylon netting ending up in the landfill is a more compelling argument against their use for me personally.

With that said, we're going to try an experiment this fall. We've got a bunch of empty toilet paper rolls that we're going to fill with our soil mix. A coffee filter at the bottom holds everything inside it. On transplant, cut the toilet paper tube out. - I've used the peat pellets for years but have had enough questions about them myself that I'm investigating newer possibly better methods.

MIGrampaUSA said:

Peat pots or peat pellets? The pellets take some getting used to, but again it's not given me problems.

The nylon netting ending up in the landfill is a more compelling argument against their use for me personally.

With that said, we're going to try an experiment this fall. We've got a bunch of empty toilet paper rolls that we're going to fill with our soil mix. A coffee filter at the bottom holds everything inside it. On transplant, cut the toilet paper tube out. - I've used the peat pellets for years but have had enough questions about them myself that I'm investigating newer possibly better methods.

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Pots suck for starting seeds/ plants for the reasons stated, pellets are ok and that's what I use for clones if I do them because that's just the way I was taught to clone... I didn't mess w cloning this year, all seeds except one clone from a friend. I bet your tp roll trick will work, love me a good DIY/ MacGyver invention lol.

I used peat pots, balls and pellets a lot in the old days in my clandestine outdoor grows. But back in those days they were made at our local nurseries. They would bring in all the raw martials and always seemed to have somebody out back pressing, molding, rolling, drying and curing the products. They also made some pots and stuff with a fert load which could be really helpful depending on where you got pushed to for the next grow. And the only mesh/netting used was a cotton or twine/hemp product. No nylon or syn's at all. Then like most things the college boys and corporations get a hold of the mom and pop nursery's and they started going away and another simple craft died. So I haven't used a peat product in many years. Our local Extension office has quietly tried to warn gardeners about using peat products out of china. But it seems to fall on deaf ears until a gardener starts loosing product.

Mugwort said:

I planted a few seeds using “biodegradable” 3.5” x 3.5” peat starter pots. Has anyone that has tried these ran into problems with the peat breaking down and inhibiting root growth once transplanted to a larger pot? I haven’t transplanted them yet it was hoping to get some feedback here before I do.

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OK, this info may be late coming to you but i can make a few recommendations regarding the use of peat pots, I use them exclusively for cloning as they are a non plastic and natural product alternative for temporarily holding your new clones, but I cannot stress this enough, i ALWAYS tear holes in them, large holes, BEFORE i fill them, that eventually the roots grow out of as they are getting close to being transplanted, this requires the use of some sort of tray to keep the roots moist in, and when i transplant, i will always remove the portion of peat pot that isnt being aggressively held by roots. If you dont have the thing looking more like strainer than a container you may inhibit root growth as some pots seem to be thicker and more robust than others, peat pots are designed so that at the first sign of roots attempting to grow through them you beak the pot up as you transplant. I dont believe they are meant to hold a plant that must become root bound before transplanting, as one would tear too many roots during the process and the plant may or may not be damaged by doing this.