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Gardening

Potting on seedlings - fibre plant pots

(7 Posts)
Casdon Wed 09-Apr-25 10:39:25

One for the seasoned gardeners, do you use fibre plant pots for your seedlings? I’ve grown a lot from seed this year, and I have loads of zinnia seedlings (well over 100, I think every seed germinated), so I’m thinking of using fibre plant pots so I can give some of them away later - are they good, do they need more watering than plastic ones, and would they hold firm enough to pass them on without collapsing? Any advice would be good, as I’ve now used all my existing pots.

J52 Wed 09-Apr-25 11:02:02

I found fibre pots a disappointment, they do disintegrate with watering. Maybe the ones I bought, though. I reuse year after year, the plastic containers I get when buying some veg and annuals.

Whitewavemark2 Wed 09-Apr-25 11:03:35

I put them all together in a seed tray and they hold each other up.

NotSpaghetti Wed 09-Apr-25 11:03:40

My daughter uses newspaper pots.
She says they are quick to make once you have made a couple.
Here's a tutorial- but I know there are other ways to fold.

youtu.be/9_QAZICSsWU?si=ZaYje_HI-PsVbNPg

Silverbrooks Wed 09-Apr-25 11:10:44

It’s a good question now that bought general-purpose compost is peat-free and dries out so quickly.

I used to use fibre pots but have gone back to plastic pots or indeed anything plastic I can recycle to help young seedlings and plants retain moisture.

I think watering fibre pots is a bit of an art. Too little and they dry out quickly, too much and the fibre grows mould, rots and falls apart.

I’m apt to cadge used recycleable cardboard coffee cups from the local coffee shop and use those. They are sturdy, retain enough moisture and have space for a good strong root system to develop. You can buy recycleable hot drinks cups very cheaply.

Jaxjacky Wed 09-Apr-25 12:01:15

I’ve never had much joy with them, they require delicate handling when wet, I just reuse plastic pots, there are always lots being given away on local free sites if I run out.

Casdon Wed 09-Apr-25 14:03:04

Thanks all, I don’t think fibre pots are going to solve this for me by the sounds of it. I like the idea of newspaper ones for my own seedlings, and I’ll start saving coffee cups for next year, but it looks as though I’ll need to get some more plastic ones for this year and make sure I get them back. I’ll try the garden centre for recycled ones, that’s a good idea to reduce the plastic mountain.