The other day at work I bought some 3" and 5" jiffy pots made from recycled materials so all I have to do when I transplant is put the whole thing in the dirt and I guess the pot eventually biodegrades. I figured I'd move my seedlings from the tray to 3" jiffy pots, then up to 5" jiffy pots eventually and finally into larger containers. My question is will the jiffy pots really work like they are supposed to? I'm concerned the material would take too long to biodegrade and the root system wouldn't be able to spread out as much.
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media Are Jiffy Pots worth it?
- Thread starter sreinhard88
- Start date
Go for it…They work real well, the pots don't so much degrade as they get real soft and the roots poke right through. Just remember to peel off the top couple of inches of the pots before you set them in the earth. Otherwise the pot will wick moisture to the air, an it's almost impossible to keep it watered….
i don't like them for a few reasons
1. have to buy them every year
2. have to cut bottom / poke holes / rip part of them off because they don't biodegrade fast enough
3. Can be more prone to mold and stuff when they stay wet for too long.
4. not as strong as others
I bought them last year but this year i'm using solo cups are great. the only problem i have with them is they don't perfectly fit in the trays, so i'm buying some black nursery pots 3 or 4 in for next year. I can reuse, transplant easy, and they are tried and tested strong / good material to grow in.
1. have to buy them every year
2. have to cut bottom / poke holes / rip part of them off because they don't biodegrade fast enough
3. Can be more prone to mold and stuff when they stay wet for too long.
4. not as strong as others
I bought them last year but this year i'm using solo cups are great. the only problem i have with them is they don't perfectly fit in the trays, so i'm buying some black nursery pots 3 or 4 in for next year. I can reuse, transplant easy, and they are tried and tested strong / good material to grow in.
You pretty much have to remove the top of the pot when planting outside, like windchicken said, because of moisture issues. And the pots don't degrade that quickly, so when I used them I gently ripped open the bottom of the pot as well when tranplanting to assure the roots would be allowed to spread faster.
Considering you end up half destroying the pots, I don't think it's any more or less traumatic than transplanting from plastic pots. They will work fine for you though. I quit using them because I didn't like the price.
Considering you end up half destroying the pots, I don't think it's any more or less traumatic than transplanting from plastic pots. They will work fine for you though. I quit using them because I didn't like the price.
An expensive piece of cardboard!
Brain Strain Pepper Head
Banned
Never had any good luck with them there just wet cardboard. Only used them one year and then went to nursery pots that can be reused every year with a good cleaning. But too each his own.
I think the op is talking about pots, not pellets. Though I think in general they would work the same.
This is my first year starting seeds indoors (second year with a garden), and I decided to use coco coir in reusable trays/cups instead of jiffy pots/pellets. One brick of coco coir provides about 8L of seed starting medium that is sterile, has no ferts, good water retention, good drainage, and good aeration (although some folks like to add perlite to the mix as well).
Since you have already started using them, just continue and see how well they do. If you don't like them, don't use them next year.
This is my first year starting seeds indoors (second year with a garden), and I decided to use coco coir in reusable trays/cups instead of jiffy pots/pellets. One brick of coco coir provides about 8L of seed starting medium that is sterile, has no ferts, good water retention, good drainage, and good aeration (although some folks like to add perlite to the mix as well).
Since you have already started using them, just continue and see how well they do. If you don't like them, don't use them next year.
Wow thanks everyone for all of your opinions! I think I'm going to return roughly half of what I bought and try out a few different methods to see what works/ what I like best. When I get around to setting up my glog for this season I'll be sure to record my findings. Thanks again!
I tried using peat and coir pots in years past. I just don't like them for bigger plants like peppers, tomatoes, squash etc. It seems like larger plants always make them dry out too fast.
I use them for smaller sets that aren't going to be spending as much time indoors like: cilantro, parsley, lettuce, nasturtiums, poppies, marigolds etc...
I use them for smaller sets that aren't going to be spending as much time indoors like: cilantro, parsley, lettuce, nasturtiums, poppies, marigolds etc...
