Growing-on Pots

This year my seeds were planted into punnets or margarine containers.

When their first true leaves emerged
they were potted on into their growing pots
where they stayed, snug in the hothouse, until planting out.

These growing pots were made by cutting off the tops and bases of plastic 2 litre juice or milk bottles. I've found that 12 of these containers fit inside a polystyrene fruit box that we get from the fruit and veg section at the local supermarket. These boxes are lined with shadecloth off-cuts to prevent the soil-mix escaping.

I made up a batch of potting-on mix using a bucket of super coir mix made by using the following :
1 cocoa peat brick soaked in:

• 1/2 bucket of rainwater mixed with
• 1/3 cup seaweed concentrate
• 1/3 cup Charlie Carp (fish emulsion)
• 1/4 cup potash powder
• 2 Tablespoons of Epsom salts (magnesium)

Then adding:

• 1 Bucket of sandy loam
• 1 Bag of potting mix
• 2-3 handfuls of Blood and Bone
• Added to this mix, 1 handful of worm castings per plant
  

The seedlings were grown-on in these containers
for 1 month or more
and by planting out time were very well grown.

Hopefully big enough and healthy enough to withstand the onslaught of those pesky earwigs, slugs and snails that love to attack and devour young, vulnerable and weak seedlings, too tiny to fend for themselves.

As the containers have no bottoms in them
they can be easily removed
by gently sliding them up over the seedling
with minimal root disturbance.
Or left in place to protect the seedlings and keep them warm.

The container pot idea came from The Permaculture Home Garden by Linda Woodrow