Which is better for starting seeds indoors and eventually transporting to garden ?

I prefer the peat pots, vs the pellets. I have found that the netting on the pellets doesn't compost right away and inhibits the seedlings roots. Just my opinion.

My choice is...neither. Any time either have been used, germination has been zero. Soilless mix in 2 inch pots under lights is the preferred method here.

nickm62388 said:Which is better for starting seeds indoors and eventually transporting to garden ?

I agree with PaulF...I use neither. I use 20oz. styrofoam cups. Punch two holes at the bottom on the sides with a pencil. Fill with a good *potting* soil, not a soiless seed starting mix. I put this in a large plastic container in a warm place...room temperature is fine. I *loosely* lay a piece of plastic over the top of the cups/container...it's usually a recycled ice bag from filling my cooler. The cups work well, contain a generous amount of potting soil and the transplants aren't disturbed in between seeding and transplanting to garden *except* for when I thin. I usually plant 3 tomato or pepper seeds per cup. Sometimes all 3 seeds sprout....once the seedlings get a bit larger I'll usually snip the smallest one off. I'll give the other two a week maybe and then I'll bump dirt ball out, grab half of it in one hand and half in the other hand and rip them apart. Plant one seedling in the original plant (adding soil) and the other in a new cup (adding more soil to it, too). Tomatoes take abuse pretty dog-gone good in regards to their roots. Peppers do pretty well, too, but I just don't think they're quiet as resilient as tomatoes....but I separate them the same way, they don't seem to mind, either. By the time I'm ready to transplant to the garden I've got some nice, beefy plants in those 20oz cups....I dig a trench down in ground at a 45-degree angle. I hold the cup upside down in a hand with the plant stem between a couple of fingers and tap and squeeze the cup...the rootball will slide out. I then set the rootball in the deepest point in the trench and angle the stem at the 45-degree angle coming out. I plant it deep enough so that only a tassle of green leaves are exposed at the top, having stripped off the lower leaves and then water it well. The tomato plant will send out roots all along the buried stem. For peppers dig a vertical hole deep enough to slightly bury it deeper than it was growing in the cup. For both of these I'll mix a good pinch of fertilizer up with the soil in the bottom of the hole before planting the transplant.

That's just the way I do it. Folks have all kinds of ways. You'll figure out what works for you. I will say that I'm not a fan of peat pots, though. Lots of seedling roots in a big cup! The 20oz cups are cheap to...like me!

I've used both - and basically agree with "neither."

If you do use the peat pots or pellets, be sure the entire thing is buried in the soil, otherwise moisture will wick out and your plant can be dry while the surrounding soil is moist. Also, for the pellets, remove the netting before planting, and for the pots, break through them a bit with your fingers before planting (so the roots will have freedom to grow).

Ok thank you guys, I always thought they were the simple go to and easiest when planting indoors before last frost, and easy to transport outside once the time comes. Thanks for your help .

I use both,

Getting away from pellets just to save the cost, but they are convenient.

The pots are nice, but I do peel them away before transplanting. Left intact I would agree they would most likely hinder root growth.

I've never had germination issues. Not sure how the dirt could be at fault if one did have.

I've used peat pellets before, at one point I had over 1000 of them, now I don't want to buy them again, no storage and no bay window.

PaulF said:My choice is...neither. Any time either have been used, germination has been zero. Soilless mix in 2 inch pots under lights is the preferred method here.

I just saw where you use soiless mix to start your seeds. I use regular potting soil. I guess it's whatever works for each of us, eh?

Intheswamp said:

I just saw where you use soiless mix to start your seeds. I use regular potting soil. I guess it's whatever works for each of us, eh?

Many use the terms interchangeably. I use miracle gro or Schultz or whatever is sold at the garden centers or box stores. I do not use anything with real soil in it since that tends to have pathogens.

I always used pellets for the hydroponic starters, because they're tidy and convenient to transfer from the pudding cups to the basket, then secure with coir. I also opened up the bottom folds of netting to liberate the roots. You can do that if you're transplanting to soil, too. They're fairly expensive and not quite reliable.
Peat pots are also expensive, and need to be slit when transplanting to real pots. I don't see any advantage for them over regular potting soil with extra vermiculite or loose peat.

I have used peat pots only because I was given them free. I make sure to keep them wet , and as the tomato seedlings grew, I put more potting mix between the pots in the tray and let roots grow out into that. DId well, but I also use plastic just fine.

("I always used pellets for the hydroponic starters," I feel I have had an epiphany. Brilliant!)

When I had them I had them in my bay window, they never dried out or anything, but I pre-soaked them first before putting my seeds in, water can dislodge the seeds.