Plant Parenting: Seed Pellets Make Seeding Easy

July 8, 2020

You don’t have to use loose potting soil to grow your seeds or cuttings. There are many options for preformed plugs, both natural and synthetic, that can make propagation easy and tidy, while providing a good environment for your cuttings and seeds.

Dry compressed coir pellet plugs in a watertight seed-starting tray.
PC: Leslie F. Halleck

Compressed soilless plug pellets, also known as seed plugs, are one easy option. These are compressed dry disks of peat or coir, plus a small amount of fertilizer, wrapped in a biodegradable film. Often, seed plugs are sold with small seed-germinating greenhouse kits or you can buy them separately.

This arugula is ready to transplant.
PC: Leslie F. Halleck

When using seed plugs, it's easy to see when you should transplant your plant to a larger size. Once roots reach the edges of the plug, it's ready to go into a larger pot or even straight to outside!

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