No plastic + Easy transplants = Pots made of Soil

Tomato seedlings at 10 days

A month ago we planted over 750 seeds in soil pots we made on the farm out of compressed organic potting soil. We do this for one main reason, to avoid using plastic pots which can contain endocrine disruptors like Phthalates and BPA.

The 200 heirloom tomato plants outgrew their soil pots this week so it was time to transplant them into larger pots. We haven't perfected making larger soil pots yet (they tend to fall apart when we move them) so we used biodegradable peat pots. We were hoping to use coir pots (made of coconut husks) because they are a more sustainable product but they were sold out everywhere. We'll order them early next season.

Sue holding one of the soil pots. The soil block acts as a container and a growing medium

Traditional seed trays surround the soil with plastic

We started the transplant at 1 PM and finished around 8 PM. This included set-up time, preparing the organic potting soil, cleaning up and a one hour break when our local irrigation expert came by to talk to us.

When it comes time to transplant, the root system is very established in the 2.5 inch soil pots. Using soil pots minimizes any stress and damage to the roots during transplant. Once we get going we have a pretty good system:

1. Mike fills the peat pots about 1/3 full with moistened organic potting soil
2. Sue waters the soil pot, slightly compacts the soil at the bottom of the peat pot and transplants the soil pot into it
   
3. Mike fills more soil on top of the newly transplanted tomato plant and puts it in a tray

We both carried the trays back into the mudroom which is acting as our greenhouse for the second year in a row. Space is becoming a problem, especially after the transplant. We fit 24 soil pots in each tray, but only 8 peat pots. Also the tomatoes are a foot or more tall, so we have to remove some of the shelves to give them space to grow. We're gonna need a bigger greenhouse!

Before the transplant, 24 plants per tray

After the transplant, 8 plants per tray

If you're interested in purchasing one of the heirloom tomato plants you've read about here, please visit Our Plants page for more information. The biodegradable peat pots can be planted directly in the ground making transplanting it to your garden quick and easy.

Happy Friday the 13th -  13 is a lucky number for both of us!
Sue & Mike