peat pots

Just wanted to give a warning about peat pots.  I'm redoing one of my raised veggie beds.  I was going to cut the bell pepper off at the soil line when the hole thing popped out.  It surprised me how much intact the pot was, and most of the roots came out of the areas where the peat had split.  I thought I would share.  From now on if I buy something in a peat pot, I'm going to make several cuts down the side.

I hate peat pots! There I said it. They are terrible. They draw all the moisture out of the soil and stress plants, they don't break down, they're ugly, and they are not reusable.

I know plastic is "bad," but there has to be some kind of hemp fiber replacement or something out there.

I personally will re-use plastic pots until they fall apart.

I've had similar experiences with peat-based pots in my own garden. I made a habit of cutting off the bottoms and putting a slit along one side just before planting into my garden beds. I have swapped over to utilizing Cowpots which break down faster than peat in the garden. I have grown multiple different vegetables in the pots and found that the roots can easily expand out without getting choked off.

I agree Timothy, when I grow something that doesn't like to be moved, like peas I used cow pots. I have been happy with them, they seem to break down a lot faster, and let the roots grow through the pot.