PELLET PARTY
I’m a fervent DIYER, but one thing I’ve struggled with over the years is creating a satisfactory homegrown seed-raising mix
– one that is weed-free, has perfect tilth, and holds just the right amount of humus and moisture to aid germination, while still being free-draining. Despite hot composting, sieving and adding perlite and vermiculite to my attempts at creating seed-raising mixes, I’ve still not succeeded in producing what I’m looking for. Which is why, when I discovered easigrow pellets, I thought all my Christmases had come at once.
The handy little pellets (essentially a pot and potting mix in one) are made from biodegradable PLA mesh (polylactic acid breaks down in regular garden situations). The pellets are filled with a growing mix, including Sri Lankan coir, to which has been added a balanced NPK fertiliser. Then the whole shebang is compressed to the size of a pocket watch. The base of the pellet is semi-sealed, while the upper surface is stamped with a small indentation into which the seed is sown.
If you’ve ever enjoyed soaking one of those cute little compressed magic towels that expand to 10 times their size in water, you’re going to love preparing these pellets. You simply pop them into a container, add some water to the base of the container, then wait for the pellets to expand before sowing a seed in the top of each, and covering it. (I used recycled nail containers sourced from a builder friend – the hinged lids came in handy for creating a mini-greenhouse environment while the seeds were germinating.)
The real joy of the pellets, however, comes in how little attention the germinating seeds require. It’s easy to see when the pellets require more water (they begin to shrink a little, and look pale on the upper surface), at which stage, rather than having to water each pellet individually from above, you just add more water to the container they’re sitting in – no mess and no chance you’ll wash the seed from the soil.
I also loved that there was no chance of sowing too many seeds, and that I didn’t have to waste time pricking-out. And because
I’m forever short of space in my garden, my pellet seedlings could simply put down roots in situ, and remain fed until a home became available for them in the garden. When it did, there was no disturbance to the seedling; I simply created a depression in the soil, popped the pellet in, and firmed the soil around it. If you’re a little paranoid about roots permeating mesh, you can easily peel off the pellet’s outer covering before transplanting, and the growing medium will remain intact (9 times out of 10) around the seedling as you plant it.
One thing the pellets are not designed for is root crops (it’s asking a lot for a single tap root to push down or out through mesh that is still in the process of biodegrading).
The pellets come in bags of 20 or 80, and work out at around 25 cents per seedling – although you can find them drastically reduced when garden specials are on offer. If a seed fails to germinate, the pellet can be reused.
It’s hard to find what’s not to love about these handy little garden helpers. So, until someone out there sends me a recipe for a perfect – or even near-perfect – DIY seed-raising mix, easigrow pellets have my vote.