Best Peat pot sizes to use?

Hello from Manitoulin Island, Ontario Canada!

Been reading the forum for a while but this is my first post.

Excited about getting into my second year of SFG.

Planning on trying to do my own transplants this year for the first time and I had a question regarding peat pots. I don't want to have to transfer my plants at all, except into the garden, so the peat pots I use need to accomadate a full size seedling. I have some 2,3 and 4" pots, and I was wondering what experience/thoughts you have about using the different sizes

Here is a list of the transplants I want to grow

Thanks in advance for your help!


Salad

kale
leaf lettuce
red lettuce
swiss chard
romaine
arugula

Vegetables

broccoli
cabbage
cauliflour
green onions
red onions
peppers
zucchini - bush
english cucumbers
winter squash-butternut
celery
leeks

Fruit

tomatoes
- fox cherry
- yellow plum
- san marzano
watermelon
cantaloupe
honeydew

I go from the peat pellets, directly to the 4" pots, on my plants ....... but I do mostly tomatoes.

There isn't much of a cost difference, but I find it easier to get the plastic 8-pack "racks" holders (usually free at Home Depot if you ask ....or buy a lot of other transplants). I also find that I rarely lose a transplant in a 4" pot, when I finally get them in the SFG box. I also like the 4" pots because there is enough room and "base weight" to allow me to stake my plants early.

Additionally, the 4" pots hold a little more water, which keeps me from making a mess in the house while watering the seedlings.

I agree with starting big. This is the second year that I've started seeds and I've come to the conclusion that I don't like having to transplant more than once. Also, this year my seedlings seem to be doing better with being transplanted this year than last. I think it's because I decided to not do a full 100% peat starter. I never have luck with it, it always molds. So this year I made three different batches, each with Peat Moss and Vermiculite and the only one I haven't had any issues with mold wise is the 25PM/75V mix (my beans are 2 ft long already and no where to put them yet). The 50PM/50V mix by far gave me the fastest results for sprouts, but was the first to mold and mold bad it did. The worst was the 75PM/25V mixture is doing good, but was by far the slowest to start (it hast tomatoes and peppers in it, so that is part of it, they are usually slow to start because they need warmer temps), no mold yet which is odd, but thankful for.

I'm trying 12 cow pots this year to see if they mold and if they really do biodegrade. Otherwise, I just got my order of plastic cups from amazon to start seeds in for the fall and from now on. Not fond of the seed starting trays but I love having everything in it's own cup so I can move them when I need too. So my advice is, if you don't want to transplant at all, start them in larger containers, but start them lower in the container so you can add soil to them. That's what I've done with my beans, pumpkin, and melons (so far) and the stems are nice and strong and thicker and have strong roots now.

[quote="kimbertangleknot"]I'm trying 12 cow pots this year to see if they mold and if they really do biodegrade. quote]

I found cow pots last year and between the seed starting instructions from tomatofest, the cow pots, and the germinating mix from gardener's (peat/vermiculite mix) I had my FIRST successful year of seed starting. I had no mold whatsoever! I have always had my seeds mold using the little 100% peat plugs, but until last year I just kept trying...

TC