"Janet Galpin" wrote in message
...
The message
from Dave Poole contains these words:

Pam Moore wrote:

I think I saw this method used by Sarah Raven during her time on GW. I
can't remember the outcome. I noted it, as I had seen it demonstrated
somewhere before and tried the idea. The one thing I learned was that
you need to let the plants get a good mat of roots so that they slide
out of the gutter in one strip. I tried to slide mine out too soon.

Ah, a nifty trick and one that works extremely well is to put a layer
of very thin polythene into the guttering before you fill it with
compost. Make sure there is overlap lengthways and you can easily
slide out the mass of peas, by gently pulling the polythene away from
the gutter. Gently firm the plants in and then carefully pull the
polythene away. This way you don't have to risk the young plants
becoming too root bound and compacted before they are planted out.


This seems a good idea. I have tried the guttering method a few times
but have never felt that the plants get their roots down very
successfully. Perhaps I've left them a bit late.
I'm finding roottrainers establish stronger plants, but you need quite a
few roottrainers - and they aren't cheap.

Isn't that what toilet roll tubes were invented for?

Steve