Seed starting soil

tgplp · January 25, 2011

Does it matter what type of soil you start your tomato seeds in? Because usually I plant them in unfertilized potting soil.

Thanks!
Taryn

feldon30 · January 25, 2011

Soilless seed starting mix is like potting soil, but contains no soil at all and has been sterilized. You can get lucky for years with potting soil but then one year, boom, nothing comes up.

Might be able to sterilize the potting soil with hydrogen peroxide or something, I don't know.

Stepheninky · January 25, 2011

I also use potting soil.

It is best to microwave the potting soil for a couple of minutes it will kill anything like fungus or bacteria or bug larva and eggs in the soil. If you use anything with a high peat content you can water with hydrogen peroxide 3 % straight from the bottle and it will help prevent damping off. It also will add oxygen to the soil. If seed starting mix is too wet bacteria, fungus can occur, also waterlogged soil can stress or kill the seedling. The use of hydrogen peroxide which breaks down into water and Oxygen will prevent those issues. It also can help the seedling to germinate quicker.

tgplp · January 26, 2011

Thanks! I think I'll just microwave the soil and hope I get lucky.

organichris · January 31, 2011

I'm trying a modified version of this recipe this year:

3 parts peat moss
3 parts worm castings (thinking about doing 2)
1 part perlite

This way you get your nutrients for early plant growth, but you won't harm the seedlings with chemicals.

feldon30 · January 31, 2011

Unsubs from thread.

dice · February 5, 2011

I always water mine first with a mild hydrogen peroxide solution
(1 part drugstore hydrogen peroxide, 10 parts water), no matter
what I am starting them in. It will kill bacteria, fungi, etc. I do not
add worm castings, mycorrhizae and beneficial bacteria, or
any kind of fertilizer until potting them up into 4" pots or similar,
so the hydrogen peroxide in the seed starting cells is not going
to kill anything that I actually want to stay alive in the soil, while
it will kill things like the fungi that cause damping off.

outsiders71 · March 21, 2011

I hate to waste money on a mix, but the last couple years I got different seed starting results. The one year I had excellent results must have been due to the worm castings I was using. The other years I think it failed due to the coir and its PH buffering problems.

January 25, 2011	#1
tgplp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pacific North West, zone 8a Posts: 510	Seed starting soil Does it matter what type of soil you start your tomato seeds in? Because usually I plant them in unfertilized potting soil. Thanks! Taryn

January 25, 2011	#2
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Soilless seed starting mix is like potting soil, but contains no soil at all and has been sterilized. You can get lucky for years with potting soil but then one year, boom, nothing comes up. Might be able to sterilize the potting soil with hydrogen peroxide or something, I don't know. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

January 31, 2011	#6
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Unsubs from thread. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

February 5, 2011	#7
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	I always water mine first with a mild hydrogen peroxide solution (1 part drugstore hydrogen peroxide, 10 parts water), no matter what I am starting them in. It will kill bacteria, fungi, etc. I do not add worm castings, mycorrhizae and beneficial bacteria, or any kind of fertilizer until potting them up into 4" pots or similar, so the hydrogen peroxide in the seed starting cells is not going to kill anything that I actually want to stay alive in the soil, while it will kill things like the fungi that cause damping off. __________________ -- alias

January 25, 2011	#3
Stepheninky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 682	I also use potting soil. It is best to microwave the potting soil for a couple of minutes it will kill anything like fungus or bacteria or bug larva and eggs in the soil. If you use anything with a high peat content you can water with hydrogen peroxide 3 % straight from the bottle and it will help prevent damping off. It also will add oxygen to the soil. If seed starting mix is too wet bacteria, fungus can occur, also waterlogged soil can stress or kill the seedling. The use of hydrogen peroxide which breaks down into water and Oxygen will prevent those issues. It also can help the seedling to germinate quicker.

January 26, 2011	#4
tgplp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pacific North West, zone 8a Posts: 510	Thanks! I think I'll just microwave the soil and hope I get lucky.

January 31, 2011	#5
organichris Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 630	I'm trying a modified version of this recipe this year: 3 parts peat moss 3 parts worm castings (thinking about doing 2) 1 part perlite This way you get your nutrients for early plant growth, but you won't harm the seedlings with chemicals.

March 21, 2011	#8
outsiders71 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 150	I hate to waste money on a mix, but the last couple years I got different seed starting results. The one year I had excellent results must have been due to the worm castings I was using. The other years I think it failed due to the coir and its PH buffering problems.