New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.
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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Cuyahoga Falls,Ohio
Posts: 818
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I'm going to start my garden plants from seed this year and have never done this before.I plan on starting them in two weeks,what is your favorite starting soil mix?
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2008
Location: zone 5 Colorado
Posts: 942
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Fox Farms Light Warrior
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Virginia Beach
Posts: 2,648
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Black Gold seedling mix.
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Michele |
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#4 |
BANNED
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 44
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I am trying Diatomaceous Earth as a seed starting medium this year, was on another site and got a link to Tomatoville where you folks have an extensive thread on the topic.
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=22329 It is real easy to work with and cheap to boot. Heather |
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Cuyahoga Falls,Ohio
Posts: 818
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I'm looking for something that I could buy locally and avoid high shipping cost but again with no experience growing from seed I wanted a complete soil that need nothing but water with 6 weeks of growth before planting.I don't know if there is such a soil available.
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Virginia Beach
Posts: 2,648
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I get the Black Gold from my local garden center. Not sure what you mean by "complete" but seed starting mix won't have any fertilizer in it. When I bump my seedlings up to the bigger pot, I use a regular potting mix and begin to feed them. That's about the time they get two sets of true leaves.
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Michele |
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#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2013
Location: glendora ca
Posts: 2,560
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I usually coco coir but this year i tried Root Zone peat plugs and man these things work amazing. They cost way to much As in 24.99 for 100 but so far these out preform any jiffy pellets, coco coir, or seed starting mix i have tried.
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“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." |
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#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Brownville, Ne
Posts: 3,291
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I have had good luck with Miracle-Gro or like products. Using starter mix has not been so good for me. I begin with 1 1/2 inch six pack pots and pot up to individual 2 or 3 inch containers. No problems with germination or die-off.
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there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes. |
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#9 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
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Karen O |
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#10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: zone 6b, PA
Posts: 5,664
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I used to use ProMix BX but this year just picked up the cheap ($4.97) Organic Jiffy Mix at the local big box store. Started a few dwarfish tomato varieties in early Feb. and they've been potted up twice so far and now have flowers on them. Haven't fed them yet but they're sturdy and dark green.
kath |
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#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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I started with Burpee's mix, but ran out.
I've been using peat-based pro mix on the bottom half of the cell of pot, and then vermiculite in the top half with the seed. I have always had good results with vermiculite. |
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#12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Anmore, BC, Canada
Posts: 3,970
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It used to be Promix HP for me. Not anymore. It was a great mix for seed starting, but pepper seedlings will not thrive in it.
We now make a mix from 75% coco coir and 25% perlite. Works so much better for pepper seedlings! When potting up, we just add 50% compost. Tatiana
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#13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ny
Posts: 1,219
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I start dense sowing (see NCtomatoman's videos) using either Miracle Gro Seed Starting Mix or this year, Espoma Organic Seed Starting Mix. Last year was great and this year seems on track to do the same. When they get a couple sets, I pot them up using whatever commercially bagged potting MIX I can get at that time. Last year again was MG potting mix, this year I'm trying Espoma potting MIX.
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Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7! |
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#14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: California Central Valley
Posts: 2,543
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Happy Frog. It's only $12 a bag at the local hydroponics store -- a great source for organic gardening supplies.
When I pot up, I use a mix of recycled soil and potting mix, with homemade compost. |
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#15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 131
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This is my second year using Vermont Compost's Fort Vee as my seed starting medium. Had amazing results last year with this mix and experiencing like results so far this season. Seedlings are vibrant and exhibit tremendous growth habit. It's pricey but worth it in my opinion.
Fort Vee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcktI2q_5mM
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