best soil for tomato seedlings?

Keen101 · February 28, 2016

I haven't read through all the similar looking threads, doing that now, but i figured i'd ask anyway.

What is the best soil to start tomatoes from seed? I know sometimes poor potting soil has a tendency to introduce damping off or spontaneous seedling death. So what is the best for tomatoes to insure the best survival? I've heard peat moss is best. Is this true? what are all your experiences.

As some have said in other threads, the miracle grow soil is just plain awful. At least for starting seeds. And i think tomato seedlings may be more fragile than most?

Dutch · February 28, 2016

Hi Keen,
The present champ is Fox Farms Light Warrior.
Metromix 360 is also quite good and a fraction of the price of Light Warrior.
Dutch

AlittleSalt · February 28, 2016

For starting seeds - look for Seed Starting (Mix). Mix has no soil in it.

flyfiishn · February 29, 2016

Definitely look for seed starting mix. Super fluffy and light is key. Lets the cotyledon and stem break through easier and get some air.

I used Jiffy seed starting mix
this year and was impressed with it.

Once I transplant into 4" pots I used Pro Mix HP and a little compost. Its slightly heavier and holds water a little longer than the seed starting mix. Works great.

KarenO · February 29, 2016

Any good commercial seedling mix will be fine. I like miracle grow seed starter there are other brands. Schultz makes one as well. Should be available at any box store or garden Center . You can make your own but it's not worth the hassle for a few seedlings for yourself. Few to me is less than a hundred.
KarenO

Cole_Robbie · February 29, 2016

I just bought a bag of Light Warrior. The price went up. Now it's $25. I'm glad I can get by with just one bag a year.

Hunt-Grow-Cook · February 29, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I just bought a bag of Light Warrior. The price went up. Now it's $25. I'm glad I can get by with just one bag a year.

Geez Cole, I knew it was expensive but that is crazy! For the 1 cubic foot bag? I paid $15 for mine. Then again, Hydro stores are like Starbucks here in CA so they compete as far as pricing goes. You are right though, a little goes a long way.

Cole_Robbie · February 29, 2016

Yes, I use pro-mix in the bottom of the cells, and a little vermiculite on top.

I think worm castings are what make it work so well. I could probably make my own, but I don't have time to tinker with the mix to get it right.

Ricky Shaw · March 1, 2016

I wrestle with this Light Warrior decision, I've been practicing trays all winter with ProMix HP, and flawless results. My real trays are coming up soon, I'll wrestle some more on it.

TomNJ · March 1, 2016

I have been using Miracle Grow Moisture Control potting mix, either by itself or blended with other mixes, for many years, probably since it was introduced. I have never had a seedling lost to damping off. I sift the potting mix through a 1/4" screen to remove larger pieces before planting.

TomNJ/VA

Keen101 · March 2, 2016

I went with this stuff, recommended by my local greenhouse. http://www.fertilomesoils.com/ultimate-potting-mix/

It's basically peat moss and perlite. It's super light and fluffy. Definitely not a "soil".

roper2008 · March 2, 2016

I'm using the left over pro-mix hp from last year. Always works well for me. I use it for
potting up too.

Ricky Shaw · March 3, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keen101

I went with this stuff, recommended by my local greenhouse. http://www.fertilomesoils.com/ultimate-potting-mix/

It's basically peat moss and perlite. It's super light and fluffy. Definitely not a "soil".

That product has a pretty stiff charge of fertilizer, EC 1.5-2.5, more on the order of what you'd see for mature plants. Proceed accordingly.

Ozark · March 7, 2016

Following Dr. Carolyn's method, I've always started my seeds in Jiffy Mix then transplanted them up into 3" square pots, 18 pots to the flat, in MiracleGro Potting Mix. Yes, there are some sticks in the MiracleGro Mix but I just remove those if they're in the way.

About 5 years ago I added a refinement to my method - I started mixing 1 part of my garden soil into 3 parts of MiracleGro Mix when I fill the 3" pots. Seedlings raised in this mixture are much stockier and healthier-looking at transplant time than those raised in MiracleGro alone. I attribute that to trace minerals in my compost-rich garden soil that must be absent in the MiracleGro Mix.

This year I've added a further refinement to my seed-starting method, and I'm real happy with it so far. I'm germinating my pepper and tomato seeds in damp, folded-up paper towels, then moving the already-sprouted seeds into my starter cells of Jiffy Mix. That's working out real, real well - no more oversowing extra seeds in the cells then having to thin and transplant multiple seedlings that come up. No more cells in which no seeds come up, either - just exactly one seedling per cell, start to finish!

I moved my already-germinated pepper seeds into starter cells of Jiffy Mix this morning, only six days after sowing seeds - and as you know, with peppers that's pretty remarkable. I'll do the same with tomatoes in a week.

Jomalley7 · March 15, 2016

I use foxfarm potting soil the ocean version for everything, not seed starting mix and my plants thrive.

February 28, 2016	#1
Keen101 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Colorado Posts: 134	best soil for tomato seedlings? I haven't read through all the similar looking threads, doing that now, but i figured i'd ask anyway. What is the best soil to start tomatoes from seed? I know sometimes poor potting soil has a tendency to introduce damping off or spontaneous seedling death. So what is the best for tomatoes to insure the best survival? I've heard peat moss is best. Is this true? what are all your experiences. As some have said in other threads, the miracle grow soil is just plain awful. At least for starting seeds. And i think tomato seedlings may be more fragile than most?

February 28, 2016	#2
Dutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: S.E. Wisconsin Zone 5b Posts: 1,831	Hi Keen, The present champ is Fox Farms Light Warrior. Metromix 360 is also quite good and a fraction of the price of Light Warrior. Dutch __________________ "Discretion is the better part of valor" Charles Churchill The intuitive mind is a gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. But we have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. (paraphrased) Albert Einstein I come from a long line of sod busters, spanning back several centuries. Last edited by Dutch; February 29, 2016 at 03:22 AM. Reason: Added info & Removed broken search links

February 28, 2016	#3
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	For starting seeds - look for Seed Starting (Mix). Mix has no soil in it.

February 29, 2016	#4
flyfiishn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Northern CA Posts: 80	Definitely look for seed starting mix. Super fluffy and light is key. Lets the cotyledon and stem break through easier and get some air. I used Jiffy seed starting mix this year and was impressed with it. Once I transplant into 4" pots I used Pro Mix HP and a little compost. Its slightly heavier and holds water a little longer than the seed starting mix. Works great.

February 29, 2016	#5
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	Any good commercial seedling mix will be fine. I like miracle grow seed starter there are other brands. Schultz makes one as well. Should be available at any box store or garden Center . You can make your own but it's not worth the hassle for a few seedlings for yourself. Few to me is less than a hundred. KarenO

February 29, 2016	#6
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I just bought a bag of Light Warrior. The price went up. Now it's $25. I'm glad I can get by with just one bag a year.

March 1, 2016	#9
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	I wrestle with this Light Warrior decision, I've been practicing trays all winter with ProMix HP, and flawless results. My real trays are coming up soon, I'll wrestle some more on it.

March 1, 2016	#10
TomNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Floyd VA Posts: 771	I have been using Miracle Grow Moisture Control potting mix, either by itself or blended with other mixes, for many years, probably since it was introduced. I have never had a seedling lost to damping off. I sift the potting mix through a 1/4" screen to remove larger pieces before planting. TomNJ/VA

March 2, 2016	#11
Keen101 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Colorado Posts: 134	I went with this stuff, recommended by my local greenhouse. http://www.fertilomesoils.com/ultimate-potting-mix/ It's basically peat moss and perlite. It's super light and fluffy. Definitely not a "soil".

March 2, 2016	#12
roper2008 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Virginia Bch, VA (7b) Posts: 1,337	I'm using the left over pro-mix hp from last year. Always works well for me. I use it for potting up too.

March 7, 2016	#14
Ozark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ozark, Mo. Posts: 201	Following Dr. Carolyn's method, I've always started my seeds in Jiffy Mix then transplanted them up into 3" square pots, 18 pots to the flat, in MiracleGro Potting Mix. Yes, there are some sticks in the MiracleGro Mix but I just remove those if they're in the way. About 5 years ago I added a refinement to my method - I started mixing 1 part of my garden soil into 3 parts of MiracleGro Mix when I fill the 3" pots. Seedlings raised in this mixture are much stockier and healthier-looking at transplant time than those raised in MiracleGro alone. I attribute that to trace minerals in my compost-rich garden soil that must be absent in the MiracleGro Mix. This year I've added a further refinement to my seed-starting method, and I'm real happy with it so far. I'm germinating my pepper and tomato seeds in damp, folded-up paper towels, then moving the already-sprouted seeds into my starter cells of Jiffy Mix. That's working out real, real well - no more oversowing extra seeds in the cells then having to thin and transplant multiple seedlings that come up. No more cells in which no seeds come up, either - just exactly one seedling per cell, start to finish! I moved my already-germinated pepper seeds into starter cells of Jiffy Mix this morning, only six days after sowing seeds - and as you know, with peppers that's pretty remarkable. I'll do the same with tomatoes in a week.

March 15, 2016	#15
Jomalley7 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Crown Point Posts: 4	I use foxfarm potting soil the ocean version for everything, not seed starting mix and my plants thrive.