Diatomaceous Earth as a seed starting medium

[RayR]

Originally Posted by nativeplanter

I've been eager to try using DE this year, then I remembered - I like to pre-sprout my tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants on wet paper towels on a plate on top of the warm cable box. Normally I just tuck them into the seed starting mix with the root pointing down once they start. I assume this would work with the DE as well - thoughts?

There's no reason why it wouldn't work in DE or any other medium.

[BruceinGa]

Originally Posted by b54red

I like the pure DE for seed starting but prefer a mix or regular potting soil when potting up to larger pots.

RayR, what medium do you use when transplanting your starts to larger pots?

[b54red]

Originally Posted by nativeplanter

I've been eager to try using DE this year, then I remembered - I like to pre-sprout my tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants on wet paper towels on a plate on top of the warm cable box. Normally I just tuck them into the seed starting mix with the root pointing down once they start. I assume this would work with the DE as well - thoughts?

I think you should try starting them in the UltraSorb. The germination is as high as in the paper towels and you eliminate having to move them to a planting medium.

I have been starting my peppers and tomatoes the last few weeks in a cold greenhouse and the germination has been amazing. I don't think I'll ever use anything else for starting small seed again. For tomatoes and peppers I use the bottoms of styrofoam egg cartoons with several small holes in each cup. I use a small drill bit and drill through a stack of 4 or 5 cartoons putting 3 or 4 holes in each individual cup. If you use too large a hole the DE will fall out. I then use the lids with a piece of tape over the two closure holes as bottom watering trays. I fill each with DE then water and place a seed or two in each one then cover lightly with DE and leave it in the tray til wet then take them out. When the DE starts to dry out I just re-water them in the trays with bottom watering. Once the seedlings start developing leaves I give them some dilute Miracle Grow and when they get larger just scoop them out with a spoon and pot them up using regular potting soil.

This method has made seed starting so much more efficient and easy. Thanks again Ray.

Bill

[nativeplanter]

Originally Posted by b54red

I think you should try starting them in the UltraSorb. The germination is as high as in the paper towels and you eliminate having to move them to a planting medium.

I have been starting my peppers and tomatoes the last few weeks in a cold greenhouse and the germination has been amazing. I don't think I'll ever use anything else for starting small seed again. For tomatoes and peppers I use the bottoms of styrofoam egg cartoons with several small holes in each cup. I use a small drill bit and drill through a stack of 4 or 5 cartoons putting 3 or 4 holes in each individual cup. If you use too large a hole the DE will fall out. I then use the lids with a piece of tape over the two closure holes as bottom watering trays. I fill each with DE then water and place a seed or two in each one then cover lightly with DE and leave it in the tray til wet then take them out. When the DE starts to dry out I just re-water them in the trays with bottom watering. Once the seedlings start developing leaves I give them some dilute Miracle Grow and when they get larger just scoop them out with a spoon and pot them up using regular potting soil.

This method has made seed starting so much more efficient and easy. Thanks again Ray.

Bill

Bill, do you provide any heating for your seeds? My seedlings grow in a south-facing porch surrounded in storm windows (screens if it is warm enough). I've found that germination can be spotty if I start right in the pots, due to the cool night temperatures. I seem to get better results if I pre-sprout in a dish over the warm cable box. Heating mats would be optimal, but boy, they are pricey.

[zeroma]

Love this thread! After your seedlings have produced their first few true leaves, what size pot do you pot them into? I thought I was going to put the seeds into saved 6 0z yogurt cups, hoping I'd be able to just grow them out until ready for the garden or if they started to get root bound, pot them into a larger pot, maybe a 1 gallon since I have many of them.

So I guess my question is do you have to repot if you already have them in a larger pot? I know this is likely a silly question, there must be a reason to pot up in stages rather than just sprout and go big.

[zeroma]

When do you start pruniing the seedlings? After they are outdoors in the garden? And can the suckers be used as a cutting, to make more plants? Suckers that don't produce flowers/fruit aren't going to produce a steril plant are they? I'm sure not, but just asking.

[livinonfaith]

nativeplanter,

I don't know if this is the safest thing to do, but last year I bought two inexpensive heating pads. (They were $5 each) Then I put cheap cooling racks on top of those (from the dollar store) and trays with the seed pots on top of that.

There was probably an inch between the pad and the bottom of the tray. That way, they weren't in direct contact with the planting trays, (too much heat) but it did warm the bottom. You can use a thermometer to check the soil temp, to make sure it's not too hot or cool. (I used a meat thermometer.)

It seemed to work well. You do have to keep it moist though because the heat dries it out a little quicker. I might keep a little water in the tray this year to avoid that.

[svalli]

After reading this thread I have gone through the pet supply and auto parts stores here, but can't find any DE cat litter or absorbent, so I am trying moler clay cat litter. I read that it is used for growing bonsai and aquatic plants, so it could be OK for seedstarting too. There's not any really good commercial seed starting mixes here, so it would be great if this works.
I got some free rucola seeds, which I am going to experiment with before sowing my tomatoes and peppers.

[nativeplanter]

Originally Posted by livinonfaith

nativeplanter,

I don't know if this is the safest thing to do, but last year I bought two inexpensive heating pads. (They were $5 each) Then I put cheap cooling racks on top of those (from the dollar store) and trays with the seed pots on top of that.

There was probably an inch between the pad and the bottom of the tray. That way, they weren't in direct contact with the planting trays, (too much heat) but it did warm the bottom. You can use a thermometer to check the soil temp, to make sure it's not too hot or cool. (I used a meat thermometer.)

It seemed to work well. You do have to keep it moist though because the heat dries it out a little quicker. I might keep a little water in the tray this year to avoid that.

Yeah, I've thought of that too. Last year I did the trick of burying christmas lights in trays with (new) cat litter, then putting my seedlings on top of that. It did warm up nicely, but I was always worried that I was going to burn the house down. (For some reason, I'm always paranoid about burning the house down - even after we had it rewired from its original knob-and-tube wiring.)

[RayR]

Originally Posted by BruceinGa

RayR, what medium do you use when transplanting your starts to larger pots?

Potting soil, various decent quality types that I can source locally, peat/perlite or peat/pearlite/compost blends. I amended them with some used DE from seed starting last year and also add some Espoma Bio-Tone Starter Plus, I've used Espoma Tomato-Tone or Plant-Tone in the past also.

[RayR]

Originally Posted by svalli

After reading this thread I have gone through the pet supply and auto parts stores here, but can't find any DE cat litter or absorbent, so I am trying moler clay cat litter. I read that it is used for growing bonsai and aquatic plants, so it could be OK for seedstarting too. There's not any really good commercial seed starting mixes here, so it would be great if this works.
I got some free rucola seeds, which I am going to experiment with before sowing my tomatoes and peppers.

Moler Clay is a type of Diatomaceous Earth that comes from Denmark, rich in iron from what I understand which give it a terracotta color. Let us know how it works.

[Levent]

Taste is a subjective sense.Because of being a diatomite freak I can not be neutral against diatomite grown edibles!However relative and neighbour testimonials fall into same line with mine.Well hydrated/watery/juicy, flavorous, reminding of oldies/heirloom style, less bitter,sometimes rather bland (most likely due to overhydration) These were the main descriptions shared by tasters.I've confronted with very few negatives so far.
It's almost impossible to make a decision on plant productivity only considering growth medium one of the necessary criteria.All I can say is that it's not worse than others,better up to me!Sorry for indefinite comment, we don't have sufficient scientific proof yet.

[Levent]

Stupid me!I missed the proper names due to an unpermanent marker used.Humidity wiped off the variety names, don't remember what is what!I had sown Dwarf varieties for an early indoor start.This PL rugose leaved seedling would be Dwarf Mr Brown or Jade Beauty,not sure.
I want to thank one of the members Delltraveler for the tomato seeds shared with me generously.

[delltraveller]

If the fruits turn out to be flattened, it will be Dwarf Mr Snow; if they are round, Dwarf Jade Beauty.

[Calcat36]

Hello RayR! I was finally able to locate a bag (.33lbs/14,97kg) feels like 50 lbs to me of Moltan Oil Absorbent for $7. Way more than I need, but if it works I will put it all to good use. It doesn't specifically list what it is other than #7133 and "natural earth product."

Am I on the right trail? Thanks!