seed starting mix

[Cole_Robbie]

I usually buy Schultz brand at Menard's: http://www.menards.com/main/outdoors...51815493961034

[Aerial]

Thank you... mystery solved!

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

The contensst are dyed blue and it is water soluble solids. It comes in 5 lbs bag ( about $11.00) or smaller. It is called "All Purpose Plant Food". It has a 24-8-16 (NPK) analysis. Very economical.
Here is a picture

[Gerardo]

Coco coir with perlite and/or aeration rocKs does the job too. No crust, good moisture retention, easy to innoculate with a favorable microbe profile. The better ones are more or less neutral.

The last few batches I've been doing the initial (and only) watering with dilute Pure Blend Tea and/or SeaPlex from Botanicare. Great stuff. Germination rates almost 100% with an o/n soaK in the dilute mix.

TappinRoots also comes in as a pinch hitter sometimes.

[Gardadore]

My favorite seed starting base is coco coir to which I add Perlite in a ratio of about 3 to 1 coir to Perlite. The idea of using DE in the mix as Ray does intrigues me. But it is amusing to find us going back and forth on which is the best starting mix when in fact I often have better germination rates just starting the seeds in damp paper towels placed in a plastic bag! Once the seeds sprout they are gently transferred to yogurt cups filled with the coir mix with worm castings added to grow on. I like this method because I know exactly what's in my cups and am not waiting for seeds to germinate in the mix and wondering how many are viable. This does not work for tiny seeds but is great for tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, etc.
Nevertheless it has been an interesting discussion and I do like to experiment with different mediums for growing.

[Fusion_power]

First, a huge caution about mixing your own seed start mix. Many common ingredients, especially worm castings, have huge loads of fungal organisms that love to chomp on tender seedlings. If you mix your own, be prepared to deal with the diseases.

With that said, the best natural seed start mix I've found is 5 parts worm castings, 5 parts high quality peat moss, and 2 parts perlite. I found that steam sterilizing this mix turns it into a superb seed start medium. Steam sterilizing can be done outdoors in a drum. If you need detailed instructions, IM and I'll send them.

[AZGardener]

Wow everyone has some great start mediums! I just use Jiffy Pots (the little tiny ones that come 12 or so in a box?) from HD. I always have at least 90% germination, if not better. I usually start 144-200 starts and its super dry here (Phx,AZ). I use a water spray bottle to keep them moist and of course a light and fan to keep them growing and moving. Seems to work like a charm?

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by AZGardener

Wow everyone has some great start mediums! I just use Jiffy Pots (the little tiny ones that come 12 or so in a box?) from HD. I always have at least 90% germination, if not better. I usually start 144-200 starts and its super dry here (Phx,AZ). I use a water spray bottle to keep them moist and of course a light and fan to keep them growing and moving. Seems to work like a charm?

I used to start in the paper egg cartons as did just about everyone else I new growing up.
And everyone used garden soil or sand to start in.
It worked just fine.

Worth

[jillian]

Well, my sweet daughter gave me a Dr. Meter soil tester for Christmas. I will be checking the ph of my mix soon, I am very curious and will post result. I have decided that I will add some perlite to the mix to help balance moisture. Thanks for all the opinions, this is been a very interesting and informative thread!

[Worth1]

I just checked the jiffy organic seed starting mix and the MG Natures care organic raised bed soil I am using for potting up.
They both came in at around 6.8 with my cheap meter that serves me well.
To test the meter to see ids it was even working I put about a tablespoon of vinegar in the 2 cups of wet potting soil and it fell to 4.8.
The water I used to wet the soil was RO water.

Worth

[Aerial]

Which meter are you using Worth?

[RayR]

Originally Posted by jillian

Well, my sweet daughter gave me a Dr. Meter soil tester for Christmas. I will be checking the ph of my mix soon, I am very curious and will post result. I have decided that I will add some perlite to the mix to help balance moisture. Thanks for all the opinions, this is been a very interesting and informative thread!

Congrats on your new PH probe. A lot of these inexpensive glass electrode PH probes don't come with the accessories needed to maintain it. You need a PH probe storage solution to keep the sponge in the cap wet that hydrates the glass electrode when not in use. A dry glass electrode is a dead electrode. The glass electrode is made of extremely thin blown glass so it is fragile. Do not put the electrode directly into soil, you won't get an accurate reading and avoid any hard particles like sand, perlite or pebbles that could scratch or shatter the glass.
I'm not familiar with that brand but I see it comes with 2 calibration buffers to start with. You need to calibrate the meter regularly to maintain accuracy.

[Cole_Robbie]

Yep....everything Ray just said.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Aerial

Which meter are you using Worth?

I'm not going to say.
Well okay it is the cheap Ferry Morse meter my wife bought for me years ago.
Not being a jerk but I have heard too many people say it was junk.
To me it isn't junk I learned how to use it for my garden and it did wonders beyond imagination.
There are much better meters out there but if any of them are use incorrectly they aren't any better.
The probes have to be clean and free of any hand oils.
I just soaked a container of seed starting soil with 5% acidity vinegar and it shows 3.0 on the scale I bet that isn't that far off.

The Sauerkraut I made shows 2.5 on average sometimes 3 it keeps jumping around.


Worth

[Worth1]

The Sauerkraut tastes like it is 3.

Worth

[Gardeneer]

This is what I am using. I have had Ferry Morse before. I think I still have it somewhere.
I bought this kit at Petsmat. It is sold to check fish tanks pH.
At 7 bucks has enough solution to do 250 tests.
Before I sent my soil samples to the lab, I did a pH test with this. The lab test came back with 6.4, 6.5. My test was about 6. 6. Close enough . What you do is to compare the color of solution to the color card .

Gardeneer.