Containers and soils for seeds in greenhouse planting!

[Bobberman]

I try to not spend too much on soil mixes to plant my seeds! The boxes I have been using were styrofoam grape boxes I got at the store! They are really nice about 6 inches deep about 12 by 15 inches. They even have holes along the sides! What I do is put the box inside a clear garbage bag then I add a inch or two leaves and 3 inches of good top soil from my garden! I buy the seed starting mix from Wal mart for like $7 for 2 or 3 cubic feet ion a bag! I tamp the garden soil down and a half inch of the seed soil & tamp it down then add the seeds. I put another inch of seed soil on top the seeds and press it down tight. I either pour water on the finished mix or have the seed soil alreay wet! I now cover the box with ither plastic or a old window till the seeds sprout! I get very few weeds and the plants are very healthy!. Check for these white styrofoam boxes. The grapes are coming in a plastic type cardboard now and they are also nice for plants! You can punch a few holes in the plastic bags so the box will drain. The plastic does hold the moisture and keeps the leaves damp! Works for me even in a very cold greenhouse!

[wordwiz]

Whatever works, works. I tend to buy more expensive potting mix - Fertilome Ultimate. Probably about $24 for a 65 quart bag. But I figure if I'm going to spend dozens of dollars on seeds and lots of hours sowing them, I would just as soon get great germination rates and growth. I cannot seem to achieve that with inexpensive potting mix.

Mike

[pondlady]

If you use garden soil you will need to sterilize it first! the are many "not good stuff" in garden soil that will damage your little seedlings! not to mention the weed seeds. If it works for you that is good! I had nothing but problems when I tried this. Weeds, Damping off, Fungus....ect.....

[Handsomeryan]

I use Metro Mix 360 for seed starting and growing of some annual plants (tobacco and tomatoes mostly) and Metro Mix 852 for most of the perennial crops. It isn't cheap though, $12ish per bag and that is buying half-pallets at a time.

[Bobberman]

My seed boxes worked great this year. I used the styrofoam boxes mostly. I did not put the plastic at the bottom of the box this year. Instead I place news paper to cover the holes in the styrofoam! I added some compost material and some blood meal then covered it with my strained garden soil! I put about 3 inches of my soil then cover it with2 inches of bout seed stater soil or potting soil! I only had two boxes that did not produce out of about 40 boxes. Very few weeds and no damping off even at low below 40 tempretures.
+++
Now the tomatoes can grow in the box since I thinned out the majority of them and trans planed them! I like the strained garden soil since it holds moisture better than the bought soils and is very cheap. !