andyw80
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Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2014 7:54 pm
Location: Macon Ga

Seed Starting Mix

New to the forum. Just getting started with my seeds. Was wondering board thoughts on seed starting mix. All I am doing this year is probably tomatoes in self watering containers I built.

Typically I use

peat/compost/perlite and throw in a little top soil

what are yalls ideas on this?

MB3
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Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:18 pm
Location: Cbus, Ohio

If I had money I would attempt smth like these (from a blog called myvegangarden -- no this is not my gardening blog), but maybe I would modify these a bit. For one, I would probably seek out NEEM Cake (aka Neem Seed Meal) and add that ... it isn't easy to find, and the best bulk deal is at groworganic . com, and there is maybe a vendor at ebay selling smaller amounts (5# for like $18 iirc). But this is smth I see pro tomato growers refer to, not just organic and vegetarian and environmentally-concerned growers. It acts like a pest repellant (all neem products do), and also as a green manure of sorts.

anyhow, I would play with and change these a bit, from that blog I mentioned:
Here are some basic recipes for soil mixes to get you started.

SEED STARTING RECIPE
Coconut Coir 2 Parts
Perlite 1 Part
Worm Castings 1/2 Part
Green Sand 1/4 Part
Kelp Meal 1/4 Part

REPLANTED STARTS
Coconut Coir 2 Parts
Perlite 1 Part
Worm Castings 1 Part
Green Sand 1/4 Part
Kelp Meal 1/4 Part
Rock Dust (Optional)

BASIC CONTAINER RECIPE
Coconut Coir 2 Parts
Perlite 2 Parts
Pine Bark 1 Part
Worm Castings 1 Part
Green Sand 1/4 Part
Kelp Meal 1/4 Part
Rock Dust (Optional)

you may also find this resource handy, sorry for just linking, but it is huge:
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=47
this goes over most all organic materials used in farming/ gardening and discusses them pretty well, and makes notes of what may in the future be disallowed in organic practices.
worth reading.

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rainbowgardener
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Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

we have several threads going about potting mixes, I think. Here's the most current one and it has some links to older threads:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 81&t=56540

here's another recent one:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 48&t=55840

You said seed starting mix. Do you really mean that or do you just mean potting mix? There are seed starting mixes which are generally sterile, with little to no nutrients, and very fine textured, probably mostly just peat ground fine and perlite. If I were trying to make seed starting mix, I definitely wouldn't put any topsoil in it. I don't use a separate seed starting mix, just start everything in regular potting mix (the same stuff I would put in big containers, but I still don't use any topsoil, since mine is very heavy and clay-ey. I think I posted my recipe in both the above threads.

andyw80
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2014 7:54 pm
Location: Macon Ga

thanks for all the info...will check all these out



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