Bobberman
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Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:31 pm
Location: Latrobe Pa.

Experimenting with mixes and boxes starting seeds!

Last year I tried several things with strained garden soils and potting mixes in my seed boxes! It seemed that most things worked even in below 40 temps..
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This year I am trying something new for the first time with soil and boxes! Abut 3 weeks ago I straines 2 wheel barrows of garden dirt from one of my raised beds. I stored it in the green house which I used this past weekend!
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I took the styrofoam boxes and put each inside a white trash
bag so the bottom and top foam was covered with plastic. I put a inch of leaves with blood meal and a little of the strained top soil. I covered the soil with one thin sheet of news paper! I mixed a good potting soil, sand and straned garden soil n a 1-1- dirt & potting soil mix then added sand at 1/2 the rait so I had a 1-1--1/2 mix! I put 2 inches top the paper and patted it down. I placed the seeds on top! The final thing was to strain the mix on top of the seeds and pat down again!. Now we will see what happens in the sweat chamber I put the boxes inside!
The mix looked great and will be alive not dead like most potting mixes with even a few worms top and bottom!!
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The plastic cover over the foam boxes holds the moisture longer. I can punch a small hole if needed! I cover the top of some of the boxes with plastic till the seeds sprout bt left a few open since my sweat chamber is moiste! I like to let my plants stay in the boxes sometimes till I am ready to plant. I thin some of the boxes and put plants in 4 or 6 packs! Any questions?

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hendi_alex
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Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina

The only concern that I would have is in using garden soil for seed starting. IMO that introduces a much greater chance of some kind of soil born disease affecting the plants at a very young age. I would prefer to use sterile soil for the see starting, until the plants are set into the garden. After the plants are up and growing vigorously, they will be less susceptible to soil born diseases.

Bobberman
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Posts: 2437
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:31 pm
Location: Latrobe Pa.

I have not had any problem with using garding soil before. A few weeds is the biggest problem. Someof the potting soils have problems of their own especially when the moisture is in them for a long time before you buy them! I do buy even composted manure which I also have in some of the mixes. I just got a 1.5 cubic foot bag of composted manure fromAgway and it was the nicest finest mixes I have ever seen! I pln on getting two more bags at about $7 each!

Bobberman
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Posts: 2437
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:31 pm
Location: Latrobe Pa.

Seeds are coming up nice. I think the straied potting on top o the seeds makes a big diffwerence sepecially with small seeds since the potting soil has many big pieces mixed in it! Try strainin a potting soil and you will be surprised how big the barks and mixes are.
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I put the big pieces at the bottom of my other boxes or mix it with the strained garden soil that I add to the bottom of the boxes! I have about 35 boxes coming up! I can take my time moving the p[lants since I have good soil for them to grow even for a month!



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