Seed starting dirt

[hoosierheightsfarm]

What do I need to use to start my tomato plants and such? I have some worm dirt, and some compost, but what else do I need? Should I just get something from the store?

Thanks,
Patrick

[sammyqc]

I start my seeds in a Vermiculite/Perlite/Peatmoss/Dirt mix.
It depends on how picky you want to be. A lot of people don't like soil, or compost, for seed starting, cause you can get dampening off of the seeds/seedlings. I use soil, and have no probs, (knock on wood). I wouldn't waste your money on the expensive seed starter mixes though. You can make your own with the three first ingredients I listed pretty cheapy. And if you throw in some worm poop, you'd probably have great seedlings! Great fertilizer right there!

[Alan]

LOL, Patrick if you had my horticulture teacher in high school you would have been in big trouble. We were never allowed to use the word "dirt" in his class, it was either soil or soilless mix!

Anyhow, sammy is right on in her recipie.

Here is what I use:

80% Premier Canadian Peat Spagnum moss
10% worm castings
5% Pearlite
5% lime

It works pretty well, I mix it up in a bucket (trashcan in my case) with warm water and use a bit of orignial palm olive (no scents or antibacterial stuff, it will burn or kill your plants) as a wetting agent since Spagnum is hydrophobic and hard to actually get the fibers to expand in water without it.

Wet it untill it is moist like a wrung out sponge but not soaking, get a really nice mix going, fill your trays, pots, ext. and go for it.

If you want to pot up a plant do the same but add a bit of sand, a bid of bonemeal, and a bit of bloodmeal and watch as your plants go absolutely crazy!


One more thing I have been adding recently is Epsom Salts which seem to really help the plants out a lot, particularly in a cold frame where the temperature is constantly fluctuating and with a magnesium deficiency and cold plant roots which inhibit phosphorus uptake you tend to get some yellowing of the plant leaves. The epsom salts have remidied this completley!

Hope this helps buddy!

-Alan

[plantsnobin]

Patrick, if you stop by sometime I can let you have some of what I use. Karen

[hoosierheightsfarm]

Oh that'd be great karen. I got a bunch of seeds coming from Alan, and didn't know what to do.
Thanks, I work today and the weekend, let me know when youa re gong to be around.

Patrick

[plantsnobin]

I should be around today, you get off around 4?

[hoosierheightsfarm]

I get off at 4:30pm. If I can make it up your driveway!

[plantsnobin]

OK, I am pretty sure I'll be home! Don't know if Mike is going to get out and clean the driveway off, it sits pretty low and when we get a snow like this it drifts over it quite a bit. My phone # is 4580 if you want to call before you try it.

[hoosierheightsfarm]

I'm taking a co-worker home, then I'll be over there. Probably towards 5-ish.