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seeds Interesting observation...seedlings...

So I am way late this year. Starting off from seed on all but four varieties. So anyway (praying for a mild fall and late winter), ANYWAY Ive been starting seeds in the Burpee Super Grow Pellets, which I THINK, dont hold me to it, are coir, as well as in the baggies in coffe filters.

Well the other day I was in a pinch and didn't have any of the pellets handy, and all I had was some potting soil from a co worker who owns a nursery, which is mostly pine fines, perlite, vermiculite, and micro nutrients. Well I went to put the germinated seeds from the coffee filters into the pellet medium and was out. Well I used the potting soil. 2 days later I came back to move them....again ( didnt want to but I was trying to consolidate all my sprouts into one large 72 cell tray, so WTH. Well I realized that the ones that had been in the potting soil had an awesome root system with multiple fiberous roots shooting every where, while the ones in the pellet material just had your basic tap root with not much else going on, same age, same variety, and relatively same moitsure (as close as I could keep them).

Only reason I bring this up is it seems that most do not like to introduce seedlings to nutrients until theyre on up in age, but whatever his supplier mixed in his soil seems to be doing the roots well, or maybe it's a difference in texture of the medium?

WHICH NOOOOOOOOOOOW makes me wonder, should I move them all back into potting soil now that theyre up and some are working on second set of true leaves, some with just the cotyledon, and some with just one set of true leaves. Not much substantial difference in the sizes of the plants above ground, but the roots seemed healthier in the soil than the coir.

Am I over thinking this? I have until most likely late October as far as growing season, but still germinating seeds, Im trying to move the process along as quickly as possible. I have a feeling some are going into pots so they can come inside this winter, atleast some of the superhots that take a while. Not too worried about the jalapeno, cayennes, and most habanero varieties I have, as theyre pretty quick to grow and fruit it seems like.
 
I dont know if I would move them yet again at this point, but I think it should be something you may keep in mind for the next seeds you start, theres nothing wrong in my opinion with starting them in soil that has natural nutriants and as your results showed the plants root system seemed to enjoy it, remember these plants are meant to self propagate in the wild, the seeds grow where they are dropped and continue the cycle, if they were that picky about what it takes to grow then they would have died out as a species long ago. so just let mother nature do her thang :)
also Im not a fan of pellets but thats just my opinion they work great for lots of people. I like to use potting soil, pro-mix, or mediums like STG , or loose coir not pelleted.
Overall though all a seed needs is warmth and moisture, so almost everyone has there own way or preference and all they seem to work for different people.

-Rich
 
The coir was actually started and mixed in a bucket and put back into the cells. It was too tight and risky imo to do it by the instructions. I was scared it wouldn't all expand
 
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