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seeds What is the best seed starting medium ?

scottmanb

scottmanb

I am looking for the optium seed starting mix for starting peppers. What do you use? Do you use a pre package mix ? Do you blend your own mix ? Anyone have any luck using coco coir ? If you blend you own, could you share your recipe? Any information can be helpful to me and anyone would reads this thread. Let's grow some strong and heathy seedlings for 2012, with the help of the members, on this fine forum. THP
Thanks for all the info. :cool:
scottmanb
 
im partial to the rapid rooter type peat plugs myself. when the plants go into a hydro system i use the mini rock wool cubes tho.

ive been itching to try those oasis horticubes, but it seems like you can only buy them by the case of 1000
 
I haven't ad an issue yet with the peat pellets, once I pot up, use a vegetable mix with higher nitro and when put them in ground, I mixed sheep compost with black earth (about 1 for 2). When I repotted the couple for overwinter, I went back to the veg mix with some worm castings. Of course this is my first full run hehe.
 
It might be helpful if we knew what kind of quantity you're looking at. I start my seeds in damp paper towels, and have had very high success with this method. However, I only have 48 plants this year - I wouldn't want to do that if I was starting 1,000 plants, though. After they sprout, I just move them to a packaged peat mix until they're too big to stay in the little peat cups. (I just use little plastic bathroom cups for the peat mix, with holes cut in the bottom.)

You'll still get a mix of answers, regardless of how many you're starting, but at least that can narrow it down for us.
 
geeme said:
It might be helpful if we knew what kind of quantity you're looking at. I start my seeds in damp paper towels, and have had very high success with this method. However, I only have 48 plants this year - I wouldn't want to do that if I was starting 1,000 plants, though. After they sprout, I just move them to a packaged peat mix until they're too big to stay in the little peat cups. (I just use little plastic bathroom cups for the peat mix, with holes cut in the bottom.)

You'll still get a mix of answers, regardless of how many you're starting, but at least that can narrow it down for us.
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I Start around 60 plants a year. Mostly hot, but some sweets and ornamentals too.
Where do you put the damp paper towels while you are waiting for them to germinate ?
 
queequeg152 said:
im partial to the rapid rooter type peat plugs myself. when the plants go into a hydro system i use the mini rock wool cubes tho.

ive been itching to try those oasis horticubes, but it seems like you can only buy them by the case of 1000
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Gre_nhouse megastore sells them by the sheet. They have 2 sizes 1" and 1.25 " I never used rock wool before.
 
i just checked, and they sell sheets of 'horti cubes' which are apparently not suitable for hydro.

i misspoke when i said oasis horticubes, i meant oasis rootcubes. they sell the root cubes, but only by the thousands lol.

http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/oasis-rootcubes/grow-media
 
Coco coir and good quality seed raising mix half half. That gives me best germination but is a PITA. So i use jiffy pellets. :D
 
If your wanting to start with soil, I've heard Hoffmans seed starting mix has 90-95% germination with everyone who has used it. I know many members on here use it. AlabamaJack uses it, and I'm pretty sure Jim Duffy uses it. I'll be trying it out at the end of this year with 200+seeds. I wish I had the space, money, time, to use the moist paper towel/coffee filter in a clear cup with lid so I could micro manage everything that's going on. but with 68 varieties I would need to buy probably another 5 seed heating mats, and another 5 heating mat digital thermostats to fit all the cups lol.. So mine will be going into 3 72ct cell flats, on 3 heating mats with the mat temp set at 82 degrees. Hope this helps a bit.

Good luck!
 
That depends. I find rockwool cubes to be really comfortable and easy to use, because, well, they hold water extremely well and let you control everything. plus you can transplant the seedlings easily to any other medium you like. rockwool cubes, though, are relatively expensive. when I plan on transplanting the seedlings into soil or pots, I usually prefer using peat. when germinating in bulk quantities in trays, I just just clean, high-quality peat. that's mainly because I separate them and transplant relatively early, so no need to fertilize. when germination is in cups, pots or proper seed trays, I usually use a mix of 40% peat, 40% perlite and 20% humus. lack of budget sometimes forces me to use cheaper already-mixed mediums, but the cheap price shows.
 
What's worked for me is a combo of "Fafards Metro Mix, Fox Farms Light Warrior, additional sphagnum peat, and vermiculite" when needed all ingredients get mixed well and dampened overnite in 5 gal buckets. The next day the mix gets distributed into 72 cell flat inserts.
Potting up is a different story...

Greg
 
I use a mix of 45% peat 20% perlite 35% steam treated mushroom compost. It works well for me and seems to hold the right amount of moisture. Also I wick water my seed trays.
 
BigCedar said:
If your wanting to start with soil, I've heard Hoffmans seed starting mix has 90-95% germination with everyone who has used it. I know many members on here use it. AlabamaJack uses it, and I'm pretty sure Jim Duffy uses it. I'll be trying it out at the end of this year with 200+seeds. I wish I had the space, money, time, to use the moist paper towel/coffee filter in a clear cup with lid so I could micro manage everything that's going on. but with 68 varieties I would need to buy probably another 5 seed heating mats, and another 5 heating mat digital thermostats to fit all the cups lol.. So mine will be going into 3 72ct cell flats, on 3 heating mats with the mat temp set at 82 degrees. Hope this helps a bit.

Good luck!
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I won't use anything else besides Hoffmans Seed Starting Mix...it is very light weight and IMO promotes good root growth because of that...sometimes it is hard to get it wet to begin with but patience is a virtue when starting seeds and in general growing peppers...I use about 10-15 18 quart bags each year...

I have tried Jiffy and Light Warrior seed starting mix but the Jiffy has too many "logs" in it and the chunks of perlite in light warrior are too large IMO...I used Peat Pellets but don't like the netting over the peat which (again MHO) restricts root growth...

Bottom line is you have to experiment with different seed starting media and use what works best for you...I love the paper towel in a baggie method, but still transplant to hoffmans once they have sprouted...

if you do decide to try hoffmans, soak it in warm water for 24 hours before planting...that works well and the warm temperature helps the media soak up the water...
 
Last year I used the paper towel in little cups/lids technique ... then into peat pellets.

I liked the cup trick alot ... the pellets, not so much.

I was looking at these ... Rapid Rooters

Do any of y'all have experience with these for starting seeds ?
 
When I germinate in paper towels (or coffee filters, which prevent the roots from digging in), I either put them on top of the fridge or in some other warm spot.
 
cmpman1974 said:
Promix PGX blend - AWESOME alternative to Hoffman's. :)

Chris
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That is what I been using for the past 8 years. It's easy to work with. I add hot water to the mix a few hours before I use it. It rehydrates the mix. If you don't take this step, the mix doesn't absorb the water that well. If you do, it suck up the water quickly. I water all my seedlings from the bottom. I'm going to mix some coir with the PBX this years and see what happens.

I used the Hoffman's Years ago and I thought it was great stuff, but I started going through so much seed starter every season, I looked around for a more economical source. That's when I started using the Pro Mix. The last time I bought a bale 3.8 cubic feet it cost around $35 USD. It last me around 4 years. Good Stuff !

Scott
 
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