seeds best soil for seed germ ?

[frisky]

here is 3 kinds of seed soil i purchased

was wondering what gives you guys the best results ? i hear a few posts of people using black lable ..what do you think my best bet is ?

sorry forgot to mention i am new to the forum and starting my first setup as shown here : http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/27737-first-try-bhut-jolokia/

so i am unsure what soils are best to go with.

 

[megahot]

here is 3 kinds of seed soil i purchased

was wondering what gives you guys the best results ? i hear a few posts of people using black lable ..what do you think my best bet is ?

sorry forgot to mention i am new to the forum and starting my first setup as shown here : http://www.thehotpep...y-bhut-jolokia/

so i am unsure what soils are best to go with.

You dont need anything special! I'm unfamiliar with those potting mediums. Just using something that is peat based, and has good drainage, as well as light for root growth.Use a bit of vermiculite to hold in moisture. After you read the label you can decide which is best. Maybe do a test and use more then one mix and compare to see which is best.

 

[PaulG]

I've got a test going like that now, comparing starter mixes with and without peat. One is Orchid Bark
and the other is my own general garden mix. I'll post results as things progress.

There are lots of good threads on this forum about soil for different purposes. A little search should
take you to some great information!

 

[mrjomama12341]

Anything works that wont compact to tightly. If it has wood,bark or peat moss then you will get more air in the soil letting the roots breathe.

there's a great guide here http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/10245-all-about-soil-a-great-resource-i-thought-i-would-share/

 

[harry]

here is 3 kinds of seed soil i purchased

was wondering what gives you guys the best results ? i hear a few posts of people using black lable ..what do you think my best bet is ?

sorry forgot to mention i am new to the forum and starting my first setup as shown here : http://www.thehotpep...y-bhut-jolokia/

so i am unsure what soils are best to go with.

This season I started the majority of my chilli seeds in 100 mm pots filled with Debco Seed Raising Mix. I used Amgrow Seed Raising Mix last season that came with bonus Springtails.

I compared the mixes last season by planting one each of a couple of Maraba Yellow plants in the Amgrow and the Debco Seed Raising Mixes. The Debco mix brought my badly stunted seedlings back from the brink better than the Amgrow mix.

Do you have enough seeds to hedge your bets and start some seeds side by side in each medium in the vein of PaulG's comparison?

 

[frisky]

Anything works that wont compact to tightly. If it has wood,bark or peat moss then you will get more air in the soil letting the roots breathe.

there's a great guide here http://www.thehotpep...-i-would-share/

thanks for the link mate ill check it out.

Do you have enough seeds to hedge your bets and start some seeds side by side in each medium in the vein of PaulG's comparison?

yea plenty of seeds to test... guess ill just try all 3 and see what gets the best results.

 

[SuperHot]

You dont need anything special! I'm unfamiliar with those potting mediums. Just using something that is peat based, and has good drainage, as well as light for root growth.Use a bit of vermiculite to hold in moisture. After you read the label you can decide which is best. Maybe do a test and use more then one mix and compare to see which is best.

+1
I have to agree!!
Try not to over water them either which is an easy mistake to make for many.

 

[frisky]

+1
I have to agree!!
Try not to over water them either which is an easy mistake to make for many.

i gave them a spray 3 times today as the temps are at 30c in my hydro setup and the soil gets quite dry after a few hours at that temp.
so 3 light sprays a day at 30c temps is to much ? or is that ok ? sorry i am new to all this and don't wanna over water my bhut and habanero seeds..

 

[Pablo_h]

Ask Grant what he uses!
http://www.thehotpep...on/page__st__40

I am not a fan of some seed raising mixes, I think loose woody mixes aren't much good for germination. Germination mixes need to hold moisture not air, they need to take the seed cap off. Drainage and air to the roots isn't important if you transplant them soon after germination.
If you look at some big growers, they use jiffies, and keep them so moist they are mouldy.
Airy wood chippy mixes like amgrow aren't very good for germination, if the seeds dry out, they are done for sometimes.
You shouldn't be worried about root development and air getting to them, you should be worried about keeping them moist. A lot of people germinate in plastic (containers or zip lock bags) on a paper towel.
Debco seed raising mix is OK because it has some sand in it to hold moisture, but it is still a little to much wood chips, and if it gets dry it does go hard
I don't know what plantcare seed raising mix is like, but out of your three examples I'd go for the coco coir brick, which will hold moisture well kind of like a jiffy pellet.
A woody seed raising mix may make it too easy for the seed to have a an easy path through all the big airy gaps and have a stuck seed cap, or worse still, get stuck under a wood chip.
Then after germination, repot it into some decent mix so it can develop roots in a good airy mix. Coco coir holds moisture well without turning rock hard if it dries up a bit, like some potting mixes can.

edit: I've also read the the amgrow is mainly compost, with a little bit of peat, and very high in ferts

 

[harry]

i gave them a spray 3 times today as the temps are at 30c in my hydro setup and the soil gets quite dry after a few hours at that temp.
so 3 light sprays a day at 30c temps is to much ? or is that ok ? sorry i am new to all this and don't wanna over water my bhut and habanero seeds..

When you say 3 light sprays do you mean just over the medium?

Is there a reason why the temperature is so high?

 

[frisky]

Ask Grant what he uses!
http://www.thehotpep...on/page__st__40

I am not a fan of some seed raising mixes, I think loose woody mixes aren't much good for germination. Germination mixes need to hold moisture not air, they need to take the seed cap off. Drainage and air to the roots isn't important if you transplant them soon after germination.
If you look at some big growers, they use jiffies, and keep them so moist they are mouldy.
Airy wood chippy mixes like amgrow aren't very good for germination, if the seeds dry out, they are done for sometimes.
You shouldn't be worried about root development and air getting to them, you should be worried about keeping them moist. A lot of people germinate in plastic (containers or zip lock bags) on a paper towel.
Debco seed raising mix is OK because it has some sand in it to hold moisture, but it is still a little to much wood chips, and if it gets dry it does go hard
I don't know what plantcare seed raising mix is like, but out of your three examples I'd go for the coco coir brick, which will hold moisture well kind of like a jiffy pellet.
A woody seed raising mix may make it too easy for the seed to have a an easy path through all the big airy gaps and have a stuck seed cap, or worse still, get stuck under a wood chip.
Then after germination, repot it into some decent mix so it can develop roots in a good airy mix. Coco coir holds moisture well without turning rock hard if it dries up a bit, like some potting mixes can.

edit: I've also read the the amgrow is mainly compost, with a little bit of peat, and very high in ferts

thanks for the info mate. ill be getting red habanero and hot wax chilli seeds tomorrow so i think ill test the coir seed mix with that lot.

When you say 3 light sprays do you mean just over the medium?

Is there a reason why the temperature is so high?

do you mean a medium spray ? its just a light spray over the whole lot with a spray bottle


i seen alot of posts in the forums saying 30c is good temps for hot peppers like bhuts and habanero

should i try around 28c ?

 

[harry]

do you mean a medium spray ? its just a light spray over the whole lot with a spray bottle

I use the term medium to refer to either the coir bricks or the potting mix. I sowed my seeds 1 cm deep into the mix of and sprayed the pots about 20 times each. I though started my plants outside in a mini greenhouse that became warmer than I liked when temperatures went into the mid 20s. There were days I sprayed the pods in the morning and in the afternoon.

i seen alot of posts in the forums saying 30c is good temps for hot peppers like bhuts and habanero

should i try around 28c ?

Try 28 °C and check how dry they become overnight while you sleep.

 

[frisky]

Try 28 °C and check how dry they become overnight while you sleep.

ok will give that a try. thanks champ

 

[souf]

make sure to throughly wash the coir block, ive read some companies coir is heavy with salts...

 

[Eephus Man]

I personally use a good potting mix. Holds moisture, but not TOO much. I find the seed mixes dry out too fast for me indoors w/ artificial heat in a generally dry (or at least middle of the road) climate. My local potting mix works wonders. Good luck with it!

 

[PaulG]

Ya know, I used potting soil for years, and eventually my own recycled mix,
and got decent results. But I wasn't looking for way high germination rates,
either! Experimenting with a peatless mix vs. my own mix this year just for fun!

 

[Eephus Man]

Ya know, I used potting soil for years, and eventually my own recycled mix,
and got decent results. But I wasn't looking for way high germination rates,
either! Experimenting with a peatless mix vs. my own mix this year just for fun!

Totally, Paul. I'm a looong way from having this thing aced. Keepin' my eyes open!

 

[PaulG]

I guess it's all about the journey in the end.
Learning new stuff keeps us young(er), i hope