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media Peat Moss and Pepper Seed

PaulG

PaulG

Extreme Member
The cut and paste below is from this url (Redwood City Seeds). There are accompanying photos. Does anyone have any experience along these lines? Is this a reputable source?

http://userwebs.batnet.com/rwc-seed/Pepper.growing.tips.html


Here are my ratings, of potting soil for pepper seed starting, based on the number of strong seedlings that resulted on June 7, 2009 when planting the same seeds were planted in each three-inch pot on April 19. Rated from zero to eight, with eight as the best.
0 = Sand
1 = Supersoil, Miracle Gro® Seed Starter and Miracle Gro® Sphagnum Peat Moss.
3 = Miracle Gro® Cactus, Palm and Citrus mix
7 = Scott's Premium potting soil
7+ = Miracle Gro® Orchid mix
8 = Miracle Gro® Organic Choice
The toxic effect of the pure sand on the pepper seeds was a surprise, so instead of using any sand in your pepper potting soil, use perlite instead.
For pepper seed germinating, the inhibiting effect of the various mixes, was usually in direct relationship with the percentage sphagnum peat moss in each mix.
 
Hey Paul,

I've used the Orchid mix. It was giving to me so I tried it a few years back with some Bhut seeds. I liked the fact that the seeds didn't sink down as with some of the fine textured mixes. It's not cost effective when doing larger grows. The Organic mix is also nice and fluffy, works well also.......some people are against using M/Grow, because it's a Monsanto product........oh well.
Way back, when I first started out I used "Hyponex" potting soil, it wasn't a soiless mix but worked if you didn't overwater.......

Now adays I use a combo of Baccto, Faffards Metro and a scattering of either Hoffmans or Shultz fine seed starting mix over the top of the seeds.

Greg
 
Howdy Greg,

Thanks for sharing your experience. There are so many different recipes for seed starter on the forum it makes my head swim. I've always just used regular potting soil, but wanted to try something different this year. Maybe I'll try some just to see how it works. I won't be starting more than two flats of seeds, if that many.

After reading his comments about the peat moss, I wonder if I shouldn't stop adding peat moss to the compost mix I put in my containers for the peppers?

Paul
 
I used MG organic choice last season for starts. Never again. It seemed to just slow down the growth. I switched to pro mix bx after a few weeks and they took off. The MG has too many twigs and sticks and stuff in it to be an optimal choice for seedlings.

And to answer your original question, Redwood City Seeds is not a reputable source.
 
How about for started plants? I want to use MG organic this year. I know it is composted bark and peat and chicken litter, no perlite. Maybe the bark makes it have good drainage I dont know. I like the idea of commercial potting mix that can be purchased at home depot, lowes, ect... I make my own peat-perlite mix and have good results but I am trying MG organic mix this year, not for seeds though.
 
The Organic Choice contains Peat Moss - I looked on their labels at the store today. It's odd that it ranked high in his experiment if the peat moss is an issue. I fondled the bags a lot and the Orchid Mix didn't seem to have so many solid chunks like other orchid mixes. Maybe some others have tried this stuff and will chime in, too. Especially about the peat moss issue in general.
 
have you tried kellogg patio plus..? i'm seeding/germinating in some right now and it seems that everything is sprouting...

not my pic...
002.jpg


btw, i found some threads right now (420 forums) comparing it to fox farms ocean floor... some say it's the same stuff but with more perlite and cost a lot less... 5bucks a bag... i been using it for everything lately... in my peppers i just put some more perlite and that's it...

you guys ever try...?
 
No, have not tryed it. How well does it work? You say you been using it for everything. Where do you get it, lowes?
 
i get it at HD... used it to root my plumerias, clone hibiscus, all of my citrus trees, dragon fruit clippings, and even my cactus orchids... although, i do add some perlite... right now i'm using it on some seeds... i just got some sprouts too... so it can't be that bad... right...? i've tried some MG stuff, and i never got anything to sprout...

a local nursery told me to use it to plant my trees because roots love it... so i have... also, the guy at HD said that he uses this for his 420 setup...
 
I was at HD today but didn't see any Patio Plus. I'll try a few places. Be cool to do a test with the orchid mix and the patio plus.
 
When I first started seeds I read the exact same site and went and got the MG organic choice. It was terrible. Fungus gnats,lumpy and turned into a rock after a few weeks. I read this site and switched to promix. So much better. I am not saying get promix. I am saying don't get MG organic choice.

Peat seems fine to me. I don't have the site's experience but I think there is some unintentional misinformation
 
PaulG said:
The cut and paste below is from this url (Redwood City Seeds). There are accompanying photos. Does anyone have any experience along these lines? Is this a reputable source?

http://userwebs.batn...owing.tips.html
Click to expand...

It's great to surf the web for pepper growing info. Eventually, you learn to filter out the bullxxit. Like when they scream stuff like


"NEVER, NEVER, NEVER ever use peat pots, peat pellets, or potting soil that is mostly peat."

Extremist position: immediate fail. Unless most of the Grow Logs that are cranking along are illusions, as I'm guessin most involve peat!

It's actually a lot of fun to try a bit of everything until you find your own personal methods. The big three: starter mix, seedling mix and final potting mix. My own solutions: start seeds in Hoffman Seed Starter, pot up seedlings to ProMix BX, then final pot up to blend of compost / bark fines/ peat / perlite and various other ingredients, including dirt and manures! The peat component can sure be reduced to get better drainage. To each their own.


Alsoo, it is way better to buy final pot up ingredients by the bulk, if you can swing it. By the "yard" instead of the bag. Visit some local area nurseries and avoid the big box stores. Some cool growers lurking here and there in your area. They might know stuff... :cool:
 
That's exactly why I signed up for this forum! Thanks, everyone for joining in :halo:
 
I've read that guide before and it's full of silly and highly questionable information. This is from the same guy who claims the chiltepin is the hottest pepper in the world according to some bizarre salsa dilution formula he made up. Peat moss based potting mixes are perfectly fine for germinating peppers, and most (me included) think MG Organic is awful. He suspects it's the acidity of peat moss that causes germination problems, yet commercial mixes are pH balanced to around 6.5. That guy is a bit of a crack pot imo. I've gotten very good germination times and percentages with pro-mix which is 80-85% peat moss. Much better than his bhut jolokias which he says take 25 days to get 50% to sprout!
 
gumbii said:
have you tried kellogg patio plus..? i'm seeding/germinating in some right now and it seems that everything is sprouting...

not my pic...
002.jpg


btw, i found some threads right now (420 forums) comparing it to fox farms ocean floor... some say it's the same stuff but with more perlite and cost a lot less... 5bucks a bag... i been using it for everything lately... in my peppers i just put some more perlite and that's it...

you guys ever try...?
Click to expand...

I have all my plants in this now...I tried several cheap brands and this one is rockin it!
SD530764.jpg


All the larger plants are in Kellogg...The smaller and yellow ones are on either earth gro or some other cheap variety I don't remember the name. Really good stuff and its all organic for those of you that are into that kind of stuff. Ingredients include bat guano, kelp and peat...Drainage is really good, but it doesn't dry out too quick. It is a bit twiggy...but not terrible.
 
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