Which Seed Starting Potting Soil
 

What do you recommend for seed starting potting mix? I can not find in my area, what many people like called Pro Mix

I have a Wal-mart, Target, Menard's, Home Depot, and Lowe's in the area? I have not found any mixes saying Seed Starting yet, but have found the standard Miracle Grow and Schultz and each brand has a Moisture control version as well. Would any of those work?

Any ideas what works for you would be great.


Thanks,


Dean

Maybe in Iowa, they just don't have the seed starting mixes out yet and if you check back in a month or so, they will. Or do you mean this is a regular problem for you in your area?

Pro-Mix is hard for me to find. Home Depot used to carry the compressed bales in my area, but that stopped a couple of years ago. Oh well. Luckily, I got a local nursery to order me a few bales of Pro-Mix BX and that is what I am using this year for seed starting and container growing.

[URL="http://www.sungro.com/products_displayProProduct.php?product_id=106&brand_id=17"]Metro-Mix 360[/URL] is another good one for seed starting, but like the Pro-Mix, it may not be so easy to find. You likely won't find it anywhere but at a better nursery in your area, I'm guessing. Box stores don't carry this product.

Jiffy Mix is another one to look for that I've used before. Miracle Gro, but the one labeled "seed starting" only, which you said you can't find so far. Peters makes a good seed starting mix too.

I wouldn't recommend using moisture control formulations of potting mix (or soil) for seed starting because it can increase the chances of damping off. Some use the moisture control, but I say, why take the chance?

Dean, I guess you could also make your own if necessary. Suggested ingredients - peat, perlite, vermiculite and some lime for pH balance.

Or, if you could find something with those ingredients, even if it says "potting mix" instead of seed starting mix, it may work just fine. Just pass on anything that says potting [B]soil[/B] for sure.

Hope this gives you some ideas. :)

Dean
Like Suze says Pro-Mix BX is great
I am lucky that in OC I find it pretty easily.

For starting seed I like Pro-Mix PG (Plug grade) or FPG (fine plug grade) both with biofungacide to prevent damping off

when I pot them out I use Pro-Mix BX with biofungacide and plant success added for Mycorrhiza etc and actinovate
or you can use Pro-Mix with Mycorrhiza and mix it with the pro-mix with biofungacide

if you get on line and do find a supplier do like Suze and pick up some extra
Good Luck
Dennis

I'm from SD. Dean and I get both the plug soil and the pro mix from Tessmans in Tea, SD. They are a nusery wholesale outlet. All you need is a sales tax license and you can get anything you want for planting there at a reasonable price. I don't recall ever seeing plug soil at any of the chain stores around here.

We have a HD nearby and I've never seen any useful seed-starting mixes there, and I haven't been to any of the other chains you have.

But we have another chain called OSH that has a big selection of bagged mixes. Last winter none of them were primarily "seed-starting mix," but I looked closely at all of them and the NutraPeat mix contained lots of coir and in small print listed "seed starting" as one use. I used it last year and it worked ok. Also, it's in a big bag and a lot cheaper than the seed-starting mixes they start selling in April.

So it's possible one of those places has a mix that could work as long as it
(a) is fine-grained
(b) doesn't contain soil, sand, and compost primarily
(c) is loose and well-draining

For food plants, I avoid anything with moisture granules.

I will be checking into Lowes tommorrow as I believe I seen the Pro-Mix on their website even though it says they don't have it there. I have found that to be inaccurate on several things. So I will let you know tommorrow what I find. Walmart just put the seeds out this week here and Lowes had theirs out last week- so soon it will be time for the mixes.

another alternative is jiffy peat pots, have used them for several years now and i really like them they are very easy and i started over 1,500 plants last year. I do however tear off the netting when i repot them up....just sayin....Gizzard

I have been using the organic seed starting mix by Ferry Morse that I mix with an espoma seed starting organic fertilizer and microrganism loaded mix, both from Lowes. However, have found the need to add boiling water to the Ferry Morse mix to get it to quickly aborb liquid..otherwise it takes a long time despite being advertised as having been treated to absorb water. However, I am overwhemingly pleased with the success rate as the seedlings are beautiful and even of the tiniest of seeds sprouted easily....NO pine bark noted. Too, leggyness has not been a problem, but they are in the full sun in my "Florida room" and heated with a small electric heating fan. My main challenge is keeping the water on them. With the gallon a day, I will be switching to distilled water. For starting trays, I have used the large aluminum roasting pans that come with plastic covers....about 3.50 for 2. Already beginning to transplant to the kind of cups used for hot beverages as they are broad at the bottom and lined to resist the water. 80 seedlings transplanted thus far and not a single one lost yet in the seedling process. I do press the soil into the pans so that the mix will have more body.

I've had trouble finding organic seed-starting mixes around here, too; the potting soil doesn't seem fine enough for tiny tomato and pepper seeds. I just ordered some online from Territorial Seeds and that should do me for this season.

I never thought about using those aluminum roasting pans; I'll bet you could put them on a heating mat, too.

How do you make sure that your varieties don't get mixed up, though? I used to start all my seeds in the Gardeners' Supply styrofoam APS system, but it's not compatible with bottom heat, so I tried Park's BioDome and didn't like being limited to only one seed per cell. I didn't have enough spares when sowbugs cut down my young seedlings after I planted them out. So I'm looking for an alternative this year. In the other two systems I either numbered the rows or used little sticks for labels, and I haven't decided how to do it if I use more of a free-sowing style.

The finest particle, organic mix I was able to find and tried is Espoma Organic Seed Starting Mix with beneficial endo and ecto Mycorrhizae. It wonderful, soft and fluffy. Easy to water, not hydrophobic at all, great moisture retention too. And for the first time, even with moisture under the dome for 3 weeks (while trying to germinate some older pepper seeds) - no "white" stuff on the surface at all, best germination results I've ever had.

The only thing I add to the mix, is organic worm castings, at the ratio suggested on the package (3 parts mix to one part castings), which also happen to have 1-0-0 NPK.

I know that we all have our favorites, but this mix I absolutely love for the seed starting. And seeds seem to like it to...

My second favorite is still Jiffy #7 pellets.

Regards,
D

[quote=RiverRat;155040]I've had trouble finding organic seed-starting mixes around here, too; the potting soil doesn't seem fine enough for tiny tomato and pepper seeds. I just ordered some online from Territorial Seeds and that should do me for this season.

I never thought about using those aluminum roasting pans; I'll bet you could put them on a heating mat, too.

How do you make sure that your varieties don't get mixed up, though? I used to start all my seeds in the Gardeners' Supply styrofoam APS system, but it's not compatible with bottom heat, so I tried Park's BioDome and didn't like being limited to only one seed per cell. I didn't have enough spares when sowbugs cut down my young seedlings after I planted them out. So I'm looking for an alternative this year. In the other two systems I either numbered the rows or used little sticks for labels, and I haven't decided how to do it if I use more of a free-sowing style.[/quote]

I would think that you could put the heavy aluminum trays on anything. Then they can easily be washed for later use. I use popsicle sticks from a crafts shop that I mark with indelible marker to identify the varieties which I sew in lines. I have been staggering the sewings over the past month. If not using the plastic covers, you can also use them for planting as they are the same size and depth. That gives me four planting trays for about 3.50. As I place the individuals in cups, I simply use a popsicle stick for each or write directly on the cup.

I'm trying miracle gro potting mix [img]http://base1.googlehosted.com/base_media?q=http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/HardwareandTools/032247435239&size=19&dhm=620f5930&hl=en[/img] and its working fine.

I've tried their organic potting mix but it seems a bit too chunky for small seeds. I use it when I transplant, though.

Thank you your responses, I checked some of the stores yesterday and still nothing. I guess I need to wait a week or two yet.

thanks,
Dean

This might be an option:
[URL]http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=12558[/URL]

Susan